Port accessOn Wednesday 15 April, the Port of Bilbao welcomes its first cruise vessel of the year when the Fram, belonging to Hurtigruten and consigned by Bergé Marítima, will commence the season. This vessel, built in 2007, is 113 metres long and has a capacity for 220 passengers. It is carrying out an eleven-day route through the North of Europe, which began in Lisbon and will end in the Norwegian town of Bergen. This is its first call at Bilbao where it arrives at 7.00 hours from A Coruña to sail for the French island of Belle Île at 17.00 hours.
The second cruise vessel of the season will be the Oceana, which berths on 22 April. Belonging to Carnival Corporation and operated by P&O Cruises, it was built in 2000 and is 261 metres long with a capacity for 2,032 passengers.
Based on present forecasts, the Port of Bilbao will receive 55 cruise vessels this year – 25% up on last season. The following companies are committed to Bilbao for 2014: Azamara, C. Isle Du Ponant, Classic Int. Cr., Costa Crociere, Crystal Cruises, Fred
Olsen, Hapag Lloyd, Holland, Lindblad Expeditions, MSC, Oceania, Princess, Pullmantur, P&O, RCCL, RCI, and Silver Cruises. Truly outstanding among all these are the ten calls MSC Cruises will make, the seven by P&O and Fred Olsen’s five.
