The cruise terminal in Barcelona can be like a crazy-but-beautiful circus.
Passengers from all around the world disembark from their cruise ships, some setting foot on Barcelona’s concrete port for the first while others are making the journey after several visits to the Mediterranean jewel. According to statistics from 2013, about 2.5 million people visited Barcelona via 764 cruise ships that pulled into port. Now, the port is about to get all the more interesting.
Carnvial Cruise Lines has announced a new deal with the Barcelona Port Authority in which the good-times cruise company has inked a 30 million euro deal to build a second cruise terminal, making their terminal the seventh in the busy port and solidifying Barcelona as Europe’s premier cruise port.
According to Travel Weekly, the new terminal is set to be completed by 2018 and will span 11,500 square meters and have 300 parking spots. The terminal will be able to accommodate 4,500 passengers at a time. The new facility is sure to add to the more than 250 million euros that cruisers contributed to the city in 2013.
Michel Nestour, the Carnival operations boss for the Barcelona port, said he’s excited about how the terminal will make life easier — and more enjoyable — for the cruise line’s passengers.
“As an all-new, next-generation cruise facility, the terminal will be designed to enhance the overall cruise experience for Carnival Corporation’s guests,” Nestour said. “This will include making it easy and convenient for guests, whether they are arriving at the terminal to begin a cruise vacation, disembarking following the completion of a cruise or visiting Barcelona as one of the ports of call on a cruise. In all cases, our goal is to exceed guest expectations through every stage of the cruise experience, and this new terminal will be built to meet that goal.”
Barcelona Port Authority boss Sixte Cambra shared Nestour’s enthusiasm.
“We are excited about our ongoing partnership with Carnival Corporation to enhance our facilities at the Port of Barcelona and continue our momentum as one of the top cruise destinations in the world,” Sixte Cambra said. “This new agreement ensures that we will continue to meet the growing popularity of cruising to and from Barcelona, accommodate the latest in cruise ship designs and most importantly provide cruise passengers with the highest levels of quality and service.”
Barcelona is Europe’s busiest port, and, according to the Carnival release, it is the fourth busiest port in the world.
Carnival VP Giora Israel said good things are ahead for Barcelona’s cruise port.
“Based on our very positive working relationship with our partners in Barcelona, we see a truly bright future for the cruising industry in Barcelona,” Israel said in the press release, “and look forward to continuing to work with the Port and the city of Barcelona to welcome our cruise guests to one of the most beautiful, vibrant and popular cities in Europe and the Mediterranean.”
Cruise Port Photo Credit: Mark_M, Flickr Creative Commons
