The Port of Alicante once again resumes it’s cruise calendar this week with the preparations underway to receive the second large cruise liner this year.

On Friday, the 4th February, the city will see the arrival of the Iona, belonging to the British-American shipping company, P&O Cruises, one of the companies that has regularly visited Alicante in recent years, that will dock in the cruise port with 3,450 passengers on board, mostly from the United Kingdom.

The cruise is expected to make a stopover in Alicante, arriving from Gibraltar, at around 8:00 am. Its passengers will have free movement around the city or they may choose to carry out pre arranged excursions, subject to the health protocols established to prevent covid-19 infections.

Their departure to the Port of Barcelona is scheduled at 5:00 p.m., so they will be in Alicante for nine hours.

This is the second visit of the Iona this year, after the one in early January. It will also be the second arrival supervised by Pérez y Cía, the company that has recently taken on the management of the maritime terminal on a provisional basis, after the bankruptcy of its last concessionaire, Costablanca Portuaria.

Following the visit of the Iona, the next arrival is scheduled for March 6, with the visit of the world luxury cruise ship, Azamara, with capacity of 764 passengers. A week later, on March 11, the Mein Schiff 5 belonging to Tui Cruises will make a stopover, with 2,534 passengers on board, which will coincide with the third visit of the Iona.

Pérez y Cía will continue with the management of the cruise terminal for a period of one year, until the Port Authority can arrange a new tender, so the company will manage the 83 stops scheduled in 2022.