Port accessYet again this year, representatives of the Bilbao Port Authority will take part in Seatrade Cruises Miami, the main international cruise fair, which will be held from 12 – 15 March. The Port of Bilbao will have its own stand at Booth 659.
In 2011, the Port of Bilbao received for the first time, 53 cruisers, compared to 33 in 2010. In all, 77,345 cruise tourists, 78% more than the previous year, arrived at the Port of Bilbao
Cruise Terminal at Getxo. Likewise, passenger embarkation and disembarkation operations increased by 108%.
This year, a new record is forecast,since it is expected that 80,000 cruise tourists will arrive in some 55 cruise vessels.
As a result of the growing increase in this type of traffic, in 2012 the Bilbao Port Authority will commence the building of a new cruise terminal with a third berthing line. The works are scheduled for completion midway through 2014.
This year three companies –MSC Cruceros with the MSC Opera, Iberocruceros with the Grand Mistral and Pullmantur with the Empress – have again committed themselves to Bilbao as a passenger embarkation / disembarkation port.
Furthermore, the cruise ship Constellation, which offers thematic routes with wine as the star, will stay overnight at Bilbao on each of its seven calls.
