Page 112 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - SEPT 2025

International waters

Passenger The Port of Barcelona to reduce corresponding to the current terminals
the number of cruise terminals
A and B, will be carried out, to which
Shipping Barcelona City Council and the Port of end the Port of Barcelona will invest 50
Barcelona recently signed a new agree-
million euros. These actions will place
ment to reorganise cruise activity and the port’s cruise facilities among the
render it more sustainable. The agree- most modern and sustainable in the
ment will reduce the number of cruise world, offering the necessary quality
terminals at the Port of Barcelona. It will of service to support port operations
roll out a series of projects to improve (where the journey begins and ends),
passenger mobility and make it more which provide the greatest added value
sustainable, moving forward in the to the city and have better connectivity
responsible management of cruises with airports.
and improving the coexistence between
port activity and the city. MSC’s dynamic expansion
The central plank of the new agreement, in the luxury cruise sector
signed by both administrations, involves Construction of the Explora Journeys
reducing the number of cruise terminals fleet, the MSC Group’s luxury lifestyle
from seven to five by demolishing cur- brand, continues at full speed. A triple-
rent terminals A, B and C, and building important ceremony took place at the
a new terminal on the site of terminal Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente
C. The resulting terminal will be public; in mid-July: the technical launch
in other words, it will be open to general of the “Explora III”, the coin laying
use and have the capacity to serve 7,000 for the “Explora IV”, and the steel cutting
passengers at any given time. of the “Explora V”.
In addition to this reorganisation and Comprising a total of six units – the first
the progressive reduction in the number two, “Explora I” and “Explora II”, are
of terminals, a comprehensive renovation already in service – the luxury brand’s
Credit: EPA/Enric Fontcuberta of a 610-meter-long section of the wharf, fleet, entirely built by Fincantieri,
will be operational within three years.
The “Explora III” will be christened
next year, “Explora IV” and “Explora V”
will be delivered in 2027, and the “Explora
VI” will set sail in 2028.
The MSC Group’s investment in the six
Explora Journeys ships, five of which
were built in Sestri Ponente, amounts to
approximately €3.5 billion. This invest-
ment will generate significant economic,
technological, and employment benefits in
Italy, estimated to reach over €15 billion.
CLIA’s “All Aboard Greece”
campaign gives voice to
Greece’s cruise community
Bringing together representatives from
governments, port authorities, and
tourism leaders, Cruise Lines Interna-
tional Association (CLIA), the leading
voice of the global cruise community,
has launched the “All Aboard Greece”
campaign to promote cooperation and
sustainable growth in the cruise sector.
The campaign unites key representa-
tives from national and local govern-
ment, port authorities, tourism bodies,
academics, suppliers, and cruise profes-
sionals. Their shared message: Cruising

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