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Cartagena cruise season heads for record-breaking autumn with 93 ships due
October will be the busiest month of 2026 with 39 cruise ships scheduled to call at the Murcia port
Cartagena is heading into its busiest period of the cruise season, with 93 cruise ships scheduled to visit the port between September and December and October expected to be the biggest month of the year.
The Port of Cartagena has already welcomed some of the Mediterranean’s biggest cruise ships during 2026, including AIDAcosma, Norwegian Epic and Harmony of the Seas, but the main rush of visitors is still to come.
A total of 15 cruise ships are expected in September, followed by a huge 39 arrivals in October and another 31 in November. December will be quieter, with eight ships scheduled, including two vessels, Ambition and Azamara Onward, due to dock at the same time on December 30.
October is also expected to be the busiest month in terms of passenger numbers, with around 64,827 cruise visitors forecast. April was the second busiest so far with 38,428 passengers, while November is expected to welcome around 34,984.
Some of the largest vessels on the schedule include AIDAcosma, which can carry almost 6,700 passengers, Norwegian Escape with more than 5,200 and Sun Princess with around 5,200.
The summer months were slightly quieter, as is normal for Mediterranean cruise traffic, with 44 ship calls between June and August. June recorded 18 arrivals, followed by 12 in July and 14 in August.
Among the biggest summer visits was Harmony of the Seas, which brought around 6,410 passengers to Cartagena on July 28. Sun Princess and Sky Princess also made large-scale visits during August.
Port Authority president Pedro Pablo Hernández described 2026 as “a historic year for cruises in Cartagena”, with the port expecting around 200 ship calls and more than 285,000 cruise passengers by the end of the year.
The port welcomed more than 257,000 passengers in 2025, meaning this year’s forecast would represent another significant increase.
Mr Hernández explained that the aim isn’t simply to attract more ships, but to bring greater variety to Cartagena, including premium and luxury vessels as well as the large ships already familiar to cruise passengers.
The port is also working on a new cruise terminal designed to be more modern, accessible and sustainable. It will include technology allowing ships to connect to the electricity grid while docked, reducing emissions from their onboard generators.
According to Mr Hernández, the wider goal is to ensure cruise visitors can quickly access Cartagena’s heritage, restaurants, shops and city centre, helping the growing number of cruise passengers bring benefits to businesses and the wider tourism industry across the Region of Murcia.
Image: Turismo Region de Murcia
