Most cruise ships calling at Dublin dock at Alexandra Quay, which sits inside Dublin Port’s working freight terminal, nowhere near the city itself. Smaller ships sometimes use Berth 18, a bit closer to the Liffey, while plenty of lines call at Dún Laoghaire Harbour instead, 11km south of the centre. Either way, you’re not walking into town. You’ll need a shuttle, a taxi or the Luas tram.
Where Dublin cruise ships dock: Alexandra Quay, Ocean Pier 33 and the Berth 18 question
Dublin Port sits right at the end of East Wall and North Wall, and the cruise berths are part of a proper working freight harbour, not some purpose-built passenger terminal with a gift shop and a brass band. Larger ships berth at Alexandra Quay, which Dublin Port’s own live Ships in Port board labels Ocean Pier 33, somewhere between 3 and 4km east of the city centre depending on which source you believe.
Smaller liners are sometimes said to use Berth 18, on the North Quay Extension facing the Tom Clarke Bridge, reached through the blue gates on East Wall Road. One port-guide site reckons Alexandra Quay near Berth 18 isn’t used for cruise ships any more, while another points out that the Berth 18 claim just gets copied from one aggregator site to the next without Dublin Port Company ever actually confirming it. So treat anything you read about your exact berth as provisional until your cruise line confirms it closer to the day.
There’s no single up-to-date map from Dublin Port Company showing which berth is which, so a fair bit of this comes from piecing together what’s publicly confirmed. The map below shows the general area people mean when they talk about the Dublin cruise terminal at Berth 18.
Why you can’t walk from the ship: the locked freight port rule
This is the bit that catches people out. Dublin’s cruise berths sit inside a secured freight port, and the rule is no pass, no entry, no exceptions. You are not allowed to walk from the ship to the port entrance, full stop.
Once you know the workaround, it’s easy enough: the port runs its own free bus to get foot passengers from the ship to the port entrance. Alexandra Road itself has also been closed to all port-related pedestrian, vehicle and cyclist traffic since last summer for redevelopment work, with the closure expected to run until next autumn, so everyone now gets funnelled through Promenade Road instead of the old side gates. In practice that means your cruise line’s shuttle, a taxi booked from the terminal, or the Luas tram are your only real options. Not your own two feet, at least until the old route opens back up.
Getting from the port gate to Dublin city centre: Luas, bus 53 and the walk to The Point
From Berth 18, the nearest Luas Red Line stop, The Point, is about a 9-minute walk, roughly 750 metres, and the nearest bus stop, Br an Phoirt Thoir, is even closer at around 3 minutes. From Ocean Pier 33 at Alexandra Quay you’re looking at a longer slog, around 30 minutes into town on foot, with the nearest tram stop itself about 17 minutes away.
- Luas Red Line from The Point into Abbey Street or Jervis in the city centre
- Dublin Bus route 53, cited by several sources as linking the port area to the centre, though the exact route number varies between sources, so confirm with Transport for Ireland before you travel
- Taxi from the terminal gate, the simplest option if several ships are in and the buses are packed
The walk to the port gate and tram stop crosses working industrial roads, container traffic and rail crossings, so comfortable, broken-in walking shoes for uneven ground earn their keep here, especially if you’ve drawn the longer walk from Ocean Pier 33 rather than the shorter one from Berth 18.
Parking at Dublin Port: why there’s no dedicated cruise car park
If you’re hoping for a straightforward passenger car park right at the cruise berth, there isn’t one. Dublin Port Company doesn’t publish a cruise passenger page confirming any parking arrangements, and nothing in the information that is available points to a formal car park for cruise travellers at either Alexandra Quay or Berth 18.
Given the locked freight port rule and the pedestrian ban above, driving yourself to the berth and parking up nearby just isn’t how this port works. If you’re arriving by car, check directly with your cruise line for their current advice, or plan to park in the city centre and take a taxi out to the port gate instead.
Dún Laoghaire: the other Dublin cruise port, 11km south
Plenty of cruise passengers wanting a Dublin city day end up docking at Dún Laoghaire Harbour instead, a separate harbour 11km south of the centre run by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council rather than Dublin Port Company. Ships here are tendered rather than docked, which means the vessel anchors offshore and small boats called tenders ferry passengers ashore in batches. Check your documents for a tender time rather than assuming you can just stroll off whenever you fancy.
Tender operations depend on the weather, and rough conditions can delay or cancel them altogether, which matters if your time ashore is already tight. A packable rain jacket earns its place in the day bag either way. Irish coastal weather turns on a whim.
Cruise passenger numbers at Dublin Port
Dublin gets called Ireland’s most popular cruise port a lot, though the Central Statistics Office’s own figures tell a different story. Dublin recorded 36 of the 263 cruise ship arrivals in Irish ports last year, behind Cork on 91 and Dún Laoghaire on 65, according to the Central Statistics Office’s annual port traffic release. Across Ireland as a whole, cruise passenger numbers fell year on year, from over 360,000 to just over 332,000, with August the busiest month for arrivals.
For a wider view of how Dublin stacks up against Ireland’s other calls, our Ireland Cruise Ship Port Guide covers the main ports around the country, including smaller calls such as the Port of Greencastle.
New cruise berths at the North Wall Quay Extension
Dublin Port’s cruise consultation material describes new berths under construction at the North Wall Quay Extension, east of the Tom Clarke Bridge, meant to serve the cruise season two years after work began. The port’s own published material stops short of confirming whether this has happened yet, so treat any claim that these berths are now operational as unconfirmed until your cruise line or the port verifies it.
Why cruise ships rarely sail from Dublin Port
If you’re after a cruise that departs from Dublin Port itself, there just aren’t many on offer. Dublin Port announced restrictions some years ago capping visiting cruise ships at two large vessels a week in summer and one a week in winter, with no turnarounds allowed at all, meaning no embarkation or disembarkation of full ships. A Dublin Port spokesperson has confirmed cruise traffic makes up less than 1% of the port’s overall revenue, with its real job being freight and ferry traffic, so cruise berth space stays under constant review rather than guaranteed or expanded to suit passenger demand.
Common Questions
Do cruise ships dock in Dublin city centre?
No. Larger ships dock at Alexandra Quay, inside Dublin Port’s industrial harbour, several kilometres from the centre. Some vessels call at Dún Laoghaire Harbour instead, 11km south.
Where exactly do Dublin cruise ships berth?
Larger ships generally use Alexandra Quay, called Ocean Pier 33 on Dublin Port’s live board. Smaller vessels are sometimes linked to Berth 18, though the port itself hasn’t confirmed that.
Can I walk from the ship to the city centre?
No. The cruise berths sit inside a locked freight port with a strict pedestrian ban. You’ll need the port’s free shuttle bus, a taxi, or the Luas tram.
How do I get from the port to Dublin city centre?
Options include the port’s own foot passenger bus to the entrance, then the Luas Red Line from The Point tram stop, a local bus route, or a taxi booked at the gate.
Is Berth 18 still used for cruise ships?
Nobody quite agrees. One source says it’s no longer in cruise use, another says the claim comes from aggregator sites rather than Dublin Port Company itself. So it stays unconfirmed.
What’s the difference between Dublin Port and Dún Laoghaire?
Dublin Port is an industrial freight harbour run by Dublin Port Company. Dún Laoghaire Harbour is a separate, tendered port 11km south, run by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
Can I park at Dublin Port for a cruise?
There’s no dedicated cruise passenger car park confirmed at either Alexandra Quay or Berth 18. Driving to the city centre and taking a taxi to the port gate is generally the more reliable option.
Do cruises depart from Dublin Port?
Rarely. Restrictions introduced some years ago limit visiting ship numbers and ban turnarounds, so Dublin functions mainly as a port of call rather than a home port.
Is there an official Dublin Port cruise passenger guide?
No. Dublin Port Company hasn’t published a dedicated cruise passenger page, which is why terminal logistics are best confirmed directly with your cruise line before you travel.
Why Trust About2Cruise
This guide was pieced together from Dublin Port’s own published materials, the Central Statistics Office’s official port traffic figures, and independent port-guide sources, checked against each other wherever they disagreed. Where sources conflicted, like the exact distance to the city centre or whether Berth 18 remains in cruise use, we’ve said so rather than picking one version and pretending it’s settled. You can read more about how we research and fact-check our port guides on our about us page.
Last Updated: 10 October 2026