The port of Valencia has received the simultaneous call of four cruise ships, the Aidacara, Costa Fascinosa, FTI Berlin and National Geographic Orion, the latter two being considered luxury ships, with 4,700 passengers on board.
According to a statement released by the Port Authority, the FTI Berlin, a high-end cruise ship, docked at the Transversales Wharf, disembarking 271 passengers. The National Geographic Orion, also docked at the Transversales Wharf, is considered a high-end expedition cruise ship. The Aidacara docked at the Poniente Wharf with approximately 1,100 passengers, while the Costa Fascinosa docked at the new cruise terminal in the northern expansion, disembarking its more than 3,200 passengers.
The Port of Valencia closed 2015 with a total of 371,374 cruise tourists and expects to reach 406,720 in 2016. During the first quarter of this year, 30,810 cruise passengers arrived in Valencia, 11.97% more than during the same period of the previous year. Currently, Valencia serves as a home port for MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises and receives calls from 34 other cruise lines.
It also has two docks that allow the berthing of ships up to 300 meters in length and three other docks located in the northern expansion area for ships exceeding 300 meters in length. All the infrastructure meets the latest standards in terms of service quality and passenger and ship safety, the same sources reported.
The Port Authority of Valencia is working with Valencian administrations to develop a joint action plan and structure a tourism offer for the Valencian capital aimed at cruise tourism.
