it was hardly the most glamorous cruise imaginable - but I sailed in some luxury from Dublin to Cork overnight.
Thankfully, we avoided the worst of the weather and arrived safely in the rebel city this morning.
I feasted on the best fare imaginable and sipped a cocktail as we slipped out of Dublin Bay last night. I saw the sun sink from a bar stool with a view.
And the reason for my mini-cruise? Well Dublin's taking the next step on its journey to becoming a major cruise destination.
MSC - one of the major players in the cruise market and which unveil its 13th cruise ship soon - is making our capital a stop off for its passengers.
Last night its Lirica ship sailed out of Dublin Port with me on board, on a stopover that pumped tens of thousands of euro into the economy.
The company will have two further sailings this year out of Dublin as part of an itinerary that includes the likes of Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Heligoland.
The current ship can take a maximum of 2,000 passengers, but the company's so confident in the attractions that Dublin has to offer that it will be introducing one of its super-sized ships, Magnifica, on the route next year.
Given its policy of free passage for children under-18 sharing a cabin with parents, it's seen Irish sales jump 20pc.
A statue of Molly Malone was handed over to MSC's European boss Giulio Libutti and UK/Ireland chief Lorenzo Diamantini by Dublin Lord Mayor Naoise O Muiri and Dublin Port's Lucy McCaffrey.
"The city has a huge amount to offer tourists," said Lord Mayor O Muiri, who added, "it's great to see the Port Company developing a relationship with MSC."
The company is the only player in South Africa, and also offers cruises in the Baltic region, the Caribbean, South America, and of course the Med.
mevans@herald.ie
- Mark Evans, our Travel Editor in cork
Onboard Msc lirica cobh stop cancelled due to storms en route to Amsterdam
Mark Evans 
