The 2025 cruise season at the Port of Melilla will begin on February 26th with the arrival of the first ship to the autonomous city. While 16 cruise ship calls were initially projected for this year, the final number is expected to reach approximately 25.
The first cruise ship to arrive will be the Seabourn Sojourn, carrying approximately 600 passengers and over 300 crew members. This luxury cruise ship will arrive in Melilla from Gibraltar and will make stops in Spain and Morocco, with its next stop being Barcelona. It will dock at 8:00 AM and depart Melilla at 6:00 PM.
The Port Authority of Melilla is focusing its strategy on the construction of a dock for large cruise ships, a complex project valued at between 27 and 30 million euros, a key undertaking for transforming the city's economic model. The stated objective is to reduce dependence on trade with Morocco and strengthen the port-city relationship.
Currently, the planning of this project is being finalized after the completion of bathymetric work, geological and geotechnical studies that have taken several months.
The president of the Port Authority, Manuel Ángel Quevedo, announced that the drafting of the project will be completed in the coming months, with plans to award the construction contract in the second half of the year. Quevedo emphasized the economic importance of this project, especially given the port's crisis, which has seen its revenues reduced by 50% since the closure of the commercial customs office in 2018 and Morocco's refusal to facilitate a passenger regime.
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