Cruise season kicks off on Spain's Costa Tropical with a ship that boasts 17 restaurants and carries 3,000 passengers

The port of Motril in Andalucía's Granada province has started its cruise season with the arrival of the Norwegian Dawn, which accommodates 3,138 passengers and first called at the dock in 2023.

The port authority estimates that passengers visiting the town this year will have an impact of five million euros on the local economy. The incorporation of ships with more than 2,000 passengers has been the factor that has boosted the growth of the Granada coastline as a destination.

The cruise ship, which is 294 metres long, is one of the largest ever to dock in Motril and boasts 17 restaurants, a gym, spa, casino, two swimming pools and 60-square-metre bedrooms with luxury bathrooms and private balconies.

Some 2,000 passengers visited Motril and its town centre thanks to the ten shuttle buses that have connected it to the port. Other passengers have made various excursions to Granada and the province, including towns in Malaga province.

More than 60,000 passengers are expected to arrive in Motril on board 39 ships this season representing a growth of 74.4% in the number of cruise passengers and 56% in the number of stopovers, compared to the 2023 season, which to date had been the year with the highest number of passengers.

The number of crew members has risen to 28,271, 45% more than last year. The luxury, premium and expedition shipping lines represent 58.98% of the port calls, while those of large capacity vessels (more than 2,000 passengers) will represent 41.02%.

"The port of Motril's commitment to combine high capacity with luxury ships has a great influence on the economy of the destination," emphasised its president, José García Fuentes. Around 55% of cruise ship companies return to Motril and new companies will come for the first time this season, which will result in seven new stopovers.