Santander Cruise Deluxe, the working group created by the Government of Cantabria, the Port Authority of Santander (APS) and the City Council of Santander to work together in attracting cruise ships, forecasts a 50% increase in cruise ship calls and up to a 67% increase in the number of passengers this year, going from twenty ships and 29,862 passengers in 2025 to thirty calls and 50,000 passengers in 2026.
This was confirmed at the International Tourism Fair, FITUR 2026, by the president of the APS, César Díaz; the Tourism Councillor of the Santander City Council, Fran Arias, and the Director General of Tourism and Hospitality of the Government of Cantabria, María Saiz, during the presentation of the annual balance of the actions developed by Santander Cruise Deluxe and its forecasts for 2026.
The brand, which bases its strategy on the results of the Impact Study and the recommendations of the Roadmap it has prepared after carrying out a detailed analysis of the situation of cruise tourism in Cantabria, is working on nineteen lines of action that aim to reach 90,000 cruise passengers in 2030, with a direct economic impact that could reach 24.1 million euros.
These include attracting and growing cruise tourism, improving service management for ships and passengers, strengthening the local economic impact, various actions in the field of sustainability and innovation in the destination, and various activities related to the coordination and governance of Santander Cruise Deluxe.
According to César Díaz, president of the Port Authority of Santander (APS), Santander Cruise Deluxe is proving to be “an agile and effective tool” that meets the expectations set by the three administrations in the Roadmap. “This growth we are experiencing is sustainable and long-term, and thanks to it, we will make Santander the leading port for premium cruises in northern Spain.”
“We are working hard to improve the port infrastructure, increasing the berthing capacity for cruise ships up to 330 meters in length and 9.5 meters in draft to adapt to the characteristics of the new ships that shipping companies are using,” Díaz emphasized. “Furthermore, we continue to focus on improving the services at the Maritime Station, an infrastructure located right in the city center and a luxury that few cities in the north can offer.”
The Tourism Councillor of Santander City Council, Fran Arias, highlighted that the city has been consolidating its position in recent years as a leading cruise port, the result of a sustained strategy of institutional collaboration, specialized promotion, and continuous improvement of the experience offered to both cruise lines and passengers. In this regard, he noted that the presentation of Santander Cruise Deluxe at FITUR allows for an assessment of progress, reinforces the city's image as a destination associated with high service standards, and clearly outlines the action plan for 2026.
The councilor emphasized that the past year's results confirm the stability of cruise activity in the port, with passenger profiles linked to mid-range and high-end products. This reinforces a tourism model that values the quality of the destination, the cultural offerings, the natural environment, and the proximity between the port and the city center. "The integration of the port and the city is one of our main competitive advantages and one of the aspects most valued by the shipping companies and operators we work with," he stated.
Looking ahead to 2026, the City Council will continue to strengthen specialized promotion, the marketing of quality experiences, and collaboration with the Port Authority and the local sector. “Our goal is to continue growing in an orderly fashion, compatible with the city model and aligned with the interests of the tourism, commercial, and cultural sectors,” he concluded.
For her part, the Director General of Tourism, María Saiz, highlighted the boost that Santander Cruise Deluxe is giving to the promotion of Cantabria as a tourist destination and stressed that cruise tourism is strategic for the capital and for all of Cantabria.
Saiz pointed out that the attractions cruise passengers seek upon arrival at their destination coincide with the strengths offered by the autonomous community and highlighted, in this regard, "the advantage of having a complementary offering with the possibility of visiting historic towns, local architecture, landmarks such as the Altamira cave and Santillana del Mar, or other cultural, scenic, natural and gastronomic attractions in a region like ours where distances are so short, making it easy to move cruise passengers to different places attracted by a quality and varied offering."
“The port of Santander is an essential infrastructure for economic and tourism development, and the Government of Cantabria will continue to support its growth and cruise tourism,” he concluded.
Santander Cruise Deluxe has carried out numerous promotional activities this year, which will be increased throughout 2026. Thus, in addition to familiarization trips with shipping companies and maintaining constant contact with ship captains, other activities will include the marketing of new experiences, the publication of articles in specialized media, the creation of brochures for luxury cruises, increased digitalization, and the creation of new merchandise.
The brand will also continue to participate in the main trade fairs in the sector such as Seatrade Miami, Seatrade Europe or International Cruise Summit and will remain a member of associations such as Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), the world's largest dedicated to the promotion and expansion of cruises with access to major shipping lines, or Cruise Europe, the main association of ports in northern and Atlantic Europe.
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