MSC Cruises maintains Malaga as base port but reduces number of visits and passengers

Pilar Martínez

Malaga

Wednesday, 26 March 2025, 07:20

MSC Cruises, Malaga port's leading cruise company, has announced that it will maintain the city as a home port, but will reduce the number of calls and cruise passengers in 2025. While the company plans to increase calls to Spain's ports by 28%, the trend reverses for Malaga. The four ships that will operate at the Costa del Sol's main port, will make five fewer calls, reducing the number of passengers to 96,000, compared to 111,000 in 2024.

The four ships - MSC Grandiosa, MSC Magifica, MSC Musica and MSC Virtuosa will dock at Malaga port 26 times in total. The reason behind the fewer calls and passengers is simple: the ships have changed destinations and, therefore, itineraries adapt.

MSC Cruises is about to inaugurate a new cruise terminal at the port in Barcelona on 3 April. Despite the changes, the company plans on keeping Malaga as a base port - "one of the most important for the company".

Fernando Pacheco, general manager of MSC Cruises in Spain, said: "Spain is a constantly growing market with enormous potential. After an excellent 2024, we continue to increase capacity and are proud to be the only cruise line to offer eight embarkation ports in the country, bringing the cruise experience to a greater number of passengers."

Pacheco stated that the company is expanding itineraries and confirming its commitment to the Spanish market with more capacity and new operations, driven by the growing demand from passengers for routes outside Spain, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean. This year it will have 23 active ships in five geographical areas, eight of them departing from Spain, with operations from Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Alicante, Mallorca, Malaga, Las Palmas and Tenerife.

On 9 April, the company will welcome the MSC World America to its fleet - "a ship that will redefine the experience of cruising the Caribbean with spaces and activities never before seen on a cruise ship".

To ensure a more convenient and accessible travel experience, MSC Cruises has strengthened its land transport options. This summer sees the inauguration of train services from Madrid, Zaragoza and Andalusia to the ports of Valencia and Barcelona, providing a faster and more efficient connection.

In addition, new operations have been launched to bring destinations and itineraries around the world closer to Spanish passengers. One example is the MSC Euribia, which connects the Spanish to Nordic countries and nature, with direct flights ensured between Malaga and Copenhagen.