Alex Trelinski
THE port of Alicante will break cruise ship stopover records in 2024 with 100 vessels calling into the Costa Blanca with a passenger total of 230,000.
It’s a 19% rise in ships docking at Alicante which last year saw 81 vessels stopover- itself an annual record.
The port has been boosted by the MSC Cruise company which had 20 vessels calling in during seven months.
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A super-vessel called the Explora I docked on Thursday and is part of the MSC ultra-luxury line.
It had 850 people on board- mainly from the United States, with passengers disembarking for day tours of Alicante, plus options to visit Elche, an old olive oil mill at Alcoy, and the Canelobre Caves in Busot.
The Explora I is the first of a series of six ultra-luxury ships – reserved especially for passengers with high purchasing power – which are also committed to sustainability as a strategic element.
The new craft in the Explora series will be powered by liquefied natural gas, which will allow up to 25% less carbon dioxide to be emitted into the atmosphere.
It was the first time that Explora I has called in Alicante and a special ceremony was held involving the ship’s captain, the head of MSC in Spain, and the Alicante Port Authority.
