This year a 20% increase in the number of dockings is expected.
The Azura cruise ship, from the P&O Carnival company, will inaugurate the cruise season at the Port of Bilbao on April 5th. This ship, 290 meters long and 36 meters wide, has a capacity for 3,600 passengers and 1,560 crew members.
The cruise ship has 1,557 cabins, spread over 14 decks, a gym with underwater views, a thermal water spa, a large auditorium, an open-air cinema and the first floating restaurant distinguished with a Michelin star.
In 2015, 43 cruise ships called at the facilities that the Port of Bilbao has in Getxo, and this season an increase of 20% is expected.
Pullmantur's commitment is noteworthy once again, as they will resume embarking passengers in Getxo. They will operate in June and September, with itineraries throughout Northern Europe. In June, the itinerary will include Lisbon, Vigo, Bilbao, Dover, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Rostock.
This season will also see the first-ever calls from iconic cruise ships, including two from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL): the Celebrity Silhouette and the Ovation of the Seas. The latter is 348 meters long and has a capacity for 4,180 passengers. RCCL will also dock in the Port of Bilbao with its Celebrity Constellation, which will spend the night in port. Another ship that will stay overnight is the Balmoral, from the British company Fred Olsen.
In 2016, the imposing Britannia (P&O – Carnival), 330 meters long and carrying nearly 4,000 people, will visit us again in May, July and August, which last year included the Port of Bilbao in its inaugural stop.
