Cagliari welcomes 8,000 cruisers on ‘milestone’ triple ship dayCagliari welcomes 8,000 cruisers on ‘milestone’ triple ship day

With almost 3,700 passengers onboard today on a vessel that can carry 5,000-plus guests, it is the largest ship to visit Cagliari. The 2021 built Odyssey of the Seas also called at Santorini, Mykonos, Bodrum, Messina and Naples on her current sailing.

Cagliari dignitaries

A crest exchange ceremony was held alongside the ship, attended by Raffaella Del Prete, general manager of Cagliari Cruise Port; Massimo Deiana, president of the Port Network Authority of Sardinian Sea; marketing manager Valeria Mangiarotti and Alessandro Sorgia, tourism councilor of the municipality of Cagliari.

Regular Monday visitor Costa Firenze was also alongside Odyssey on Rinascita berth, making her 21^st call to Cagliari while Sabaudo pier welcomed AIDAstella on its third call to the Sardinian port.

Important recovery milestone

The triple call brought about 8,000 cruise passengers to Cagliari which, according to Cagliari Cruise Port, signals an ‘important milestone that not only shows a clear recovery in the sector after the market closure due to the pandemic, but also highlights the attractiveness of the Sardinian port and the important work of promoting the destination implemented in synergy by Cagliari Cruise Port, the port authority and municipality.’

‘Three large ships in port are a beautiful picture and represent a challenge, won thanks to our experience, to the services offered to cruise lines and guests and to the intense collaboration with the entire local maritime cluster, from pilots, stevedores, tugs, to tour operators and port agents, with the essential activity of the harbour master and the port authority,’ commented Del Prete.

Royal Caribbean return

Odyssey of the Seas’ call marks the return of Royal Caribbean to the Sardinian port. This year around 120 calls and 170,000 passengers are expected in Cagliari, and the numbers for 2023 suggest further growth, with several multiple ship days.

Deiana spoke of the successful triple call, ‘achieved through the constant and fruitful synergy with all the players involved in the sector and, in particular, thanks to incessant promotional activity carried out despite the objective limitations of the pandemic period.’

Sorgia said the calls also demonstrate 'how cruise tourism provides an excellent vehicle to promote our beautiful city.’

Since 2016, Cagliari Cruise Port has been part of Global Ports Holding.

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