New Cruise Passenger Terminal at the Port of Ferrol, Spain to Enter Operation in Spring 2027

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority and Global Ports Holding (GPH) announced the construction arrangements for the new cruise passenger terminal at the Port of Ferrol during Seatrade Cruise Med 2026. The project is located at the Espigón Exterior quay in the outer port, with a total site area of 960 square meters, implemented in two phases. The first phase will build a 480-square-meter passenger terminal, with construction planned to start within 2026 and to enter operation in spring 2027, i.e., the 2027 cruise season.

The project will be constructed and operated by Global Ports Ferrol S.L. The board of the Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority approved the granting of a 30-year concession to the company in May this year, with the first phase delivering a 480-square-meter plot; the second phase will be launched after the outer port quay meets the conditions for berthing larger cruise ships, expanding the project site to the full 960 square meters. Under the concession arrangement, the operator must submit the first-phase construction project for technical review within three months of approval and commence construction within six months.

Once in operation, the new terminal will provide basic passenger services such as passenger guidance and baggage handling, along with boarding facilities. The port authority also plans to set up movable service facilities for ships berthed at locations far from the main building, and to supplement passenger flow management capacity when multiple cruise ships call simultaneously. The first-phase building will mainly handle the organization of arriving and departing passengers and baggage handling, while the second phase will be linked to the construction of berthing capacity for larger cruise ships.

GPH had already won the concession for the Ferrol cruise terminal project through competitive tender in November 2025, and completed the port authority's formal authorization in May this year. The project was previously planned to complete its second phase around 2031. The operator had estimated that the Port of Ferrol would handle approximately 23,000 cruise passengers in 2026, rising to approximately 80,000 by 2034 under its operating system.

The Port of Ferrol currently has the conditions to berth large cruise ships, with several cruise ships still scheduled to call from October to December 2026, including the 316-meter-long Mein Schiff 7. After the new terminal is completed, the existing cruise berthing capacity will be supplemented by dedicated passenger service space, and the port's cruise business will shift from mere berthing to operation with fixed passenger facilities.