Cruise passengers arriving in Cartagena this week were treated for melons, grapes, and other stone-fruit, as part of the APOEXPA campaign.
In the first showcase of the fruitful delights of the area, more than 1,900 British cruise passengers and 821 crew members aboard the Marella Voyager were treated to a mini hamper, before taking in the sights of the city.
The ‘Marella Voyager’, from the Marella shipping company, which was recently inaugurated after being remodelled at the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz, is 262 metres long, has 13 decks, 952 cabins and a maximum capacity for 2,681 passengers. Navantia also has a base in Cartagena, although submarines are the speciality there.
To celebrate its first call, the head of Business Development at the Port Authority, Hortensia Sánchez, and the head of Business Development at the consignee Agencia Marítima Blázquez, welcomed the cruise ship and participated in the traditional exchange of metopes with the ship captain. Also, a delegation of Carthaginians and Romans has welcomed the passengers.
During the month of July, more cruise calls are planned, the first, on July 17, the Marella Discovery 2, also from the Marella company, as you might guess, brought 1,800 cruise passengers to the city.
On Monday, July 24, the Seabourn Sojourn ship of the shipping company The Yachts of Seabourn will bring 450 tourists, and on the same day, the AidaStella cruise ship from Aida Cruises will arrive with 2,700 passengers.
Cruise traffic forecasts for the year 2023 are 150 stopovers and more than 180,000 passengers. This year 3 new shipping companies and 20 ships will visit Cartagena for the first time.
