Detailed Guide on Europe’s Busiest Cruise Ports

Europe is among the world’s most attractive and stable cruise markets. Vacationers from all over the world come here to enjoy these amazing cruise markets around the Mediterranean through mind-boggling Scandinavian countries. Germany and the United Kingdom are the main target markets that share more than half of these European cruise ports. 

When we see passenger numbers, it ranks behind North America. In 2019, over 7 million passengers visited these markets but this count just dropped to over 1 million in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though this business faced a major blow and cut in revenue due to Covid still it survived well and again during the boom. 

With the increase in public attraction towards these cruise ports, small sea and river cruises which contribute greatly to local communities are more appealing to tourists and small business owners. With a massive number of ports available in Europe, the continent’s almost 50 countries, we have compiled a list and a detailed guide to let you know what is Europe’s busiest cruise port?

1- Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain is the busiest cruise port with 2,712,250 visitors in 2016-17. The Barcelona Cruise Port is situated in this beautiful city that has a charming beat, a lively cityscape with a lot of personalities. The place is divided into five terminals, each of which is located in a separate location. Terminals A, B, and C are at the Muelle Adosado, while the North and South terminals are in the Barcelona World Trade Center.

A large number of big cruise ships stop here, whether it’s a part of a 120-day round-the-world cruise or a 5-day short tour. The port here has a long historical background of over 200 years, and it kept on developing with the development of the city as an exemplary metropolis. This port possesses such modern and world-class systems it is pretty good to host 2.8 million cruise freaks daily. 

2- Port of Civitavecchia, Italy

Port of Civitavecchia, also commonly known as “Port of Rome” or “Civitavecchia Port of Rome”, is located in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy. It is a central place for all commercial and passenger maritime transportation in Italy. The harbor includes the Rome Cruise Terminal. It is connected to various Mediterranean ports and is one of the primary links between the Italian mainland and Sardinia. The port connects Rome and Vatican City too. 

This place is the second most busiest and historical port that regularly welcomes  2,204,340 passengers as per stats of 2016-17. Visitors coming to this part of the world can’t stop themselves from visiting this amazing port despite their short plans. You will be so delighted to have the tasty food and drinks here.

3- Palma de Mallorca Port, Spain

Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca, in the western Mediterranean, and is a resort city. Palma is the largest of the five ports controlled by the Balearic Islands Port Authority. It’s right in the heart of the city, just in front of the Old Town’s maze of cobblestone streets. The waterfront promenade, which was built on land recovered from the sea in the 1960s, runs the length of the port. 

The Port of Palma is the physical embodiment of Mediterranean philosophy, yet it has a modern character that is highly respected by both its residents and visitors. In 2020, this port attracted 1,977,175 visitors in 2016-17 and became the third busiest cruise port on our list.  

4- Southampton, UK

Southampton is a port city in the southern UK, that is one of the biggest cruise ports in England. The hustle and bustle remain here and the place attracted more than 1,700,093 cruise port lovers in 2016-17. This bustling port, which is the only one on the list that isn’t located in the Mediterranean Sea, benefits from the UK’s love of cruises and greets a large number of visitors each year.

Travelers can start their vacation early by visiting the port’s cafés, bars, and restaurants. The Grand Cafe in Southampton is a hip bistro bar and restaurant housed in a light and spacious historic structure with views of the port.

5- Venice, Italy

Being the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, Venice is known as the ‘City of canals’. Built over 118 islands, the unimaginable beauty of Venice, is most famous for its beautiful bridges, gondola rides, carnival celebrations, and atmosphere streets. The beautiful and historic city is built upon waterways that stretch to the port, providing you with the seamless opportunity from cruising to exploring.

This soothing place attracted 1,427,810 Passengers from all over the world in 2016-17. There is much to do in this wonderful city; take a gondola ride or have a delectable pasta meal at one of the several eateries along the Grand Canal. Allow yourself to become lost in the twisting backstreets of Venice to truly experience it. It is believed that this is the only way to sense the throbbing heart of this wonderful city.

Conclusion:

Still, wondering what is Europe’s busiest cruise port? See this guide, explore more on the internet and whenever you plan to visit Europe, you must visit any of these cruise ports. 

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