Carnival Unveils Renderings for New Barcelona Cruise Terminal
Carnival Corporation has released artist renderings of its second cruise terminal at the Port of Barcelona – which will be Europe’s newest passenger cruise terminal when it opens in 2018. The terminal is designed to accommodate Carnival’s new class of green cruise ships that will be fully operated by LNG.
As part of an agreement signed in July 2015, Carnival Corporation will construct and operate the new 12,500 square meter terminal. The company is investing more than 30 million euros ($33 million), and, paired with its existing terminal at the port, this represents its largest combined terminal investment in Europe.
Designed by Catalan architecture firm Battle I Roig, the plans for the company’s upcoming cruise terminal reflect modern architectural style with straight lines and a minimalist concept that will create a contemporary and comfortable guest environment, says Carnival.
‘’This terminal marks the culmination of years of partnership,” said Sixte Cambra, president of the Port of Barcelona Port Authority. “Since the beginning of our relationship, Carnival Corporation has shown strong success in our port and city, and 10 years after the opening of the first terminal, this has materialized in a new facility for their cruise brands.”
Construction on the project officially began in July 2016, and once complete it will enhance the embarkation and disembarkation process for cruise guests visiting Catalonia and its surrounding areas.
The new terminal, on the port’s Adossat wharf, will increase Carnival Corporation’s passenger capacity at the port, which is used by eight of the company’s 10 global cruise line brands as both a destination and home port. Carnival Corporation is expecting to accommodate over one million passengers at the Port of Barcelona once its second cruise terminal is open in 2018.
Beginning April 2018, the terminal facilities will host inaugural sailings of Carnival Horizon, Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship and Aida Cruises’ newest ship AIDAperla, one of the world's first cruise ships to feature dual-fuel engines, which, depending on availability at the port, can operate on LNG.
The Port of Barcelona closed financial year 2016 with several new record figures in traffic, such as the volume of containerized foreign trade cargo (1,202,007 TEUs), vehicles (916,834 units) and passenger movements (3,958,960 passengers, counting ferries and cruise ships).
Ferry passengers (1.27 million) travelling to the Balearic Islands, Italy or North Africa increased by nine percent. Cruise passengers numbered 2.68 million (+5.6 percent). Passengers in turnaround (starting and ending their cruise in Barcelona, who therefore make a greater contribution to the local economy) represented 58 percent of all the Port's cruise passengers, increasing by 14 percent in 2016.
