The Port of Alicante has welcomed the MSC Lirica, which will kick off MSC Cruises' 2023 season in the city. The company has scheduled 32 port calls (72% more than in 2022), and even more importantly, 23 of these will include embarkations (91.7% more than in 2022).
The company committed to the port of Alicante in 2022, where it embarked passengers for the first time. Furthermore, MSC Cruises has positioned itself as the only cruise line to operate regular services in the city, both in summer and winter, including embarkation and disembarkation at the port. In this way, the company continues to demonstrate its commitment to the city of Alicante.
Fernando Pacheco, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in Spain, stated: “Alicante has become a key port for us, not only because of the city's tourist appeal, but also because it gives us the opportunity to work with the Port of Alicante and all our partners in the region. For us, being able to announce the start of the season in the Port of Alicante is a cause for celebration and a testament to the work we have done to build a relationship with the destination.”
The great reception from travelers last year towards Alicante as a port of embarkation, a result of the good work done by the collaboration between the Alicante City Council, the Provincial Council and the port, has been the determining factor for MSC Cruises to have decided to continue betting on the city, increasing its number of calls for this year by 72%.
Julián López Mila, president of the Port of Alicante, also pointed out that: “This is a great year for Alicante in terms of cruise tourism, as we are going to reach a record number of cruise passengers in 2023, especially thanks to MSC Cruises' commitment to the Port of Alicante, which has added the MSC Lirica to the ships that will embark and disembark in our city this season. This is a real recognition of the work and effort that the public administrations and companies in the tourism sector of the province carry out every day to position Alicante as a cruise destination. Therefore, the Port Authority is grateful for the confidence placed in us by the cruise line, and we hope that this commitment will last for many years.”
Looking ahead to summer 2023, MSC Cruises has indicated that the arrival of international passengers embarking at the Port of Alicante has increased considerably compared to 2022. Consequently, tourist spending in the city of Alicante will increase, as they will have to spend time in the city before their cruises, in addition to using other services such as restaurants.
Passengers will have the opportunity to embark on a cruise from Alicante to discover the Western Mediterranean, with itineraries ranging from 3 to 10 nights. They will also enjoy all the advantages of sailing aboard MSC Cruises ships, including a wide range of international cuisine, 24-hour entertainment and activities, original large-scale theatrical productions, live music, luxurious spa and wellness facilities, boutiques, and much more.
