Santander Cruise Deluxe, the brand created by the Port Authority of Santander (APS), the Government of Cantabria and the City Council of Santander for the organization of port calls and the promotion of cruise tourism, participated this week in Madrid in the International Cruise Summit, the leading cruise conference in Europe, where the main challenges and opportunities that will focus the sector for the coming years are recognized and examined.
This time, the most relevant issues have revolved around ocean conservation through the promotion of sustainability in the industry, port security, the revolution at sea brought about by the application of AI-driven systems, luxury markets, and the exploitation of new ports and destinations that are discovering the potential of cruises.
Representatives from Santander Cruise Deluxe also took the opportunity to invite various cruise lines to visit Cantabria through a familiarization trip, a trip designed to introduce the region firsthand. Sophie Lanos, head of cruises at the Port Authority of Santander (APS), explained, “The aim is to showcase the advantages of calling at Santander to cruise lines and itinerary planners. We have a wonderful entrance to the port through the bay and a Maritime Station right in the city center, but we also offer exclusive experiences just a short distance from the dock, allowing passengers to make the most of their time in the destination.”
“We have a very high-quality product and our goal is to make it known. The cruise industry represents a magnificent opportunity to boost economic growth while simultaneously reducing the seasonality of tourism in our community,” he added.
Santander Cruise Deluxe was also present at a conference of the Cruise Lines International Association Spain (CLIA) to learn about the state of the cruise industry in Spain and the steps to follow to adopt environmental practices and technologies with the aim of achieving net zero emissions.
Cantabria closed 2025 with 20 cruise ship visits, although it is expected that in 2026 the number will exceed thirty stops in the port of Santander.
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