The ports of Palamós and Roses plan to welcome 74 cruise layovers and 70,000 passengers during the season that starts in March and ends in November of 2026. This year, the Girona ports will receive seventeen cruise companies, and ten will make inaugural layovers, since they are arriving for the first time at one of these ports. Likewise, Palamós will receive 74 % of cruise ships during low season, this helps to reduce the seasonality the tourist activity.
The cruise passengers that arrive at the Costa Brava take advantage of the layover to visit Girona, the medieval towns of the Empordà region and the museums of Salvador Dalí, and also to take part in wine-tourism activities in cellars on the DO Empordà Wine Route, among others.
The 4 of March, the cruise ship Silver Muse had its inaugural layover in the port of Palamós, which marked the start of the season. The ship carried around 600 passengers, the majority of which were British, North-Americans, Canadians, Germans and Australians as well as 400 crew members. The port of Roses will receive it’s first cruise ship on the 2 of April, the Belle des Océans, with 130 passengers coming from France.
It is estimated that the cruise activity on Costa Brava will have an economic impact of 6.7 million euros, a 1.5 % increase from the last season. According to data from the cruise sector, each passenger that disembarks during a port layover and visits the destination spends an average of 90 euros in the territory. To this import, you have to add 6 euros more for port service fees. It should be noted that the ports of Palamós and Roses are two stopover ports where the cruise ships dock for about ten hours before continuing their route through the western Mediterranean.
