Costa Cruises and Tarragona Cruise Port Costa Daurada have announced the start of their joint operations. From June, the Port of Tarragona will become the home port for one of the Italian company's Mediterranean itineraries, a key step in positioning Tarragona and the Costa Daurada as an international cruise and tourism destination.
The event, organized by the Port of Tarragona and Costa Cruises this morning at the port facilities, was attended by Mr. Josep Andreu, President of the Port of Tarragona; Mr. Raffaele D'Ambrosio, General Manager of Costa Cruises in Spain and Portugal; Mr. Fernando Aldecoa, General Manager of PortAventura World; Mr.Octavi Bono, Director General of Tourism of the Government of Catalonia; Mr. Josep Poblet, President of the Tarragona Provincial Council; and Mr. Josep Félix Ballesteros, Mayor of Tarragona.
Costa Cruises is now offering its customers a cruise departing every Friday from Tarragona between June 2nd and September 22nd. This itinerary, operated by the Costa neoRiviera (48,200 tons and capacity for 1,727 passengers), will call at Savona (near Genoa, Italy), Porto Torres (in northern Sardinia), Menorca, Ibiza-Formentera, and Palma de Mallorca, before returning to Tarragona.
According to the planned schedule, the Costa neoRiviera will depart from the port of Tarragona up to 17 times. These operations will bring a total of 25,000 passengers to the city, including cruise passengers embarking in Tarragona and others making stopovers from other countries. This, combined with the two dockings of the Costa Favolosascheduled for September and October, means that Costa ships will visit the port of Tarragona up to 19 times, carrying a total of 32,000 passengers.
The Costa neoRiviera will remain in port for a total of 17 hours on each itinerary – from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following morning. This will give passengers in transit the opportunity to enjoy the attractions of Tarragona, a UNESCO World Heritage city, either on their own or with one of the excursions organized by Costa
Costa Cruises ' Tarragona itinerary can be complemented with a stay on the Costa Daurada . For those seeking a more adrenaline-pumping experience, the company signed an agreement with PortAventura World in 2016. This new product allows users to extend their trip with a one- or two-night stay at PortAventura World, including half-board accommodation, transfers, park admission, and fast-track access.
Josep Andreu, president of the Port of Tarragona, expressed his gratitude for Costa Cruises' confidence in the Port of Tarragona and the region, while also highlighting the outstanding work of the entire Tarragona Cruise Port Costa Daurada team in their strategic effort to position Tarragona as a leading cruise port. Andreu stated, “Today is a very important day for the Port of Tarragona and the region because it is the first time we have been a home port for a regular cruise line. Costa Cruises' commitment to Tarragona and the Costa Daurada marks a turning point in the consolidation of our project.”
In turn, Raffaele D'Ambrosio, the company's general manager for Spain and Portugal, emphasized the importance of Tarragona in the company's strategy in Spain: “At Costa Cruises, we innovate to always offer the best travel options to our customers and consolidate our leading position in a highly competitive sector. We want to offer the most attractive destinations to provide a unique and unforgettable holiday experience.”
The Italian company also wanted the Tarragona itinerary to be one of the first where its customers can enjoy "Fun & Beach." With longer layovers in each destination, access to idyllic beaches, and a wide range of music, fun, and entertainment on board, this new Costa Cruises represents a new way to experience a cruise.
For his part, Josep Poblet, president of the Tarragona Provincial Council, has praised it as a “huge opportunity, which should allow the Costa Daurada to link inland and coastal tourism strategies.”
Finally, Josep Félix Ballesteros, Mayor of Tarragona, said: “As Mayor of Tarragona, I thank Costa Cruises for their commitment because, as we always said, the real prize would be when someone invested in Tarragona as both origin and destination, and that has happened with the arrival of Costa Cruises and the visit of 25,000 cruise passengers, generating an economic impact of more than two million euros. We will make every effort to live up to expectations. It is a challenge we cannot afford to fail at.”
