• The Valencian precinct is positioned as a destination for medium-sized luxury cruises due to its sustainable, diversified offer, far from overcrowding

The Seabourn Pursuit cruise ship of the Seabourn Cruise Line has made its first call at the Port of València. The head of Marketing and Cruises of the Port Authority of València (PAV), Francesca Antonelli, has been in charge of delivering the traditional socarrat – the Valencian terracotta tile designed with maritime motifs that Valenciaport gives to the ships that dock for the first time at its facilities – to the captain of the cruise ship, Stig Betten.

Antonelli stressed that “cruise tourism in our city is growing in a sustainable way, one part are family tourism cruises and the other – like this ship – luxury tourism, with an advanced average age that requires a high level of service at the destination and an accessible city”.

For his part, Betten congratulated the Valenciaport team for their professionalism, “the entrance to the port has been very easy, it is very comfortable to dock at their docks”. He also pointed out that “70% of the passengers got off the ship to visit various areas of the city”. The cruise passengers who left the ship today were divided into four groups of visits: the City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanográfico, the Albufera, the visit to Jewels of the Present and the Past, and free excursions.

This cruise, consigned by Transcoma, has arrived today in València from Barcelona and will leave at 18.00 hours for Lisbon. València is positioning itself as a preferred destination for medium-sized luxury cruises thanks to a sustainable and diversified offer, far from overcrowding, offering cruise tourists safe excursions adapted to new needs.

The city of València is a medium-sized destination for the sector that offers a wide range of urban and cultural activities, in addition to new alternatives for lovers of the outdoors, sport or hiking, and more sustainable options such as bicycle or skateboard tours. In addition, gastronomic, wine, musical or historical experiences are promoted, making València a multiple and varied experience that facilitates mobility and avoids saturation of destinations.

In this sense, Antonelli emphasised, “we are working to boost cruise activity beyond the city and its surroundings, in the inland counties and in the municipalities of the province that want to attract these tourists who dock at the docks of the Port of València throughout the year.

An extra-luxury ship

The Seabourn Pursuit is an ultra-luxury expedition ship with a length of 170 metres and a beam of 26 metres and 10 decks. The ship can accommodate 260 passengers and up to 260 crew and has a cruising speed of 19 knots. The Seabourn Pursuit is designed and built for a variety of environments and is suitable for cruising in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Amazon and Antarctica. For expedition destinations she has two custom-built submarines, 24 zodiacs, kayaks and a 26-strong team of experts whose role is to engage guests throughout each voyage.