MORE CRUISING OPTIONS PLANNED FOR ALICANTE

MSC Cruises announced that Alicante has become such an important part of their network, they intend to increase the number of cruises sailing from the city between now and 2025, with the hope of increasing foreign passenger numbers.

The commitment to the capital of the Costa Blanca that materialised for the first time in July 2022, has not been replicated in the company's attempts to open up markets in other Spanish ports.

Of course, the objective of the shipping company, of Italian-Swiss origin, is to take advantage of all the facilities that the destination still offers. Its good rail structuring with Madrid and with countries like the United Kingdom and Germany through the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport, means the port of Alicante is perfectly suited to domestic and international passengers.

MSC announced that they intend to increase the number of cruises sailing from Alicante as well as introducing 2 and 3 night mini cruises.

They are particularly keen to attract foreigners, as they currently account for a small percentage of passengers who start their journey in the city. This was confirmed by the general director of the company in Spain, Fernando Pacheco, detailing that 90% of the cruise passengers that set sail from Alicante are from the Alicante Province

Hence, the company plans to maintain the response of local tourists and, at the same time, attract another type of public from the centre or north of the country, as well as British visitors in particular.

One of the major plans will see the introduction of shorter tours, lasting seven nights, "which is the type of cruise most in demand by tourists in the whole of the European Union", Pacheco remarked.

"We are working on them in Alicante but everything will depend on whether itineraries can be arranged that fit with the arrivals of air flights from other international airports that are key for MSC Cruises, such as Milan, due to Italian and central European tourists.

"We believe that in Alicante it is possible that we can offer those seven-night cruises, something that would not be feasible in other ports such as Malaga," he said.

“Another possible option”, he said, “in order to increase the passengers that board in Alicante would be the introduction of mini-cruises, of between two and three nights.

They are usually in high demand, especially between Thursday and Sunday, as they are an affordable option for a getaway.”