The ports of Palamós and Roses have closed a record-breaking season for cruise activity on the Costa Brava. The two ports recorded 80 cruise ship calls in 2025, a 27% increase compared to last year, and 69,000 passengers, 23% more than the previous season. Furthermore, the estimated economic impact of cruise activity on the region was €6.6 million, 29% higher than the previous season.
These figures come from a study by the Cruise Lines International Association, which estimates 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 added for port services.
The Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure and President of Ports de la Generalitat, Manel Nadal, accompanied by the Mayor of Palamós, Maria Puig, and the Mayor of Roses, Josep M. Martínez, among other authorities and directors, has brought the 2025 cruise season on the Costa Brava to a close with the inaugural stop of the ship AIDAluna.
The season is notable for the diversification of cruise lines that have called at the Costa Brava, with 18 in Palamós and 6 in Roses. Palamós and Roses have also received 12 inaugural calls: in Palamós, the AIDAluna, Bolette, Emerald Sakara, Hamburg, Hebridean Sky, Seabourn Venture, Spirit of Adventure, The World, Viking Jupiter, and Viking Vesta; while Roses welcomed the Emerald Sakara and L'Austral. Furthermore, the highest number of calls at Palamós and Roses has been concentrated in the months of May, September, and October, which has helped to reduce the seasonality of tourism during the off-season. There has also been growth in the European market, representing 65% of cruise passengers, while the North American market has reached 35%. The Girona coast has welcomed passengers from various European countries, including Germany, France, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Palamós port assessment
The port of Palamós closed 2025 with 65,000 passengers and 65 cruise ship calls, with an increase of 30% in calls and 27% in passengers compared to last year, reaching a historic record in both number of passengers and calls.
63% of cruise ships have arrived during the low season, compared to 37% during the high season. In this way, cruise passengers have helped to reduce the seasonality of tourism, which has boosted employment and contributed to improving the economy of the municipality and its surrounding area.
Palamós has received ten inaugural calls —Seabourn Venture, Spirit of Adventure, The World, Bolette, Emerald Sakara, Hebridean Sky, Viking Jupiter, Viking Vesta, MS Hamburg and AIDAluna— and launched three new shipping companies: Emerald Yacht Cruises, Plantours Cruises and ResidenSea.
Cruise ship passengers have visited Palamós and its attractions, as well as taking excursions. The most popular destinations have been: Pals, Girona, Tossa de Mar, Calella de Palafrugell, Empúries, Begur, Figueres, Peratallada, Púbol, and Platja d'Aro.
By type, this year Palamós has been visited by passengers of the following nationalities: British (72%), Americans (12%), Irish (3%), Germans (3%), Australians (2%) and Canadians (1%), among others.
Balance of Roses
In 2025, the port of Roses received 15 cruise ship calls, a record number of calls, almost double the 8 recorded the previous season. In addition, 4,000 passengers visited Roses, nearly tripling the number of passengers from the previous year.
Cruise ship activity in the port of Roses this year lasted eight months, from April to November. Half of the calls occurred during the off-season, which helped to reduce the seasonality of tourism in the Alt Empordà and the Costa Brava, thus boosting employment and the economy of Roses and its surrounding area.
By nationality, the most numerous passengers in Alt Empordà have been Americans (34%), French (21%), Australians (8%), British (7%), Belgians (4%), Canadians (2%), Swiss (1.5%) and Germans (1%), among others.
The season concluded with the arrival of six cruise lines: Club Med, Emerald Cruises, Mystic Cruises, Ponant Yacht Cruises, Seabourn, and SeaDream Yacht Club. It also welcomed the inaugural calls of the ships L'Austral and Emerald Sakara.
The cruise ship AIDAluna concluded its season with its first stop in the port of Palamós last Saturday, where authorities presented its captain with a port plaque. The ship is 252 meters long, has a draft of 7.20 meters, and a beam of 34 meters.
The ship arrived at 8:00 a.m. from the French port of Marseille and departed at 6:00 p.m. bound for the port of Barcelona. On board were more than 1,800 passengers, mostly German, who visited the town and its main attractions, including the coastal path by bicycle, as well as taking excursions to Girona, Pals and Peratallada, Figueres, and Púbol.
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