Up and running only since last year, Ravenna already expects 82 calls and 150,000 passengers in its first full season, according to Captain Giuseppe Fabbro, managing director of the Ravenna Terminal Passeggeri.

This includes 50,000 passengers for Pullmantur Cruises’ Zenith, which is turning around in Ravenna, embarking and disembarking in this Adriatic port. The Zenith will make a total of 16 turnarounds, calling every two weeks.

Dredging work was completed in May, bringing the minimum depth to 9.8 meters or 32.3 feet in time for the first all by the Voyager of the Seas. Other callers this year include MSC Crociere, P&O, Princess, Holland America Line, Seabourn and Oceania.

For the first turnaround by the Zenith, Pullmantur used one Boeing 737 and three Boeing 747 aircraft, flying about 1,700 passengers into the Bologna International Airport, according to a including many who chose to arrive a day early to spend some time in the city and surrounding areas.

To handle the turnarounds, the port has erected a 2,000-square-foot temporary structure. According to a spokesperson, all the local authorities have been supportive, ensuring efficient turnarounds.

Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Summer 2011