Year’s record number of cruise ships in Barcelona with 17 boats and 64,000 passengers in a single weekend

Barcelona (ACN).- Between this Friday and Sunday, 17 cruisers will pass through the Port of Barcelona, which is the largest number of boats arriving at the Catalan harbour in a single weekend this year. The boats are transporting 64,000 passengers who will be spending 61 euros per day per person if they are just passing by or 114 euros if they are starting or ending their trip in Barcelona. In addition, the ships’ crews will be spending an average of 30 euros per person. On Friday 29,000 cruise passengers, spread over 8 ships, will be passing through the Catalan capital. On Saturday 3 ships transporting 8,500 tourists will stop at Barcelona harbour and, on Sunday, 6 ships will be carrying 26,500 passengers will dock. The arrival of the cruise passengers coincides with the X-Games, the Motor Trade Fair and Museum Night in Barcelona. The Catalan capital will end 2013 with a total of 2.6 million cruise passengers having passed through its harbour, close to the overall record from 2011. Barcelona is the main cruise ship port in Europe and the entire Mediterranean Sea. In fact, Barcelona is the fourth largest harbour internationally for cruise ships, after the three main ones which are all located in Florida.

According to estimations from Barcelona’s Tourism Board, the arrival of cruise ships in the Catalan capital generated an impact of €232 million for the local economy in 2012, without taking into account the activity in the same harbour. In 2013, 2.6 million cruise passengers are expected to go through the Port of Barcelona. The figure will get close to the overall record from 2011, when 2,642,493 people travelled on cruise ships that stopped in the Catalan capital.

On Friday, two boats will start or end their trips in Barcelona: the Carnival Sunshine and the Celebrity Equinox. In addition, the Amadea and Aidavita will be passing by, stopping in Barcelona and continuing with their trip. The MSC Preziosa, the Liberty of the Seas, the Costa Fortuna and the Costa Mediterranea will have a mixed operation, with most of their passengers only passing by but with also a significant number of people arriving or ending their holiday in the Catalan capital. This means that this Friday will register the highest number of cruise ships and passengers in 2013.

On Saturday, the Grand Holiday and the Sovereign are starting or ending their trips in Barcelona. The Braemar is only passing by. On Sunday, four boats will have Barcelona as their main harbour, which are the Norwegian Epic, Serenade of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Europa. Two other ships, the Aidablu and the Costa Fortuna, will have a mixed operation.