On the 20th of August 2011 the port of Barcelona set a new record: a staggering tally of over 31,000 cruise passengers embarked and disembarked in its terminals in just one day. This sets a new record for the largest cruise port in Europe, due in large to the docking of eight large cruise ships in that same day
The colossal capacity of ships such as the Liberty of the Seas, licensed to carry more than 4,500 passengers, means that the port of Barcelona continues to record staggering numbers of visitors.
Figures reflecting a booming tourism sector in Barcelona. These figures of the 20th of August are added to the 1.3 million who have already passed through the port this year up until July.
Forecasts from the harbor predict a record 2.5 million cruise passengers for 2011.
This season a number of large ships cruising the Mediterranean have chosen Barcelona to head their operations from Barcelona such as Epic Norwegian (5,400 passengers) and Liberty of the Seas (4,500 passengers), which replaces the Voyager of the Seas.
According to recent data the Spanish cruise market is now the second largest in the world, sharing the position with America. This is a major turnaround, just five years ago, the Spanish market was one of the least significant. A major factor in this turnaround is without doubt the city of Barcelona.
If you are visiting Barcelona on a cruise and are disembarking here see our selection of Barcelona apartments for your accommodation in the city.
