The Porto Cruise Terminal of the Port of Leixões has welcomed the maiden call of the newest Atlas Ocean Voyages cruise ship, the World Navigator.
According to a press release, the 200-passenger ship left the Port of Viana do Castelo on July 24 to board passengers at the Port of Leixões the next day, on its inaugural cruise to Greece.
The 11-day itinerary also included visits to Gibraltar, Formentera, Ibiza, Capri and its final destination of Piraeus in Greece.
To welcome the maiden call of this ship, the Port of Leixões has presented the captain with the usual ceremony plaque exchange adapted to the COVID-19 restrictions currently in force.
The port said that it was “very pleased” to welcome its first cruise ship in 16 months in “maximum security conditions and in full articulation with cruise companies and national health entities.”
The World Navigator was the third cruise ship ordered by Mystic Cruises to the West Sea Viana Shipyard in Portugal. Launching in July 2021, the ship features the latest hybrid power management and propulsion system and, according to the press release, consumes as low as one-fifth the fuel compared to “conventional cruise-ship systems.”
“Its alternate hydro-jet propulsion system helps the ship quietly cruise up to five knots without disturbing marine wildlife for incomparable up-close encounters,” the port wrote.
