Tarragona Cruise Port welcomes three cruise ships in one day
Tarragona Cruise Port achieved a major operational milestone on Sunday, 2 August, by simultaneously hosting three major cruise vessels. The port welcomed MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn, and Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Star. Throughout the day, a total of 12,508 passengers passed through the Balears Wharf facilities during a busy schedule of embarkation, disembarkation and transit operations. This triple ship event brings the port’s cumulative seasonal total to 37 port calls and 68,263 cruise passengers since operations commenced in early April. The port authorities maintain a full season forecast of 80 port calls and 160,000 passengers. Reaching these targets will set an all-time historical record for Tarragona Cruise Port and the Port of Tarragona.
Of the three cruise ships that called at Tarragona Cruise Port on 2 August, the MSC Virtuosa and the Norwegian Dawn were making their maiden visits. Meanwhile, the Viking Star first docked in the city on 21 June. Arriving from Palma de Mallorca with 6,338 passengers on board, the MSC Virtuosa’s visit was part of a 14-day cruise connecting the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Its itinerary includes calls at Southampton, Lisbon, Cádiz, Málaga, Alicante, Gibraltar and A Coruña.
Launched by MSC in 2021, this 331-metre-long vessel features 19 decks and carries 1,704 crew members. This visit marked the first of two scheduled calls the ship will make at our port this year, forming part of the 32 stopovers MSC Cruises has planned for Tarragona during the 2026 season.
Regarding the Norwegian Dawn, 2,623 passengers disembarked while 2,647 boarded for an eight-day itinerary. Starting in Tarragona Cruise Port, this cruise includes calls at Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Motril, Gibraltar, Cádiz and Portimão, before concluding in Lisbon. The 294-metrelong vessel carries a crew of 1,032. This visit marks the first of two scheduled calls at Tarragona Cruise Port this year and is one of three visits planned by the cruise line.
Viking Star called at Tarragona Cruise Port during a seven-day Western Mediterranean itinerary featuring Sète, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno (for Florence), and Civitavecchia (for Rome). The 228-metre-long vessel, carrying approximately 900 passengers and a crew of 465, was making its second visit to the city. It is scheduled to make four calls this season. The Viking Star is one of eight different vessels that Viking Ocean Cruises will deploy to Tarragona this year, with the cruise line planning 17 calls and an estimated 34,000 passenger visits in total.
Record season
Between the beginning of the season on 16 April and 2 August, Tarragona Cruise Port has recorded 37 calls and 68,263 passengers. This season’s full forecast anticipates 80 calls and 160,000 passengers. These figures are set to break previous records, driving sustainable growth and cementing Tarragona’s status as a well-established, emerging cruise destination.
