Record 56 cruise ships dock in Leixões in H1, with 68,000 passengers
According to APDL, the largest share of passengers in the first half of this year was from the UK (41%), followed by Germany (26%) and the US (20%).
The port of Leixões, in northern Portugal, received a record number of cruise ships in the first half of 2023, according to a note from the Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL), consulted on Monday by Lusa.
“In the first six months of the year, Leixões received 56 cruise ships and 68,203 passengers, reflecting the best first half ever with regard to cruise activity,” reads a note from APDL consulted today by Lusa. “In this period, there were also seven inaugural calls out of a total of 14 expected by the end of the year.”
The port management body also states that the figures for the first half correspond to “an 88% growth in the number of passengers and 12% in the number of ships compared to the same period in 2022.”
It notes that “the activity contributed greatly [that was] registered during the month of May, which became the best month ever. In this month alone, 23 ships and 27,373 passengers passed through the cruise terminals of the Port of Leixões.”
In comparison with the first half of 2018, “the best year ever in terms of the number of passengers, the growth was 21%, rising to 42% when compared to 2019 (last pre-pandemic year) and, also, an 8% growth in the number of ships both compared to 2018 and 2019,” it adds.
According to APDL, the largest share of passengers in the first half of this year was from the UK (41%), followed by Germany (26%) and the US (20%).
As for the size of the ships, “there has been a sustained growth compared to pre-pandemic years,” it said. “The average length of ships stood at 218.5 metres, which means a growth of 3.1% compared to 2022. Compared to 2018 and 2019, the growth was 6.6% and 10.3%, respectively.”
It goes on to say that “if the forecasts are maintained, the Port of Leixões will once again reach a record value at the end of 2023, both in the number of calls to the port and in the number of passengers.”
At the moment, 127 calls are confirmed until the end of the year and a number of passengers around 150 thousand, according to APDL.
