Vigo will welcome Iberocruceros’ Grand Voyager on 24 turnaround calls this year, the first time that the Spanish brand has homeported in the northern Spanish port. In addition Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas will call 20 times this year en route to the Mediterranean. Total calls number 110 with 230,000 passengers expected.
The main Transatlantic quay now has a length of 700m, width of about 80m and a depth of 12m, covering an area of 62,125m2. The installation of three dolphins linked by gateways has increased the length from 550m to 700m with the extended cruise-only quay being inaugurated on May 3 2010. It is five minutes on foot to the historical centre of the city.
During the next few weeks the current passenger terminal, Alberto Duran, will be provided with new services for passengers in order to cope with handling of more than 4,500 people, as when Independence of the Seas and Star Princess docked simultaneously on May 3 2010, explains Dolores Rois, commercial manager Port of Vigo.
In September MSC Poesia will be calling en route to New York, having embarked passengers in Hamburg, Le Havre and Lisbon. The forecasts are very positive regarding the Spanish sales of the cruise, says Rois.
In 2009 calls numbered 101 and passengers 221,375 of which 2,500 were turnaround passsengers so the increase for 2010 is significant.
