During the Alicante-Costa Blanca Cruise Tourism event, the Alicante Port Authority, the Alicante City Council, and MSC Cruises announced that their collaboration will continue for another year. In 2023, the cruise line will make a total of 32 calls at the Port of Alicante with three different cruise ships, representing a 72% increase compared to the previous year. Furthermore, Alicante will once again serve as a port of embarkation 23 times for the MSC Orchestra and MSC Lirica ships, a 91.7% increase compared to 2022.
This announcement is also a consequence of the success of the 2022 summer season in the Mediterranean, in which MSC Cruises, for the first time, has positioned a ship with embarkation in Alicante.
Thus, MSC Cruises continues to demonstrate its commitment to the city of Alicante and is advancing its plan to increase calls at Spanish ports, consolidating Spain as the company's second largest market in terms of embarkation ports, second only to Italy. This Sunday, two MSC Cruises ships will be in the Port of Alicante: the MSC Orchestra and the MSC Poesia.
The overwhelming response from travelers this summer to Alicante as a port of embarkation has been the deciding factor in MSC Cruises' decision to continue investing in the city. This will have a very positive economic impact on the city, boosting the local economy and, in particular, its tourism development.
During the event organized by the Alicante Costa Blanca Cruise Tourism Association, Fernando Pacheco, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in Spain, stated: “For us, being able to announce new port calls in Alicante is a cause for celebration and a testament to the work we have done to build a relationship with the destination. Alicante is not only a province with great tourist appeal, but it is also a strategic location due to its excellent connections and proximity to other regions, making it the ideal city to consolidate our presence and continue growing hand in hand with the port and the city's institutions.”
Julián López Milla, president of the Port Authority, has given a very positive assessment of MSC Cruises' commitment: "the number of cruise passengers arriving at our port continues to grow exponentially."
Sales for 2023 departures from Alicante are now open. Passengers will have the opportunity to embark on a cruise from Alicante with itineraries that explore the Western Mediterranean over 11 days and 10 nights, visiting cities such as Olbia, Genoa, Marseille, and Lisbon, or exploring destinations like Tangier, Casablanca, and Ceuta, among others.
