Alicante - generally the port of choice for cruise ships

Benidorm will welcome its first cruise ship to the resort later this year thanks to some great negotiating between the Town Hall and cruise operator - German owned Pheonix Reisen. Alicante is generally the port of call and Benidorm has over the years, albeit unsuccessfully, been trying to lull passengers to the resort from there. But once on land many are reluctant to then get on a coach for the 40 minute transfer, especially as they only have a certain amount of hours on dry land.

Cruise Ship in Benidorm

Last year cruise line passenger numbers arriving at Alicante fell by 46% - a whopping 37,000 compared to 2012, possibly a consequence of the worldwide economic climate. But not to rest on his laurels, Agustin Navarro - the Mayor of Benidorm, has taken the initiative to attract them directly to the resort by wavering any docking fees - often a deciding factor for cruise carriers when looking for locations to stop.

Mal Pas harbour in the Old Town

The MS Amadea is scheduled to arrive on 16th October and will anchor in the bay. Benidorm does not have the docking facilities to accommodate such large vessels - it is 183 meters long and will be carrying 880 people, of which 620 are passengers and 260 crew. They will be transported to the Mal Pas harbour by boat - quite a normal practice for cruise stops when there are not the facilities to dock. They will spend 5 hours in the resort - arriving at 8am. I just hope that all the local bars and businesses take the initiative to actually open earlier than normal, otherwise everything will be deserted as shops do not normally open until 10am here!

Benidorm Old Town - unique

Mirador

The Old Town, where they will arrive is a great place and almost unique to the rest of Benidorm. If that are doesn´t wow them then nothing will - it´s like traditional Spain, full of character with cobbled streets and lots of tiny shops, cafes and bars. Mal Pas beach, a beautiful sandy cove is very popular with holiday makers and from there the tiny steps take you up to the Mirador. From here you get a breathtaking view of both bays - the Levante and Poniente.

Tapas Alley - hopefully on the list to visit

It is a tremendous result for the resort and an opportunity for Benidorm to showcase itself - hopefully appealing enough to the passengers that some may choose to return for a proper holiday here. Most of the passengers will be German, a market which Benidorm lost some years ago, so a great occasion to tempt them back! Benidorm will be the 15th stopover in the itinerary and the next port will be Denia - a short distance up the coast.

US Marines arrive in Benidorm

USS Gettysberg - an unusual site in Benidorm!

Back in 2011, the USS Gettysbery - an American warship docked just in front of the Levante beach for 3 days. The boost to the local economy was tremendous as the Marines spent time on shore, with many having family arrive from America to see their loved ones for those few days.

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