The cruise ship activity generated an estimated economic impact of €6.6 million in the region, representing a 29% increase compared to last year.
The port of Palamós closes with 65,000 passengers and 65 cruise calls, and the port of Roses with 4,000 passengers and 15 calls.
The cruise ship AIDAluna closes the 2025 season with an inaugural call.
Last Saturday, the ports of Palamós and Roses closed a record-breaking cruise season on the Costa Brava. Together, the two ports registered a total of 80 calls in 2025, representing a 27% increase compared to the previous year, and welcomed 69,000 passengers, up 23% from the last season. Cruise ship activity generated an estimated economic impact of 6.6 million euros in the region, 29% more than last season. These figures are based on a study by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which estimates that each passenger spends an average of €90 when disembarking at a port of call and visiting the destination. An additional €6 per passenger was included to account for port service costs.
The Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure and President of Ports de la Generalitat, Manel Nadal, accompanied by the Mayor of Palamós, Maria Puig, and the Mayor of Roses, Josep Maria Martínez, among other authorities and executives, officially closed the 2025 Costa Brava cruise season with the inaugural call of the cruise ship AIDAluna.
The season was marked by the diversification of the cruise companies arriving at the Costa Brava, with eighteen in Palamós and six in Roses. Palamós and Roses received a total of 12 inaugural calls. The cruise vessels that called at Palamós for the first time were: AIDAluna, Bolette, Emerald Sakara, Hamburg, Hebridean Sky, Seabourn Venture, Spirit of Adventure, The World, Viking Jupiter and Viking Vesta. For its part, Roses received the maiden calls of Emerald Sakara and L’Austral. Moreover, the highest number of calls to Palamós and Roses took place in May, September and October, thereby contributing to the de-seasonalisation of tourism in the low season. The European market has also grown in terms of cruise origin, accounting for 65%, while the North American market has reached 35%. Cruise itineraries to the Girona coast have attracted passengers from across Europe, particularly from Germany, France, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Balance of the port of Palamós
The port of Palamós closed the 2025 cruise season with 65,000 passengers and 65 cruise calls, representing a 30% increase in calls and a 27% increase in passengers compared with last year, a record in both passengers and calls.
63% of cruises arrived in the low season, with the remaining 37% arriving in the high season. In this way, cruises have helped to de-seasonalise tourist activity, which has boosted employment and contributed to improving the economy of the municipality and its area of influence.
Palamós has received ten inaugural calls: Seabourn Venture, Spirit of Adventure, The World, Bolette, Emerald Sakara, Hebridean Sky, Viking Jupiter, Viking Vesta, MS Hamburg and AIDAluna. In addition, three cruise companies called the port for the first time: Emerald Yacht Cruises, Plantours Cruises and ResidenSea.
Cruise tourists have visited the town of Palamós and its attractions, and also took part in excursions, the most highly requested of which were: Pals, Girona, Tossa de Mar, Calella de Palafrugell, Empúries, Begur, Figueres, Peratallada, Púbol and Platja d’Aro.
By passenger type, passengers with the following nationalities visited Palamós this year: British (72%), American (12%), Irish (3%), German (3%), Australian (2%) and Canadian (1%), among others.
Balance of the port of Roses
In 2025, the port of Roses received 15 cruise ship calls, a figure that has broken the record in port calls, almost doubling the 8 calls from the previous season. In addition, Roses was visited by 4,000 passengers, almost triple the number of passengers from last year.
The cruise ship activity in the port of Roses has lasted eight months this year, from April to November. Half of the cruise ships made their visit during the low season. This has helped to reduce the seasonality of tourist activity in the Alt Empordà and the Costa Brava, thereby boosting employment and the economy of the town of Roses and its surrounding area.
By nationality, most of the tourists who visited the Alt Empordà were Americans (34%), French (21%), Australians (8%), British (7%), Belgians (4%), Canadians (2%), Swiss (1.5%) and Germans (1%), among others.
he season has closed with the visits from six cruise lines: Club Med, Emerald Cruises, Mystic Cruises, Ponant Yacht Cruises, Seabourn and SeaDream Yacht Club. It also received the inaugural calls of the following ships: L’Austral and Emerald Sakara.
An inaugural call to close the season
The cruise ship AIDAluna concluded the season with its inaugural call at the port of Palamós last Saturday, whereupon the authorities presented the port metope to its captain. The cruise ship has a length of 252 metres, a draft of 7.20 metres and a beam of 34 metres.
The ship arrived from the French port of Marseille at 8:00 a.m. and set sail for the port of Barcelona at 6:00 p.m. The ship was carrying more than 1,800 passengers, mostly German, who visited the town and its attractions, in addition to cycling on the coastal camí de ronda. They also took excursions to local attractions including Girona, Pals, Peratallada, Figueres and Púbol.
