The Port of Bilbao will receive the first two cruise ships of a season in which it expects to receive around 80 on Friday, April 5.
The Port of Bilbao expects to receive a significant number of cruise ships this season, similar to last year's, which reinforces the sector's interest in the Basque Country's tourism offerings, validates the cruise infrastructure built by the Port Authority in Getxo, and rewards the attention given to shipping companies and their passengers by the professionals who serve them.
The first cruise ship of the year to arrive, at 7:30 a.m., will be the Aurora, from P&O Cruises, measuring 270 meters in length. An hour later, the Sky Princess from Princess Cruises, measuring 330 meters, will arrive.
Both companies belong to the international Carnival group; their agents in Bilbao will be Noatum and Transcoma, and around 5,000 people are expected to arrive on board. After spending the day exploring Getxo, Bilbao, and the surrounding area, they will depart between 5 and 6 p.m. bound for La Rochelle and Le Verdon.
Although these are forecasts and the number of passengers is known, as always, shortly before their arrival, it is estimated that this year some 80 cruise ships from 28 different companies may arrive, with lengths between 90 and 348 meters, and on board them some 150,000 passengers.
If current forecasts hold, Carnival Group ships will make 18 calls in 2024, surpassing previous figures. Ten ships will visit the port for the first time, and cruise lines such as Princess, Oceania, and Royal Caribbean will rely on the Port of Bilbao, each scheduling six calls. Additionally, five calls are scheduled from the Ambassador, Mystic, and Regent Seven Seas lines
Seatrade Cruise Global
Once again, the Port Authority will attend Seatrade Cruise Global, the world's most important cruise trade show, which will be held in Miami from April 8 to 11.
This international event attracts more than 10,000 visitors and 80 cruise companies, and the APB (stand 1205), in collaboration with Bilbao Tourism, has already arranged meetings with shipping company representatives to showcase its infrastructure and what the Basque Country offers to cruise passengers.
Among the new developments to be presented, the Port Authority's own BilbOPS project stands out, aiming to deploy OPS technology, including at cruise ship docks, to supply electricity to ships while they are docked.
Thanks to this project, all the improvements carried out in recent years and the work of all the professionals in the port community, as well as the support and collaboration of Turismo Getxo, the Port of Bilbao, and by extension Euskadi, has managed to position itself on the route of the major shipping companies and improves the comfort of passengers every year.
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