Two Ports Welcome Inaugural Cruise Ship Visits in the Canary Islands

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Two cruise ports in the Canary Islands marked the arrival of high-profile ships making their maiden calls to the destinations. Both facilities, Lanzarote Cruise Port and Las Palmas Cruise Port, are managed by Global Ports Holding.

Lanzarote, the fourth-largest in the Canary Island chain, welcomed luxury line Silversea Cruisesโ€™ Silver Whisper on October 12, 2024. The ship visited during a 15-day sailing roundtrip from Lisbon, Portugal.

A day later, on neighboring Gran Canaria Island, the Las Palmas port hosted Costa Cruisesโ€™ Costa Diadema for the first time.

With her upscale guests, Silver Whisperโ€™s visit is seen as an economic boon to the port, with the island receiving substantial revenue as passengers debarked for excursions, shopping, and other activities.

โ€œThe arrival of such distinguished vessels further solidifies the Canary Islands’ position as a destination of choice for discerning travelers seeking luxury and adventure,โ€ a statement from Lanzarote Cruise Port said.

The ship, which entered service in 2001, accommodates 388 guests and 302 crew members. Lanzarote Cruise Port is situated in the islandโ€™s capital city of Arrecife, and can accommodate two cruise ships simultaneously. The island is best known for its beaches and volcanic landscapes.

Silver Whisperโ€™s sister ship, Silver Moon, is slated to call at the port on October 27, 2024. Other cruise ships set to visit Lanzarote in the coming weeks include Costa Diadema, AIDA Cruisesโ€™ AIDAperla, and Princess Cruisesโ€™ Sky Princess.

Silver Whisperโ€™s other port calls featured multiple Canary Island destinations, such as Santa Cruz de la Palma, San Sebastiรกn de la Gomera, and Puerto del Rosario. The ship also called at Praia da Vitoria, Faial Island, and Ponta Delgada, all in the Azores.

In December 2024, the ship will deploy to Asia, where she will sail a series of winter cruises from Singapore, Hong, Kong, and Tokyo.

The 3,700-guest Costa Diadema called at Las Palmas on October 13, 2024, during her 10-day cruise roundtrip from Barcelona. Port officials at Las Palmas Cruise Port believe that Costa Diademaโ€™s visit enhances the Canary Islandsโ€™ popularity as a top winter destination.

โ€œThe Costa Diadema’s inaugural visit reinforces the region’s significance on the global cruise map, creating new opportunities for tourism and further strengthening the appeal of the Canary Islands as a must-visit destination for winter escapes,โ€ a statement from Las Palmas Cruise Port noted.

Costa Diadema Inaugural Call Ceremony at Las Palmas Cruise Port
Costa Diadema Inaugural Call Ceremony at Las Palmas Cruise Port

The Dream-class ship, which launched in 2014, also visited the Canary Islands ports in Lanzarote, Puerto del Rosario, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Read Also: Incredible Cruise Ships With Family Suites

Costa Diadema will continue to sail Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona through November, before repositioning to South America for a series of winter voyages.

New Port Facilities Are Under Construction

Global Ports Holding (GPH), which operates both the Lanzarote Cruise Port and the Las Palmas Cruise Port, in 2023 announced a major infrastructure development that calls for the construction of new cruise terminals at both facilities and on the island of Fuerteventura, where it operates a small port.

GPH is investing 40 million euros ($43 million USD) in the three locations. The largest terminal is set for Las Palmas, already one of Spainโ€™s busiest cruise ports. The new terminal, to be situated at the Santa Catalina Pier, will be a two-story space consisting of about 46,000 square feet.

When completed, the Las Palmas terminal will be able to accommodate up to four cruise ships. In Lanzarote, two terminals are being built in different locations in Arrecife, and will have capacity for several cruise ships.

And in Fuerteventura, a new terminal will be constructed at Puerto del Rosario, nearby the city center and with restaurants and other amenities. The decision to upgrade the facilities at the three locations was initially revealed in 2022.

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Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney is a travel news/feature writer and editor with 20-plus years covering cruise news, luxury travel, and Europe and UK destinations. A former staffer at Travel Weekly and at the USAToday Network, she also was a luxury travel columnist at Travel Market Report, and a cruise columnist at Sherman's Travel.

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