This Monday marked the start of the cruise season at the Port of Motril with the arrival of NCL's Norwegian Dawn.
The cruise ship features 17 restaurants, a gym, a spa, a casino, two swimming pools, and 60-square-meter cabins with luxury bathrooms and private balconies. It is 294 meters long and is handled by SA López Guillén.
The ship arrived at the Port of Motril with 3,138 people on board, including passengers and crew. Nearly 2,000 of them visited Motril and its shopping center thanks to the ten shuttle buses that connected the Dique dock with the city. The remaining passengers took various excursions to Granada and the surrounding province, and even to towns in Málaga.
This season, more than 60,000 passengers are expected on board 39 ships, representing a 74.4% increase in the number of cruise passengers and a 56% increase in the number of port calls, compared to the 2023 season.
Similarly, the number of crew members has risen to 28,271, a 45% increase compared to last year. Luxury, premium, and expedition cruise lines account for 58.98% of port calls, while large-capacity vessels (over 2,000 passengers) will represent 41.02%.
“The Port of Motril’s commitment to combining large capacity with luxury sailboats has a major impact on the destination’s economy,” highlighted its president, José García Fuentes.
The retention rate (vessels that return) is 55.5%, a figure that reinforces the port's commercial strategy as a Sustainable Boutique Port. Furthermore, new shipping companies are joining the port this season, which will result in seven new port calls.
“With this data, we are facing a truly good year, which opens up enormous possibilities and expectations for the port, Motril, the Costa Tropical, Granada and the rest of the province and consolidates us as a destination for the major shipping companies,” said the president of the Port Authority.
This season sees the addition of new cruise lines such as MSC Explora Journey, Marella, Pacific Cruise World United-Japan Grace and National Geographic Explorer, joining the luxury lines that are repeating calls such as Star Clippers, Silver Sea Cruises, Oceania Cruise Lines, Regent Seven Seas, Silver Sea and Seabourn Cruise, in addition to NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line).
The Seven Seas Splendor, the second cruise ship of the season, docks next Friday.
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