The ports of Palamós and Roses closed the 2024 cruise season on the Costa Brava with 58 calls, representing a 9% increase compared to last year, and 53,000 passengers, 1% more than last season.
These results highlight the sustainable and sustained growth model of cruise activity in these two ports, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Government of Catalonia. Furthermore, the estimated economic impact of cruise activity in the region has been €5.1 million. According to a study by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), it is estimated that each passenger spends an average of €90 upon disembarking at a port of call and visiting the destination. An additional €6 per passenger is spent on port services.
The season was notable for the diversification of cruise lines, with 13 calling at Palamós and 6 at Roses. Palamós also welcomed four inaugural calls: the Viking Saturn, Spirit of Discovery, Silver Ray , and Viking Sea. Roses also received two inaugural calls: the Seabourn Ovation and the Ilma. Furthermore, the highest number of cruise ship calls in Palamós and Roses occurred in April and October, contributing to the reduction of seasonality in tourism during the off-season. A balance was also observed in the origin of the cruise ships, with 50% coming from the North American market and the other 50% from Europe.
The Seabourn Sojourn cruise ship, with 460 passengers, closes the season
The port of Palamós has closed the 2024 cruise season on the Costa Brava with the arrival of the Seabourn Sojourn, which has 460 passengers on board, the vast majority of them Americans.
The Director General of Ports of the Generalitat, Esther Roca, participated in the closing ceremony of the cruise season in the port of Palamós, accompanied by the mayor of the town, Lluís Puig, the president of the Palamós Chamber of Commerce, Pol Fages, and the Councilor for Tourism, Antoni Bachiller.
Palamós port assessment
The port of Palamós closed the season with 50 port calls, a 2% increase compared to the previous season, and 51,500 passengers, matching last season's figures. These results maintain the port's leading position in this sector on the Costa Brava and its third-place ranking in Catalonia.
The season lasted eight months, from April 1st to November 24th. The 13 cruise lines that visited the waters of the Baix Empordà were: Azamara, CroisiEurope, Marella Cruises, Mystic Cruises, Noble Caledonia, Oceania Cruises, Saga, Sea Cloud Cruises, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Viking Cruises, and Windstar Cruises.
Regarding the nationality of cruise ship tourists, the largest group was British, at 77%; followed by American, at 14%; and Irish, at 4%. German, Canadian, and Australian tourists each represented 1%. The remaining nationalities made up the remaining 2%.
76% of passengers who visited Palamós stayed in the town, while 24% took excursions around the region by bus, taxi, or bicycle. The ten most popular excursions, in order of preference, were: Pals, Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar, Girona, Barcelona, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Platja d'Aro, Figueres (Dalí Museum), a winery in the Baix Empordà region, the Empúries archaeological site, Begur, and Púbol.
Roses port balance
The port of Roses has closed the season with 8 calls, double that of last year, and 1500 passengers, quintupling the figure of 2023, achieving a very good season compared to the previous one.
A total of six cruise lines have visited the port of Roses: Sea Cloud Cruises, CroisiEurope, Mystic Cruises, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Cruises , and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The return of Seabourn to the waters of the Alt Empordà region is particularly noteworthy.
In the port of Roses, the most numerous nationality among cruise ship tourists was American, at 62%; followed by French, at 11%; and British, at 6%. Canadian and Australian tourists each accounted for 5%; Belgian, 2%; Swiss, 1%; and all other nationalities made up the remaining 8%.
64% of passengers who visited Roses stayed in the town, while 36% took excursions around the region by bus, taxi, or bicycle. The ten most popular excursions were: Figueres (Dalí Museum), Cadaqués, Girona, Peralada, a winery in the Alt Empordà region, Sant Pere de Rodes, the Empúries archaeological site, Portlligat, Vilajuïga, and Empuriabrava.
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