Port of Bilbao Reflects As 2026 Cruise Season Reaches Last Calls

The Port of Bilbao’s latest cruise season has set a new record. From the arrival of the first ship on February 25 until the call of the last two today, 104 ships (nine more than last year) have visited the Getxo cruise terminal, carrying a total of 233,236 cruise passengers (+29% on 2025).

The Port of Bilbao has also shown versatility, welcoming ships of different sizes and adapting to their specific needs. The ships that berthed ranged from 104 to 344 meters in length. In total, 31 cruise lines chose the Port of Bilbao for their calls, 11 of them for the first time.

Over the course of 2026, nine ships stayed overnight and three began and ended their voyage in Getxo: Hapag-Lloyd’s (TUI) Europa 2, and Oceania Cruises’ Nautica and Maria.

The terminal also handled simultaneous calls. On six days, three ships called at the same time, and on August 30, the embarkation and disembarkation of the Nautica was added. Around half of the passengers came from the United Kingdom, followed by German and American passengers.

This story was originally published by Maritime Professional. Read the full story at Maritime Professional →