Cruise activity at the Porto Cruise Terminal (Port of Leixões) continues its remarkable growth of recent years, reaching new historical highs in 2024. Last year, the port welcomed 152 cruise ship calls, 15 of which were new to the port, 1 new cruise company and 6 turnaround operations, bringing 196,000 visitors to Porto & Northern Portugal.
These numbers consolidate 2024 as the best year ever for cruise activity at the Porto Cruise Terminal. Compared to the previous year, there was a 32% increase in the number of passengers and a 31% increase in the number of cruise calls.
The United Kingdom remained the largest source market for passengers with 34%, followed by the United States of America (24%) and Germany (23%). The average size of ships calling at Leixões also increased significantly, reaching a record value of 8.9 million GT, which represents a growth of 28% compared to 2023.
The seasonality of cruise activity on the Atlantic Coast continues to be a challenge. However, cruise activity at the port was constant from April to November, with the exception of June. September was the busiest month, with 30,409 passengers, while May had the highest number of calls with 28 cruises.
This growth is due to the joint work of the different players in the cruise industry, including the port operations and Porto Cruise Terminal teams, local authorities and economic agents. The continuous promotion of the activity with the main cruise companies has strengthened the position of the Port of Leixões and Porto Cruise Terminal as a key destination on the Atlantic Coast.
João Pedro Neves, President of Leixões Port Authority stated that “these numbers reflect the growing demand for Porto & North of Portugal by an increasing number of cruise passengers and major cruise lines worldwide, who continue to choose Leixões for their itineraries”.
João Pedro Neves also highlights that “the Region is one of the most sought-after destinations in Europe, as also proven by the record numbers registered on the Douro Waterway, which grew 11% in the number of passengers compared to 2023.”
Commitment to sustainability
APDL (Leixões Port Authority) is committed to continuing the investment that has been made in last years in port infrastructure, namely with the implementation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) by 2030, allowing cruise ships to turn off auxiliary engines while docked, significantly reducing carbon emissions and promoting a greener and more sustainable port.
As part of the Roadmap for Energy Transition Towards Carbon Neutrality in the Port of Leixões, since the beginning of 2024, passengers and crew transportation within the Port of Leixões has been carried out using a 100% Electric Bus (Eco Bus) and towing operations for cruises are carried out by new generation tugboats, which are safer and less polluting.
