The Excellence Cruise Awards ceremony surpassed the success of previous years. More than 350 guests attended the gala held at El Batel.
The gala, as every year, brought together top executives from cruise lines, cruise tour operators, shipping agents, ports and destinations, travel agents, press, partners, professionals, and businesspeople from Cartagena and Murcia, along with other industry suppliers. These were the award winners:
- Best Spanish Port 2016 – Port of Barcelona
- Best Crew 2016 – PULLMANTUR
- Best Popular Cruise Line 2016 – MSC CRUISES
- Best Animation 2016 – NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
- Best Cruise Line for Value 2016 – COSTA CRUISES
- Best Premium Cruise Line 2016 - PRINCESS CRUISES
- Best Luxury Cruise Line 2016 – CRYSTAL CRUISES
- Best Ship in the Mediterranean 2016 - HARMONY OF THE SEAS by ROYAL CARIBBEAN
- Best Brand Recognition among Travel Agencies 2016 – COSTA CRUISES
- Best Brand Image Among Consumers 2016 – COSTA CRUISES
- Best River Tourism Company 2016 – CROISIEUROPE
- Best Non-Spanish Port/Destination 2016 – DUBROVNIK
- Best Cruise Line for Your First Cruise 2016 – MSC CRUISES
As in every edition, special awards were presented :
- Excellence Award “Tenth Anniversary” – Pullmantur Cruises
- Excellence Award “Tenth Anniversary” – Fernando Muñoz, Commercial Director, Cartagena Port Authority
- CLIA Recognition – Cartagena Port Authority
- Cartagena Port Recognition – Cruise Ship Friendly Commerce
- Recognition City of Cartagena – Maipe Stud Farm
The Andrés Mira award was also presented for the second time, this time to Jose Llorca, president of State Ports.
The creation of this award aims to recognize the work or contribution to the cruise sector of an individual, company, organization or project that is considered outstanding in the sector without having established periodicity, place of delivery, or prior nominations.
The jury that awards the prize is composed solely of members of CruisesNews Media Group, the company founded by Andrés himself. The first Andrés Mira Award was presented at the fourth edition of the Excellence Cruise Awards held in Málaga in 2013.
The gala featured a performance by Cristina Ramos, winner of the television program Got Talent, and was directed and presented by the comedian and showman Mr. Corrales.
The Cruise Excellence Awards are the result of a large-scale survey conducted among national cruise passengers, a fact that gives special value to the results, as they represent the assessment of the passengers themselves.
This edition, promoted and sponsored by the Port Authority and the City Council of Cartagena, also had the sponsorship of Estrella de Levante, BC Agency, Autobuses Vidal, Cruises Atlantic Islands, Bags&go, Agencia Marítima Blázquez Cruises, the Association of Maritime Activities Entrepreneurs (ASEAM) of Cartagena and Mediterranean Unique Experience.
Cartagena is one of the Spanish destinations that has experienced the greatest growth in recent years. Furthermore, in 2016, Cartagena debuted as a cruise port of embarkation. For 2017, it anticipates more than 150 cruises with over 230,000 passengers, coinciding with the opening of access to the cruise terminal, which has recently been expanded and renovated.
The Excellence Cruise Awards, whose first edition was held in 2008 in Barcelona, are a brand of CruisesNews Media Group, organizer of the International Cruise Summit in Madrid and publisher of CruisesNews and TopRiver magazines.
