The Port of Barcelona has taken a significant step towards reducing the seasonality of cruise activity. This helps to mitigate the concentration of cruise passengers during the summer months and facilitates the distribution of the industry's economic impact throughout the year—estimated at over €1 billion annually—thus contributing to its sustainability. Last year, cruise passenger traffic increased during the off-season months (January, February, March, November, and December), while the volume of cruise passengers decreased during the rest of the year (April to October) compared to the previous year.
Over the past five months, from November 2017 to March 2018, a total of 619,364 cruise passengers passed through the Port of Barcelona. This means that 22% of cruise passengers who visited Barcelona during the last 12 months did so during the off-season. The percentage of cruise passengers arriving in the city during winter is increasing, as it represented 17% of the total during the period of November 2016-March 2017. Furthermore, between November 2017 and March 2018, the number of cruise passengers grew by 37% and port calls increased by 20.1%, figures that confirm that more and more cruise lines are choosing to position their ships in the Catalan capital during the winter months.
Among the companies that have been operating during the off-season months are the British TUI Cruises and the German AIDA Cruises (Carnival Group), which have reinforced their commitment with several ships. Notably, AIDA Cruises has been bringing the AIDA Perla, the newest ship in its fleet and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), to Barcelona on a weekly basis—the first cruise ship to use LNG as fuel.
Carnival Corporation has also been positioning its ships in Barcelona for years during the winter season and has reaffirmed its commitment to the Catalan capital with the opening this spring of the new 12,000-square-meter Terminal E. With an investment of 30 million euros, the facility has been designed with high standards of efficiency and sustainability and is prepared to serve ships that will operate exclusively on liquefied natural gas.
Another company that has strengthened its services in the Port of Barcelona during the autumn and winter months is MSC Cruises, which has stationed its flagship cruise ship, the MSC Meraviglia. Royal Caribbean's commitment is also noteworthy, as it has brought forward the arrival of the Symphony of the Seas to March. This ship is one of the newest in the world and has been designed following efficiency and sustainability criteria, making it 25% more efficient than other cruise ships of its kind.
