Palamós and Roses expect 82 cruise calls, 69,500 passengers and an estimated economic impact of €6.6 M in the territory
The port of Palamós expects 67 cruise calls and 65,000 passengers
In April this year, Port and local authorities opened the Costa Brava’s 2025 cruise season. Between them, the ports of Palamós and Roses are expecting 82 cruise calls and 69,500 passengers this year. Compared to the previous season, this represents an increase of 31% in passengers and 41% in cruise calls, making it the best season since the ports were opened to cruise ships. In Palamós, the season started on Thursday, April 3, while Roses will receive its first cruise call on April 25.
The economic impact of cruise activity in the territory is estimated at 6.6 million euros. This figure is taken from a study performed by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which estimates that each passenger who stops over at a port to visit the destination spends an average of €89. An additional €6 per passenger is added for ship-related spending on port services.
Of the 20 cruise companies that will call at the Costa Brava’s ports during this season, 85% are upmarket companies that offer more services to their passengers. The arrival of this cruise ship typology will bring tourists with higher purchasing power to the territory.
The ports of Palamós and Roses receive cruise ships from the North American and European markets. Thus, 40% of the cruise ships that will visit the Costa Brava come from the North American market and the remaining 60% from the European market, represented by the following countries: Germany, France, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Switzerland. In addition, eleven cruise ships will be calling at Palamós and Roses for the first time.
67 cruise calls and 65,000 passengers at Palamós
The port of Palamós anticipates the arrival of 65,000 passengers and 67 cruise calls in 2025, an increase of 34% in cruise calls and 26% in passengers over the previous year. This season will likely be the best in the history of this Costa Brava port. On Thursday, April 3, the port of Palamós started the season with the simultaneous call of two cruise ships, the Azamara Quest and La Belle des Océans. This year’s cruise season will run from April to December, a total of nine months, ending on December 13 with the maiden call of the Aidaluna.
64% of the cruise ships will come in the low season and 36% in the high season. Thus, the cruise passengers will help to deseasonalise tourism activity, contributing to increasing tourist influx and boosting the economy of the town and the surrounding area.
This year, the port of Palamós will have three double cruise calls, with two ships moored at the port at the same time. In addition, it will receive nine maiden calls: Seabourn Venture, Spirit of Adventure, The World, Bolette, Ocean Victory, Emerald Sakara, Hebridean Sky, Viking Vesta and AIDAluna. And three cruise companies will be visiting the port for the first time: Alma Cruceros, Emerald Cruises and ResidenSea.
Two calls get the season off to a good start
On Thursday, April 3, the port of Palamós has kicked off the 2025 cruise season on the Costa Brava with the Azamara Quest moored on the Commercial quay and La Belle des Océans on the West quay.
The Azamara Quest arrived at 8.00 am from the port of Barcelona and departed at 6.00 pm, bound for the French port of Portvendres. The cruise ship carried 611 passengers on board, mostly from the United States, followed by passengers from Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, in that order. The Malta-flagged vessel has a length of 181 metres, a beam of 25.6 metres, a draught of 6 metres and a gross tonnage of 30,277.
La Belle des Océans arrived at 8.30 am from the port of Tarragona and departed at 8.00 pm, bound for the port of Barcelona. It carried 97 passengers, mostly of them from France and Belgium. The Belgium-flagged vessel has a length of 103 metres, a beam of 15 metres, a draught of 4.5 metres and a gross tonnage of 5,218 tonnes.
