Celebrity Equinox first ship to berth at Gazanica, Zadar's new passenger port

Completion of the infrastructure works from start through to accepting cruise ships of any size at berth, has taken five years.

The cost of the project is €143.8m, financed by the Government of Croatia with loans from EIB and KfW.

The new port offers 12 berths, seven for local ferry traffic and five for international visitors (including cruise ships), with the longest quay 375mtr and 13mtr draft.

The relocation of the passenger port to Gazenica (3.5km south of the city of Zadar) will provide additional berths accommodating larger ferries, ro-ros and cruise ships.

The new port is directly connected to the new motorway network with rapid access via road to Zadar Airport, Zagreb and the rest of Croatia and central Europe.

MedCruise member Zadar received about 69 cruise calls and 35,000 passengers in 2013 (about 70% more passengers than in 2012), and expects about 85 calls and 50,000 passengers in 2014 and more than 100,000 cruise passengers in 2015. 

Official opening of Gazenica port is scheduled for late September, early October.