Ports de la Generalitat closes a record cruise season with 43,100 passengers

Palamós, Roses, and Sant Carles de la Ràpita have concluded an excellent cruise season with 50 port calls and an estimated economic impact of €3 million across the region.
Regional Minister Vila emphasized that this has been the best season ever and that next year, with Palamós now part of the Schengen Area, new cruise passengers will arrive, providing "a boost to the local economy, society, and modernization."
Palamós welcomes the last cruise ship of 2015 tomorrow, the Crystal Serenity, and has achieved its highest passenger record ever, with 40,800 cruise passengers.
The ports of Palamós, Roses, and Sant Carles de la Ràpita have closed the 2015 cruise season with 43,100 passengers, 50 port calls, and an estimated economic impact of €3 million. The Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Santi Vila, highlighted this morning that this has been the best cruise season ever for the three ports managed by Ports de la Generalitat (Ports of the Generalitat), adding, "The cruise sector is proving very positive for us.
Overall, the three ports have seen a 1% increase in passenger numbers and have maintained the same number of port calls as the previous season. Cruise activity in the ports managed by the Generalitat has become an important segment for boosting the tourism sector, stimulating the local economy, and positioning the Catalan coast on the world stage.
Minister Vila also referred to the agreement with the Ministry of the Interior for Palamós to become part of the Schengen Area. In this regard, he reiterated that the Generalitat has expressed its interest in carrying out the necessary works to ensure the port is ready for the next cruise season. “It will be an opportunity for the arrival of new cruise passengers to be an economic, social, and modernization boost,” he said.
Palamós –
The Crystal Serenity cruise ship will bring the 2015 cruise season for Ports de la Generalitat to a close tomorrow. The ship will arrive in Palamós at 8:00 a.m. from the French port of Marseille and is scheduled to depart at 6:00 p.m. for the port of Barcelona. This luxury cruise ship carries approximately 406 passengers, mostly from North America, and 620 crew members. This is the fourth consecutive season that the ship has visited the Empordà port, where it has made two calls this year.
The port of Palamós leads cruise activity among the ports managed by the Catalan Administration and has positioned itself as one of the top ports of its kind for cruise traffic in the Western Mediterranean. Palamós closes an excellent season tomorrow with 37 port calls and 40,800 passengers, reaching a historic record with the highest passenger numbers since cruise activity began in Palamós. With these results, the port has received almost 3% more port calls and 6% more passengers compared to last year. This increase is due to the arrival of larger cruise ships such as the Mein Schiff 2 and the Costa Magica.
The cruise industry continues to become less seasonal, as the season began on April 26 and ends on December 1. May, August, and October saw the highest passenger numbers, with May, at almost 7,000 passengers, being the busiest month for cruise tourists.
Regarding excursions, 24% of cruise passengers took part in excursions, while the remaining 76% chose to stay on board. The most popular destinations were Girona, Figueres, and Púbol. Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar; Pals, Peratallada, and La Bisbal d'Empordà; Castelló d'Empúries and Begur; and Barcelona. The most popular excursions were cultural.
Cruise ship tourists were predominantly British (54%), followed by Americans (13%), French (9%), Germans (8%), Italians (8%), Irish (3%), Australians (2%), and Canadians (2%), among other nationalities. British and American passengers increased by 5% and 4%, respectively, compared to 2014. The influx of British tourists is mainly due to the strong presence of Thomson Cruises.
The cruise lines that visited Palamós most frequently were Thomson Cruises (32%) and Seabourn Cruise Lines (24%). The addition of Costa Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises is also noteworthy. Also, the inaugural calls in Palamós of the Costa Magica, Riviera, Mein Schiff 2, Saga Pearl II, Seabourn Odyssey, and Seven Seas Mariner cruise ships.
Roses
completes the cruise port and tourism offering on the Costa Brava. This has been Roses' fourth consecutive successful season in cruise activity, a port that is committed and working hard to establish itself in the international cruise market. Roses closed the season with seven cruise ship calls and approximately 1,500 passengers.
In Roses, the season ran from May 5th to October 15th. During these months, the cruise tourists were primarily high-spending. Regarding nationalities, the most prominent were French (33%), German (18%), Belgian (11%), British (8%), Austrian (7%), Finnish (6%), American (5%), and Swiss (3%), among others.
Of the excursions taken, 14% of passengers went to Figueres, Girona, and Peralada, while the remaining 86% stayed in the town, visiting the city, the beaches, and shopping.
The cruise lines operating in Roses this season were Club Med Cruises and Paul Gauguin, which made its inaugural call at the port of Roses. Another new development this year was that, for the first time, two cruise ships called simultaneously on the same day: the Club Med 2 and the Tere Moana.
Sant Carles de la Ràpita:
The port of Sant Carles de la Ràpita recently began cruise operations and closed its second season with an increase compared to the previous year. The port received six calls from the Star Flyer cruise ship, carrying 1,000 passengers and 500 crew members. These results represent two more calls and double the number of passengers than last year.
Cruise activity took place from July 8th to August 12th. Each cruise ship has made a six-hour stop, allowing passengers time to sample the local cuisine, swim at the beaches, explore the city, and shop. The most popular excursions have been birdwatching in the Delta Natural Park, the Muscleres , and water sports in Alfacs Bay.
This season, 80% of tourists have been European, with 9% being North American. The nationality distribution is as follows: German (34%); British (10%); Italian (10%); Swiss (10%); North American (9%); Austrian (4%); Belgian (4%); French (4%); Swedish (4%); Canadian (3%); Australian (2%); and other nationalities (6%).
Promotion:
Cruise activity in the ports of Palamós, Roses, and Sant Carles de la Ràpita and their tourist destinations is promoted in various cruise market forums through the brands Costa Brava Cruise Ports and Delta Ebre Port. These brands are the result of a joint effort between Ports de la Generalitat, the Costa Brava-Girona Tourist Board, the municipalities of Palamós and Roses, and the chambers of commerce of Palamós and Girona in the case of Costa Brava Cruise Ports, and with the Terres de l'Ebre Tourist Board, the Sant Carles de la Ràpita City Council, and the Tortosa Chamber of Commerce in the case of Delta Ebre Port.