Majestic Princess Docks in Belfast, Boosting Local Economy

It's April 21st. Welcome in. This is Europe News Today, where European headlines meet AI.

The majestic princess just dropped anchor in Belfast, marking the first big ship of the 2026 crew season.

This 330 meter beast, weighing 143,700 tons, with 19 decks carried around 5,000.

Passengers and crew on its debut visit Tuesday. It's touring the UK, Ireland and France.

This year, Belfast Harbor expects 141 crews calls. A slight dip from 147 last year.

But bigger ships like this one should pump about 26 million pounds into the local economy come 2026.

Belfast has been hosting cruise ships for 30 years now since 1996, growing into Ireland's busiest port in the UK's second after.

Southampton. Most ships stay just one day, but 13 will turn around here, with folks embarking and disembarking, plus seven overnight stays to boost hotels and spending.

Port bosses are building a 90 million pound deep water key set to open in 2028, ready for even larger vessels.

Officials call it a thriving industry that supports thousands of jobs and amps up tourism across the board.

With the season underway and crowds flowing in, Belfast crew scene looks prime for another solid run, blending sea vibes with city energy.