The Port of Barcelona received 17 cruise vessels carrying a total of 64,000 passengers on 17, 18 and 19 May, setting this year’s record for cruise vessels and passengers in just one weekend. On Friday, 8 cruise vessels berthed in the Port involving the movement of 29,000 passengers. On Saturday, three more vessels arrived and on Sunday a further 6 vessels sailed into Barcelona with a total of 26,500 passengers on board.
On Friday 17th May, two vessels were turnaround cruises (starting and ending their journey in the city): Carnival Sunshine and Celebrity Equinox. On the other hand, the vessels Amadea and Aidavita were in transit, calling at the Port of Barcelona and continuing with their schedule, while MSC Preziosa, Liberty of the Seas, Costa Fortuna and Costa Mediterranea carried out mixed operations of mainly transit with some turnaround operations. Friday was also the busiest day of the year in terms of cruise passengers and cruise vessels calling at the port.
On Saturday 18th May, two ships were turnaround – Grand Holiday and Sovereign–, while Braemar was in transit. Four of the six cruise vessels berthed on Sunday 19th May have designated Barcelona as their home port: Norwegian Epic, Serenade of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Europa. The vessel Aidablu was in transit and Costa Fortuna carried out mixed operations.
Contribution to tourism
The bustle of cruise activity in Barcelona also coincides with an increment in tourist activity and visitors to the city due the concurrence of various mass events.
"The more than 64,000 cruise passengers visiting the city over the weekend add to the other activities generating wealth in the fields of business, recreation, culture and tourism, such as Museum Night, the Motor Show and X-Games – highlighting the attraction of Barcelona and its port," according to the president of the Port of Barcelona, Mr Sixte Cambra.
The Port of Barcelona collaborates throughout the year with the City Council, Turisme de Barcelona and other institutions to ensure that cruise flows run smoothly. On days where over 60% of operations are turnaround such as last weekend, operations are jointly coordinated with Barcelona Airport – EL Prat with regards to the baggage handling requirements of some vessels.
60% of the cruise passengers who passed through the Port of Barcelona in 2012 were turnaround, either starting or ending their schedules in the city. This means that over 1,400,000 passengers either embarked or disembarked with luggage in the Catalan port area. Turnaround traffic represents a significant contribution to the economy of the city and Catalonia, since in many cases passengers spend an extra night in Barcelona or in some other Catalan or Spanish destination.
Significant contribution to the economy
According to estimates from Turisme de Barcelona, each turnaround passenger spends an average of 114 euros per day while transit passengers spend 61 euros. Vessel crew members also contribute to the economy of the city with average daily spending of 30 euros. Based on these figures, the economic impact of cruise traffic on the city of Barcelona in 2012 (excluding income from port activity itself: terminals, stevedores, suppliers, etc) is estimated at more than 232 million euros.
In 2013, the Port of Barcelona expects to reach 2.6 million cruise passengers, which will come close to achieving the record established in 2011. The Port of Barcelona is the leading cruise port in Europe and the Mediterranean and the fourth homeport to cruise ships in the world.
The prominence of the Port in this type of traffic is secured by the quality and operational capacity of its facilities, public terminals managed by Creuers of the Port of Barcelona (terminals A, B and C in the Adossat quay and the Nord and Sud Quays of the WTC) as well as the privately operated terminal Palacruceros (Carnival Group) in the Adossat Quay.
