The Porto Cruise Terminal reported increased cruise activity in the first half of 2024, welcoming 71 cruise ship calls and 73,341 cruise passengers, according to a press release.

The figure reflects a 27 percent increase in calls and a 10 percent increase in passengers compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, the first half of the year saw seven inaugural cruise ship calls out of 19 planned for the entire year.

The highest concentration of cruise activity was recorded in April and May. During these two months, the port welcomed 45 vessels, bringing nearly 46,000 passengers to the region.

Most passengers visiting the Porto Cruise Terminal and the Porto & North of Portugal Region were from the United Kingdom (36 percent), followed by Germany (29 percent) and the USA (23 percent).

The size of the ships has also increased significantly over the past few years. Vessel gross tonnage (GT) grew by 9 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

According to the forecasts, Porto Cruise Terminal is anticipating record numbers by the end of the year. A total of 162 cruise ship calls are already planned, and the number of cruise passengers is expected to exceed 150,000.