Tomorrow morning Tuesday the 21st of August 2018 one of the largest cruise liners in the world will dock in Killybegs Co.Donegal named  the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner.

It is due to dock on Tuesday morning at 10am making it the second time its visited  the harbor this Summer. The Queen Elizabeth cruise liner also visit the harbor last month on the 20th

The Queen Elizabeth cruise liner will have 3000 guests on bored which will be a boost for the south Donegal area as the will travel to different parts of the southern end of the county that morning and day before setting of that evening around 6pm. 

The weather for Tuesday will see rain and patchy drizzle but some drier spells will develop at times also over the day  but don't let that stop you going seen this wonderful ship  

If you get a good view of the west coast of Donegal early Tuesday morning you may get a good view of the ship as it travels to dock in Killybegs as its currently on its way from Reykjavik Iceland. 

Passengers will visit areas like Slieve League, Glenveagh national park and many other iconic parts of Donegal that day.

This will be the last time a visit by a ship this size will visit the harbor this year.

Continues below

MS Queen Elizabeth

The 90,901-ton, 2,300-passenger cruise ship QE, is Cunard's newest luxurious ocean cruise liner. QE appeared in October 2010 when she was named in a grandiose ceremony by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Reminding the rich inheritance of the first Cunarder to bear the name, her stylishness both echoes that legendary age and improves her luxury modern charm. QE- the running mate to Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria has a modified design and is slightly larger than Queen Victoria, having more vertical stern.

On the 10th of October 2007 the name of the ship was announced by Cunard. After Queen Elizabeth 2 retired in 2008, the company operates three vessels. The ship was named as Queen Elizabeth, similarly to what happened between 1940 and 1948- then the original QE was in service the same time as the Royal Navy battleship- the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Navy, six year after joining the fleet, plans to introduce into service the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2016. In October 2011 together with the other Cunard’s queens,

The cruise ship changed registries to Hamilton, Bermuda– this decision was taken in order to the hosting of weddings aboard. Who is sailing on Queen Elizabeth depends on where the vessel is heading to. Ex-Southampton cruises necessarily attract a lot of Brits. The handful of mini-cruises which operate every year are a big opportunity for first-timers to give a try to Cunard and whip up a more economically various crowd than usual. The annual world cruise draws a mixture from every place of the world, though there are large numbers of well-heeled Americans and Brits. Shorter sailings attract Americans and Brits, but Cunard's cruises are also very successful in the markets in Japan and Germany.

With her black hull, white structure and red funnel signals, externally Cunard Queen Elizabeth has the charm of company’s heritage, following Cunard’s tradition. Modern luxury and the best of Cunard’s values, are what guests can expect onboard.

The ship is identical in design to the other ship of the fleet- Queen Victoria, although passenger’s capacity is slightly higher because of the steeper stern. This difference is the reason why the largest suites at Cunard Queen Elizabeth stern have smaller balconies. The games deck is covered by roof at the end of deck 11, which is not similar to the sports deck on Queen Victoria with her not continuous canvas covering. RMS Queen Elizabeth's original whistle was used to make a copy of it for the new ship.

Unlike previous Cunard ships, this is not a true liner, as not having heavy plating throughout the hull and also not having propulsion system. The bow of QE is constructed with heavier plating in order to cope with Transatlantic run. Also, the ship has high freeboard. Queen Mary 2 costs about $300,000 US per berth, which is nearly double the cost of other contemporary cruise ships. That is why Cunard based Queen Elizabeth on a Vista-class ship design, thus making an economical decision.

The ship's decor is different from Queen Victoria’s, although with identical interior arrangements. As a tribute to the previous Elizabeths- the original one and the QE2, this cruise ship evokes the 1930s, when Cunard’s first QE was launched. A feature on Queen Mary 2, not available on Queen Victoria is the Britannia Club section of the restaurant, featured on Cunard Queen Elizabeth. This way passengers in Britannia staterooms are allowed to use single seating dining arrangements, not having to upgrade to more expensive, Grills classes.

Stats on the ship

• Length: 294 m
• Capacity: 2,092 passengers lower beds, 2,547 maximum passengers
• Yard number: 6187
• Cost: UK £350 million (€306 million)
• Speed: 23.7 knots (43.9 km/h; 27.3 mph)
• In service: October 2010
• Decks: 16 total, 12 accessible to passengers

Killybegs, Donegal, Ireland

Killybegs is a town situated in County Donegal, Ireland. Located on the south coast of Ireland, north of Donegal Bay, close to Donegal Town, it is country's biggest fishing port. Killybegs lies at the head of scenic harbour and at the base of mountainous tract that extends northward. There is street festival in the summer celebrating fish catches and incorporating traditional "Blessing of the Boats".

Killybegs has a population of 1,300 people (2011 census). It is a natural deepwater harbour with 12-meter depth at low water spring tide at the €50 million pier which was completed in 2004. Killybegs' harbour is home to all the biggest Irish midwater pelagic trawlers, as well as a modest whitefish fleet, but also handles other types of shipping (mixed specialist cargoes and passenger cruise liners). In recent years the city of Killybegs has become the major port for importation of wind turbines. It is a service port for offshore gas and oil drilling rigs.

The town is famous for its carpets and tapestries, some of which produced on the largest carpet loom in the world at "Donegal Carpet Factory". These carpets, hand-knotted in Turkish style, are known as Donegals. They have adorned important buildings in Ireland, including Buckingham Palace, Dublin Castle, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Aras an Uachtarain, and internationally The White House, the Vatican, 10 Downing Street and many state buildings around the world. Killybegs' factory closed in 2003. Since 2006 it has been open as Maritime & Heritage Centre which provides information on carpet making and fishing industry. Tours are organized daily and visitors can see how smaller carpets are made and even try making a knot. A ship simulator is available which is Ireland's most modern. It offers 3 levels of technique providing fun and testing navigation skills. The Maritime & Heritage Centre is open all year round.

The registered blue flag Fintra beach lies on the outskirts of Killybegs. It consists of fine golden sand, and boasts large numbers of visitors during the peak tourist season. Fintra beach is lifeguarded through the whole bathing season, and is regarded as one of Ireland's safest beaches.