The Magellan cruise ship made its maiden call in A Coruña today, carrying 1,200 passengers and 650 crew members. It arrived from Gibraltar and will remain at the Transatlantic Pier until setting sail for Dublin, before completing its voyage in Liverpool. To mark the inaugural visit of this cruise ship to the city, the captain hosted a reception on board, attended by representatives of the Port Authority and the shipping agent Rubine.
The ship's captain noted that virtually all passengers had disembarked to visit the city center, given the impressive view of the port entrance and the ample time available. He added that this was his first visit to the Port of A Coruña and highlighted the quality of services provided by the Port Authority and the shipping agent for ship provisioning, security, and passenger assistance. Following this stop, nine more cruise ships are expected to arrive throughout July and August, in anticipation of the peak season, which will be concentrated in September and October.
The growth rate of cruise traffic has skyrocketed this year, already reaching 57% by June 30th compared to the first half of 2016. A total of 74,762 passengers arrived in the city during that period aboard 51 cruise ships, compared to 47,475 cruise passengers and 42 dockings recorded in the same period last year. This increase is expected to continue climbing exponentially, with 70 dockings and around 100,000 more passengers anticipated in the second half of the year.
