The economic impact of cruise calls to the Welsh economy this year is expected to top the £2.4 million achieved in 2013.
The number of calls by cruise ships has grown by 34% over the past two years with a further 10% increase projected for 2015.
More than 30 cruise visits are expected next year from UK, Germany, US, Canada and France, with new and larger vessels coming to Wales in addition to smaller, luxury ship itineraries.
Wales has six cruise ports at Newport, Swansea, Cardiff, Milford Haven, Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead.
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Silhouette will be one of the largest ships coming to Holyhead for the first time in 2015.
Four calls into Holyhead are also planned by Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises.
All-suite small luxury ship Corinthian, owned by US operator Travel Dynamics, will be making four stops in Holyhead and four in Fishguard and Ponant Cruises will be bringing Le Boréal to Holyhead.
Hebridean Island Cruises is bringing the Hebridean Princess to Cardiff while sister brand Voyages of Discovery plans a call into Holyhead with its ship Voyager and Swan Hellenic’s Minerva is visiting Wales as part of a joint project with the National Trust.
Cruise Wales manager, Suzanne Thomas, said: “This is an incredibly important development in Wales’ cruise agenda and operators are beginning to realise how much we can offer cruise passengers.
“This year we have already welcomed over 20,000 cruise passengers to Wales and we have initiated special workshops and training to ensure that we can deliver new and exciting products for cruise passengers, as well as providing the cruise lines themselves with the facilities they need.”
Cruise Wales has recently held recruitment presentations to more than 300 students in South Wales colleges, offering entry level hospitality positions on a five-star cruise line. These will continue in the new year across Wales.
German linguistic guide training will also be held in West Wales next year to ensure that German speakers can be provided for cruise lines calling at Fishguard and Milford Haven in 2016.