The forecast for next year is 79 calls and 155,000 passengers

The expected growth for 2026 is mainly due to the commitment of the luxury operator Viking Cruises to increase from 3 calls and 5,000 passengers this year to 17 calls and 34,800 cruise passengers next year

MSC will increase its calls from 25 to 32, although it will operate with a smaller vessel, aligning with the territorial cruise project that promotes long seasons and sustainable growth

Visitors give the destination a rating of 8.9 with 95.1% of them stating that it meets or exceeds their expectations

Tarragona ends the 2025 cruise season with a total of 62 calls and 126,348 passengers. This Monday, December 15, the Executive Cruise Committee met to take stock of the year and prepare the next campaign. 2026 is expected to be a new record year, with a significant increase in calls to 79. The expected number of passengers is estimated at some 155,000 during the eight months of the season. The planned growth in the number of calls next year is due to the commitment of the luxury sector to Tarragona, specifically the company Viking Cruises, which will go from three calls this year to 17 in 2026 and an expected 34,800 cruise passengers. This represents 22% of the total for 2026. MSC will also increase its calls at Tarragona from 25 to 32, although it will operate with a smaller vessel.

The 2025 season is confirmed as the third best in the historical series, only behind the record figures of 2024 and 2019. The main nationalities of the 126,348 passengers who passed through the Balears Wharf Cruise Terminal were as follows: Spanish (31.67%), Italian (14.07%), American (11.94%), French (9.34%), German (7.3%) and British (4.14%). It is worth highlighting the growth in cruise passengers from Germany (+120%) and North America (+70.7%), who are characterised by greater purchasing power and for being users of high-end cruises. These increases demonstrate the results of Tarragona Cruise Port’s recent efforts to attract and consolidate this type of cruise passenger.

In terms of the type of operation, 88% of the calls were by vessels in transit, while the remaining 12% were for embarkation/disembarkation. The months with the most arrivals were September and October, with 12 calls each. This figure confirms cruise tourism as one of the ways with which to deseasonalise the tourist season on the Costa Daurada.

Greater economic impact on the destination

The economic impact of cruises on the destination has also been consolidated. This is evidenced by two significant figures. On the one hand, the increase in average spending per cruise passenger is calculated at €27.4. This is an increase of 21.7% over 2024, when it was €22.5, and 55.6% higher than in 2023, when the average spend was €17.6. It is also worth noting that this spending is mainly concentrated in restaurants (63.3%) and shopping (53.1%).

The second set of data that shows the upward economic impact of cruises on the destination is that of overnight stays prior to embarkation. 44.8% of passengers from the rest of Spain (excluding those from Catalonia) spent the night at the destination before boarding the cruise. In the case of foreign passengers, this percentage rises to 55.1%, an increase of four percentage points over last year. The majority spend a single night in the region (37% of Spanish passengers and 27.6% of foreigners), but in the case of passengers from third countries, 19.8% spend two nights at the destination and 4% more than 6 nights. In 67% of cases, the pre-cruise accommodation is in the city of Tarragona.

Excursions and outings on the Costa Daurada

Regarding visitors’ activities during their stopover, 87% of transit passengers visit the region independently, while the remaining 13% contract guided tours. 78% of the organised excursions visit the Costa Daurada, with the majority (48%) concentrated in the city of Tarragona, PortAventura World (12%) and Poblet (9%).

Of the cruise passengers who visit independently and stay in Tarragona city, 81.4% visit the centre and the upper historical quarter; 69%, the Roman heritage; 56.9%, the Cathedral; and 36.1%, the Municipal Market. The market is the tourist attraction that has recorded the most notable growth: an increase of 42.1% compared to 2024 and of 177% compared to the visits of cruise passengers who made their own way in 2023.

The destination obtained a rating of 8.9 (two points more than last year, when it was 8.7), meeting expectations for 70.2% of cruise passengers and exceeding them for 24.9%. Along these lines, 94.1% of the cruise passengers surveyed would recommend Tarragona as a cruise destination to their acquaintances.

 
2026: New record and boost for the luxury sector

The meeting of the Executive Cruise Committee presented the forecasts for the upcoming 2026 season. A total of 79 calls are expected (25.4% more than in 2025) and around 155,000 cruise passengers. This increase is not only quantitative, but also qualitative, with much of the growth expected for next year coming from the luxury sector. In fact, this will go from adding 23 calls to adding 30. Within this segment, the commitment of Viking Cruises stands out, which will increase from three calls and 5,000 cruise passengers in Tarragona in 2025 to 17 calls and 34,800 passengers in 2026. 

This growth is a response to the work undertaken by Tarragona Cruise Port and the Tarragona Port Authority to attract new routes with premium and luxury cruise lines, which value the exclusivity and diversity of attractions offered by the Costa Daurada as a destination, as well as the quality of port operations, thanks to its first-class facilities. This market niche brings more cruises, more calls at the port and a lower volume of passengers, but with higher purchasing power, making it highly attractive. Since 2019, this market segment has multiplied fivefold at Port Tarragona.

Looking ahead to the forecasts for next year, the increase in MSC's calls in our port, from 25 to 32, is also noteworthy. This increase, however, will not have an impact on the volume of passengers that the company will bring, since the main vessel with which it will operate in Tarragona is smaller, thus aligning itself with the territorial cruise project that is committed to sustainable growth and very far from the saturation experienced by the main ports of the Western Mediterranean.