The Tarragona Cruise Port reached a major operational milestone on Sunday, August 2, when it simultaneously welcomed three large cruise ships. The port welcomed the MSC Virtuosa, operated by MSC Cruises; the Norwegian Dawn, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line; and the Viking Star, operated by Viking Ocean Cruises. Throughout the day, a total of 12,508 passengers passed through the Balears pier facilities during a busy period of embarkations, disembarkations, and transit stopovers.
This triple call brings the season’s total to 37 calls and 68,263 passengers since operations began in early April. The Port Authority maintains its forecast of ending the season with 80 calls and 160,000 passengers, targets that would set a new all-time record for the Port of Tarragona.
Of the three cruise ships that called at Tarragona on August 2, the MSC Virtuosa and the Norwegian Dawn were making their first visit to the port, while the Viking Star had already docked in the city on June 21.
Sailing from Palma de Mallorca with 6,338 passengers on board, the MSC Virtuosa made a port call as part of a 14-day cruise connecting the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Its itinerary includes stops in Southampton, Lisbon, Cádiz, Málaga, Alicante, Gibraltar, and A Coruña.
Added to the MSC Cruises fleet in 2021, this 331-meter-long ship has 19 decks and a crew of 1,704. This was the first of the ship’s two scheduled calls at Tarragona this year and is one of the 32 calls planned by MSC Cruises at the port during the 2026 season.
As for the Norwegian Dawn, 2,623 passengers disembarked and 2,647 embarked to begin an eight-day itinerary departing from Tarragona. The cruise includes stops in Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Motril, Gibraltar, Cádiz, and Portimão, before ending in Lisbon. The ship, which is 294 meters long, has a crew of 1,032. This visit marks the first of the ship’s two scheduled stops in Tarragona this year and is part of the three stops planned by the cruise line.
For its part, the Viking Star embarked 900 passengers for a seven-day itinerary through the western Mediterranean, with stops in Sète, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno (Florence), and Civitavecchia (Rome). The ship, which is 228 meters long and has a crew of 465, was making its second visit to the city and is scheduled to make four stops in Tarragona this season. The Viking Star is one of eight ships that Viking Ocean Cruises will deploy in Tarragona this year. The company has 17 stops scheduled and expects to carry 34,000 passengers.
A Record-Breaking Season
Between the start of the season on April 16 and August 2, the Tarragona Cruise Port recorded 37 port calls and 68,263 passengers.
Forecasts for the season as a whole call for 80 port calls and 160,000 passengers—figures that will surpass all previous records, driving sustainable growth and cementing Tarragona’s status as an emerging and fully established cruise destination.
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