Livorno (Florence-Pisa, Italy)

Livorno (aka Leghorn) is a port city on the Ligurian Sea, located on the western coast of Italy's Tuscany region. The city has population around 160,000. Port Livorno (locode ITLIV) is Tuscany's principal port as well as the cruise port to four provincial capital cities - Pisa (approx 25 km / 16 mi away), Lucca (~50 km / 30 mi), Firenze/Florence (Tuscany's capital, ~105 km / 65 mi to the east), and Siena (~130 km / 80 mi).

Livorno is the principal cruise port to Florence/Pisa. However, as an alternative port to these popular tourist cities is sometimes used Carrara, from where Florence and Pisa are also accessed via shore excursions/bus tours.

Port Livorno

Livorno is one of the biggest seaports in Italy and the Mediterranean Sea. It serves various types of ships, including cargo carriers, container ships, passenger ships (ferries and cruise liners). Several heavy-traffic regularly scheduled ferry services are provided by the companies Corsica-Sardinia Ferries (to Golfo Aranci Sardinia and Bastia Corsica), Grimaldi Lines (to Barcelona Spain and Tangier Morocco), Toremar (to Capraia Island), Moby Lines (to Corsica Island's ports Bastia and Olbia).

In the end of 2013 was approved a plan for expanding Livorno's passenger port (that serves the ferry and cruise shipping traffic). The project included both piers (Alto Fondale, Calata Orlando), providing 3 more dedicated cruise berths (for vessels with LOA length 300+ m / 984+ ft) and infrastructure development (relocating commercial berths to separate cargo and passenger traffic). The first phase of the port expansion project was completed in 2017. All works are expected to be completed in 2022-23. Until the project's completion, commercial piers will still be used for cruise ship docking.

In November 2015, the Port introduced its shoreside-power supply system (by Nidec Corporation, Japan) providing up to 12 MW electrical power for berthed vessels. The system can support mid-sized cruise liners (with passenger capacity 1000-2000) which usually dock at Sgarallino Pier. The project cost EUR 3,5 million, and was 80% funded by Port Livorno. By 2018, the company Enel (Italy's manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas) increased the Port's shore-power capacity up to 45 MW, allowing cold ironing services to ships berthed at other piers, as well as capacity to supply larger vessels.

Port's statistical data for season 2016 showed a total of 404 cruise ship calls and 810,000 passengers - about 16% increase over 2015. Season 2017's data showed a 10% decrease (over 2016) in ship visits.

In 2017, the cruise port had scheduled a total of 349 ship calls and handled around 700,000 passengers. Season 2017 featured 6 new cruise vessels (making maiden calls) and 3 ships doing partial turnaround (optional embarkation / disembarkation in Port Livorno): AIDAperla (17 calls), Silver Muse (5), Seabourn Encore (5), Majestic Princess (4), Viking Sky (2), Norwegian Joy (1 call), MSC Armonia (17 partial turnarounds), Arethusa (16 partial turnarounds), Hebridean Sky (1 partial turnaround).

In 2018, the port had scheduled 362 cruise ship calls with around 730,000 passengers. Also in 2018 was completed cruise port's privatization (started in 2017), with MSC Cruises being one of its owners.

There are plans for port developments (budgeted EUR 90 million) for building 4 new berths and terminals with capacity to handle world's largest passenger ships. These plans also include building new facilities providing shore-side power and LNG bunkering. Port's max draft is 15 m (49 ft) and its access channel is wide enough to accommodate big-sized liners.

Starting operations in January 2019, Port Livorno has Mediterranean's largest container crane ("Model 8 Mobile Harbor Crane"). Built by Konecranes Gottwald lift AGV, the huge crane has max lifting capacity 200 tons, operational radius 12-16 m and hoising heights 12-54 m (below-above quay level). It can serve boxships and ConRo vessels (RoRo-boxship combo transporting TEUs, wheeled cargo and vehicles). The new crane is diesel-electric (power output 1 MW) and can be hooked-up to the terminal's power grid.

In March 2022, Port Livorno contracted for dredging and other works SIDRA (Societa Italiana Dragaggi, subsidiary of DEME Group). Besides dredging, the project includes the construction of Europa Dock, port expansion works (expanding the berthing line with ~3 km / 1,9 mi), coastal defense works (building two new breakwaters - North and South, plus relocating the Meloria breakwater/total breakwater length 6 km / 3,7 mi). Scheduled to start in 2023, works will deepen the Port's access channel (to 17 m / 56 ft), the internal basins draft (to 16 m / 53 ft), and also lay the new breakwaters' foundations. The contract's value is yet to be revealed but, reportedly, it's over EUR 150 million.

Livorno cruise terminal

Livorno tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

Livorno is also thye cruise port to Pisa and Florence. The long list of Livorno's places of interest and most popular tourist attractions includes:

• Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi
• Acquario comunale Diacinto Cestoni
• Cisternone
• Fortezza Nuova
• Fortezza Vecchia
• Fosso Reale
• Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori
• Museo di storia naturale del Mediterraneo
• Orto Botanico del Mediterraneo
• Old English Cemetery
• Sanctuary of Montenero
• Porto Mediceo
• Venezia Nuova
• Terrazza Mascagni

A popular shore excursion offered from Livorno cruise port is the bus tour of Bolgheri and the Wine Road, located at approx 40 min drive distance from the port. The famous Viale dei Cipressi leads cruise tourists to the village of Bolgheri. After visiting the craft shops and wine bars, tourists travel to the vineyards where they have the chance to taste local delicacies, such as Olive Oil, honey, bread and cheeses.

To promote the potential of the Livorno territory, as an alternative to the classic Tuscany tour, Porto 2000 presented at Seatrade Cruise Med (in Tenerife, Canaries) a new marketing project called "Why Livorno", which was launched at Seatrade Cruise Global (in Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA) in March 2017.