Alan Lam reporting
The port authority of Bilbao has just awarded the tender for its planned cruise terminal to Excavaciones Viuda de Sainz, S.A., a special purpose consortium formed by Giroa, S.A.U. The €4.6 million terminal has a scheduled eleven-month completion period. Another company, Prosertek, S.L., has been given the contract for planning and the construction of the moving gangway.
The new two-floor (plus a mezzanine) terminal will have a usable space of 3,200 square metres. It has been conceived as a rectangular glass building, covered by a light zinc roof with six skylights to enhance interior brightness.
Central to the design, the port’s focus is on facilities and services for embarking and disembarking passengers. The building has been conceived with passenger and luggage flows in mind. It is is designed in such a way that that it opens towards the vessels, providing a direct passenger access between the terminal and the ship, via a finger gangway.
“The design has been carried out after exhaustive study and analysis of the functional demands of this type of building,” said the port in a statement. “Special attention has been given to the data provided by the major cruise lines in relation to international vessel safety and security norms, together with references from the best terminals in the world. Functionality, durability, easy maintenance and safety have been key in the choice of materials.”
In 2015, its first year of operation, 43 cruise ships called at Bilbao, including Celebrity Eclipse, Britannia, Anthem of the Seas which visited this small cruise port on its maiden voyage. Together they brought a total of 70,541 passengers to the city; about half of them were British, with 17% being German and 13% American.
Early indication suggests that 2016 will be an even better year for Bilbao, with about 55 cruise calls anticipated so far. This is largely thanks to the new cruise pier, which has meant that the port can offer three berths, with no restriction.
In recent years, infrastructure and transport links have improved dramatically in this region. With the new terminal, the port clearly aims to attract more turnaround calls. Indeed it is increasingly attracting the attentions of cruise lines.
