Castellon rolls out the red carpet for cruise calls, with free shuttle busses to the city center for both passengers and crew. In addition is a local dance exhibition on the pier and fresh orange juice for passengers.

The Spanish port received the Saga Pearl II in June and is looking forward to another visit from the Saga Sapphire in 2018.

“We understand that Castellon and the province are still not well known in the international market,” commented Susana Soria, cruise and business development area manager. “This lack of brand awareness also reflects in the current low customer demand.”

The port authority has thus formed an alliance with various tourism bodies to build the brand, said Soria.

“Our priority is to raise awareness about Castellon while we improve the offering and services for tourism in general, and gradually build the appetite for cruise lines and passengers to discover Castellon province,” she said. “In the process, we will be working directly with cruise lines, cruise associations, travel agents, service providers, local stakeholders, politicians and media in different educational and promotional operational initiatives.”

Cruise vessels have their own berth, Prolongación Dique Modesto Viguera, which can accommodate ships up to 300 meters long with a 16-meter draft.

The port authority is also making a new facility available, Muelle de Levante, for smaller vessels, up to 160 meters in length.

There is also a new international airport which is ideally sized for charter flights, Soria added.