The May cruise schedule began today with a multi-ship call, specifically four vessels occupying three docks in the Port of A Coruña. These are the Azura and the Serenissima, docked at the Transatlantic Pier; the Saga Sapphire, at the Calvo Sotelo South Pier; and Le Boreal, which was the last to arrive, at the Battery Pier.
The cruise ships, of varying sizes and origins, ranging from Portuguese to French and British ports, began arriving from 7:00 AM, and their departure is scheduled between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The largest is the Azura, from P&O Cruises, which has a significant presence in the Port of A Coruña. The ship arrived at 8:00 AM from Lanzarote with 3,000 passengers and 1,100 crew members on board and will depart at 5:00 PM for Southampton. Adding these passengers to those on the other ships, the total exceeds 5,500 people.
May is the most important month of the spring season, with 25 cruise ship calls scheduled, ahead of the autumn calendar, which also boasts a high number of arrivals. This influx of foreign visitors outside the summer period has been crucial in reducing the seasonality of tourism in A Coruña, benefiting the hotel and retail sectors, as well as other sectors related to tourism services, supplies, and other cross-cutting activities. Based on estimated spending per passenger and crew member, cruise tourism is estimated to generate around €15 million annually in revenue for A Coruña.
The president of the Port Authority, Enrique Losada, emphasized that the cruise sector is strategic for the Port precisely because of the positive impact it generates in the city, not only economically but also in terms of promoting its image as a tourist destination. In fact, A Coruña has consolidated its position in the global cruise market within the Atlantic routes, which are gaining increasing prominence in the offerings of major cruise lines.
The president of the public body adds that this year's schedule reflects the success of the initiative launched in 2009, when the number of passengers barely exceeded 54,000. For 2017, the plan is to reach around 170,000 passengers across 122 port calls, which means that A Coruña will consolidate its position as the leading cruise port on the Cantabrian-Atlantic coast, from Lisbon to the French border, in terms of both the number of cruise passengers and the number of port calls. “We have managed to triple the number of passengers, placing our port in a leading position. This not only reflects the city's tourist appeal but also demonstrates the efficiency of the Port of A Coruña in managing large passenger flows and providing services to the largest and most advanced ships in the industry,” concludes Enrique Losada.
