"The Cruise Terminal received, throughout 2024, 152 cruise ship calls, which represented the arrival of approximately 196,000 visitors to Porto and the North of Portugal", can be read in a statement sent by the Port Administration from the Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL).

In 2023, the port of Leixões had received 116 cruises and almost 150 thousand people, so last year "there was a growth of 32% in the number of passengers and 31% in the number of cruise stopovers", says APDL.

"The United Kingdom remained the main passenger source market with 34% of the total, followed by the United States of America (24%) and Germany (23%)", according to the port administration led by João Pedro Neves.

The average size of ships also increased, "reaching a record 8.9 million GT (gross tonnage), representing a 28% increase compared to the previous year."

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In the 2024 activity, APDL highlights "15 inaugural calls and the debut of the Princess Cruises company, which began operations in Leixões with the Island Princess ship", as well as "six 'turnaround' operations (start and end of the trip at Porto Cruise Terminal), two of which were led by the Portuguese ship World Explorer, built in the Shipyards of the Port of Viana do Castelo".

Although the "seasonality of cruise activity on the Atlantic Coast" continues to be "a challenge", "in 2024, from April to November, cruise movement was constant, with the exception of June", and "September was the busiest month, with 30,409 passengers, while May recorded the highest number of stopovers (28 stopovers)".

Quoted in the statement, the president of APDL, João Pedro Neves, says that the numbers "reflect the growing demand for Porto and the North of Portugal by an ever-increasing number of cruise passengers and the main cruise companies worldwide".

The official also highlights that "the region is one of the most sought-after destinations in Europe, as also proven by the record numbers registered on the Douro Waterway, which grew 11% in the number of passengers compared to 2023".