Valencia, November 8, 2019 – The Port of Valencia is receiving five cruise ships today, which will disembark approximately 11,000 passengers at the port's Grao dock. Specifically, the ships are the Mein Schiff 4 from TUI Cruises, which will dock at the Poniente pier with more than 2,500 passengers; the Marina from Oceania Cruises, which will dock at the Levante pier with approximately 1,200 passengers; and the Crystal Serenity from Crystal Cruises, which will dock at the Transversales pier with around 1,000 passengers. Meanwhile, the MSC Divina from MSC Cruises (more than 4,000 passengers) and the Marella Discovery from Marella Cruises (more than 2,000 passengers) will dock at cruise piers 2 and 3 of the northern extension where they will coincide with the flagship of the Spanish Navy, the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, which has been docked since yesterday at cruise pier 1.
The arrival of approximately 11,000 cruise ship passengers will activate the full range of tourist offerings not only in the city of Valencia but throughout the province. Specifically, around 100 buses have been made available to transport passengers to the various planned excursions. These include, in addition to Valencia city, tours of the Albufera Natural Park, Valencian wine tastings in Requena, a visit to the Lladró Museum in Tavernes Blanques, an excursion to Sagunto to explore the city's Roman past, and even a visit to the Caves of Sant Josep in Vall d'Uixó, Castellón.
In the city, cruise passengers have opted for a wide variety of excursions. These range from visiting the historic center to the Oceanogràfic or the Bioparc, as well as more specific activities such as the "Tapas Tour" or "Valencia & Paella" to sample the local cuisine; a wine tasting of the Valencia DO wines; or exploring the city by bike.
Cruise Offer
The city's cruise offerings, developed jointly by the Port Authority of Valencia and Turismo Valencia, are extensive, varied, and characterized by their safety. In 2017, new itineraries were added to the traditional routes through the Albufera lagoon, the historic center, and the City of Arts and Sciences. Among these are the Religious Art Route, which includes a stop at the Cathedral and other churches such as the recently restored San Nicolás; the Silk Route, which allows visitors to explore the historical legacy of this industry in Valencia with visits to the Silk Exchange (Lonja de la Seda), the recently restored Silk Museum, and the Velluters neighborhood; and the Valencia and Fallas Route, which allows tourists to delve into the main hubs of these festivals, declared a World Heritage Site.
In addition to the wide range of excursions and visits in the capital, a diverse array of plans has been developed for cruise passengers throughout the province of Valencia, focusing on Valencian history, nature, caves, and gastronomy. These include visits, routes, and activities located in the Albufera Natural Park, the Roman ruins of Sagunto, the Borgia routes in Xàtiva and Gandia, golf courses, the wine region of Requena, and much more.
The Port of Valencia has scheduled around 200 cruise ship calls in 2019 and expects to handle over 425,000 passengers. Currently, Valenciaport works with approximately 30 different cruise lines, including major companies such as MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Aida Cruises, TUI Group, Azamara Cruises, and Viking Cruises, among others.
