Cruises, 180 ships expected in Sardinia: in Cagliari the first landing of the season

In 2022 it starts again in Sardinia with 180 cruise ships. Today the debut in Cagliari, with the first landing of AidaBlu. The ship, coming from Barcelona, moored at 7.30 at the Molo Rinascita, with about 800 passengers on board.

On the island, the port of Cagliari maintains its leadership in the sector, with just over 120 landings and a forecast of around 20,000 cruise passengers. Numbers in clear recovery compared to the pre-pandemic period. In 2019, in fact, the "touches" were just over 100 with a total passengers close to 260 thousand units. Then Olbia which, compared to the 70 stopovers and 126 thousand passengers in 2019, foresees a 2022 with 48 landings (but of larger ships) scheduled between March and November, and about 100 thousand passengers.

In slight recovery compared to 2021 (with 2 calls recorded), but still far from the numbers of 2019, the port of Porto Torres is preparing to welcome 5 ships, concentrated in the months of June and July, and a forecast of about 6 thousand passengers (the last year there were 172 in all).

After two years of blockage, the port of Golfo Aranci returns to pre-pandemic levels with 4 landings between April and October of the extra-luxury ships of the Seabourn Cruise Line and a projection of 2400 passengers.

Oristano is also preparing to welcome cruises again, with 2 bookings and a gradual recovery compared to the 2019 record, which had recorded 7 stopovers and 776 passengers. Two other touches, respectively in April and October, will affect the Arbatax airport. For the first time, in fact, Cagliari and Olbia will welcome the Valiant Lady, flagship of the newborn Virgin Cruise, a company in the luxury segment of the English tycoon Richard Branson.

The MSC Cruises, on the other hand, alternates from the port of the Sardinian capital to Isola Bianca, returning to Olbia after 3 years of absence with the Orchestra, reintroducing the possibility of embarking and disembarking for a tour in the Mediterranean.

Finally, Cagliari and Olbia will be stages of the AidaStella multiscale for four landings, from July to November.

"The numerous bookings on the calendar confirm the definitive exit from the crisis for the cruise market in the Mediterranean and a rapid return to normality - explains Massimo Deiana, president of the AdSP of the Sea of Sardinia - Although still provisional and, therefore, subject to adjustments in the coming months, the 2022 programming already aims to achieve the important results of 2019 ".

(Unioneonline / vl)