What Barcelona port terminal closures mean for cruise passengers

Independent

5 days ago

The number of cruise terminals at the Port of Barcelona are set to be reduced by the end of the decade in an effort to address concerns about overtourism in the city.
Barcelona City Council and the Port of Barcelona have unveiled plans to reduce the number of passenger cruise terminals from seven to five.
Under the plans, terminals A, B and C will be demolished as part of a €185m (£160m) project.
A new terminal will be built on the site of terminal C that will have capacity for 7,000 passengers at any given time.
The changes will reduce Barcelona's maximum cruise capacity from 37,000 passengers to 31,000 per day.
This could alter how often ships visit Barcelona. The new terminal will prioritise cruise lines that start or end at the port, plus small vessels and those that stay overnight, according to the announcement.
Work will begin at the end of next year and the new terminal will be complete by 2030.
It won't affect terminals D and E, which are operated by Carnival Corporation, Terminal H, operated by MSC Cruises, or Terminal G, run by Royal Caribbean Group.
There will be a €90m (£78m) expansion to the Porta d'Europa bridge that links the wharf with the city. More shuttle services, and crowd-monitoring information screens, have been proposed.
Onshore power supplies will be installed to help ships reduce their engine emissions while in-port.
A study has also been commissioned to see how cruise passengers move around the city as part of a new sustainable mobility plan.
Barcelona is Europe's largest cruise port and, according to the proposal, has seen a 20 per cent increase in passengers since 2018.
Of 12.8 million cruise passengers who visited Spanish ports last year, 3.7 million came to Barcelona.
This has prompted protests about overtourism and overcrowding in the city.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, said the growth cannot be infinite, adding: 'For the first time in history, a limit is being placed on the growth of cruises in the city.
'The current management of tourism involves setting limits and managing better.'
Barcelona has been scaling back cruise operations since 2018, moving from the city centre to Adossat Wharf, before closing its North Terminal, located near La Rambla, in 2023.
A statement from the port said: 'The agreement will reduce the number of cruise terminals at the Port of Barcelona and will roll out a series of projects to improve passenger mobility and make it more sustainable, moving forward in the responsible management of cruises and improving the coexistence between port activity and the city.'
A spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) trade body, said: "While cruise visitors currently represent less than five per cent of total tourists to Barcelona, cruise tourism contributes more than €1bn (£867m) annually to the Catalan economy and supports over 9,000 jobs, according to the University of Barcelona.
'Ensuring the sector's continued contribution – while enhancing sustainability – requires a thoughtful, collaborative approach, and we welcome the opportunity for ongoing dialogue and partnership with the Port of Barcelona, the City Council, and regional authorities.
'By working together, we can ensure that cruise tourism continues to be a well-managed, economically valuable, and increasingly sustainable part of Barcelona's future.
"Cruise tourism is managed tourism, with scheduled arrivals planned years in advance and supported by guided excursions, and coordinated transportation, allowing for better tourism management and oversight."