A record number of cruise ships visited Porto Cruise Terminal (Leixoes, Portugal) in 2022 as the industry recovered in the wake of the COVID crisis.
The 2 cruise terminals welcomed a total of 112 cruise ship calls (11 more than in the last full pre-COVID seasons in 2018 & 2019), which brought 108.626 cruise passengers to Oporto.
Despite having had more cruise ship calls, the Porto Cruise Terminal didn't set a new record in the number of passengers, primarily because of health protocols onboard. During the first months of 2022, liners sailed with a lower occupancy than the norm. Nevertheless, the number of cruise passengers was 22.5% higher in comparison with 2019 and was only surpassed by the numbers of 2018 (-7%), so far the best year ever.
Total GT numbers in 2022 exceed 6M, 56% higher than in 2019 and 33% more in comparison with 2018, numbers never reached before as the cruise port is welcoming more large ships.
Of the 112 cruise ships that called at Porto Cruise Terminal throughout 2022, 22 were new to the port including the debut of DCL-Disney Cruise Line operations. There were also 6 turnaround operations.
Porto Cruise Terminal is now on track to break the records again as ~140 cruise calls are announced to visit the port in 2024, which will bring to Porto/North of Portugal ~180.000 passengers.