Construction of the new cruise terminal being carried out by the Port Authority of Bilbao is progressing according to plan, and the building will be operational by spring 2017. Located at the Port of Bilbao's second cruise pier and third berth in Getxo, the terminal will provide a significant boost to the number of tourists arriving in Bizkaia by sea.
At the forefront of terminals
In the design of the building, special attention has been paid to the data provided by the major shipping companies, international safety standards and the characteristics of the best terminals in the world.
The building consists of two main floors and a mezzanine level. The ground floor will house the lobby and tourist information desk, as well as the check-in and baggage claim area for departing passengers. It will also have ample space for baggage claim for disembarking passengers. The mezzanine level will contain the VIP lounge and offices; and the first floor will house the waiting area, the boarding control area, and the disembarkation area.
Furthermore, in response to a request from the Getxo City Council, the Port Authority has planned to provide the dock with 222 long-stay parking spaces for passengers on cruises departing from Getxo. These spaces will also be available to the general public on days when no cruise ships are docking. In addition, 31 parking spaces will be created for terminal staff, 8 for people with reduced mobility, 10 for taxis, and 40 for buses.
2016 Season Review
This season, eight cruise ships have called at the port for the first time. Highlights include the Constellation, from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), which spent the night in port with 2,291 passengers; the three calls by the Navigator of the Seas, also from RCCL, the first of which was in August (its inaugural call), coinciding with the Bilbao festivities and carrying 3,899 passengers of various nationalities; the call by the Celebrity Silhouette, considered a luxury ship within RCCL, with 2,813 passengers, mostly Americans; and the arrival of two cruise ships from the same British company, Fred Olsen, on the same date, October 4th.
By nationality, British people predominate (58%), followed by American cruise passengers (14%).
Pullmantur has also chosen Bilbao as a port of embarkation and disembarkation, with two calls by the Monarch ship; and it has been the season of consolidation for such important companies as P&O, Oceania, and TUI.
Cruise ships from the following companies have also docked: Hurtigruten, Princess, Du Ponant, SilverSea, Costa Cruises Carnival, Crystal, Lindblad, Sea Cloud, Noble Caledonia, Holland and Grand Circle.
