Alicante City Cruise Ship Port Terminal
Alicante's cruise ship port is now has home port status for cruise liners in the Mediterranean
Alicante Cruise Terminal has steadily increased its cruise ship passenger figures, and having achieved home port status in 2016 is set to become a more important destination in the future.
The growth of Alicante-Elche airport following the construction of a new passenger terminal has helped to fuel the increased impetus to develop Alicante into a major cruise ship port, and after achieving the status of home port, Alicante city port is no longer just a stop-off place but the starting and finishing point for many people’s journeys.
As a result Alicante is now the base port for the departure and arrival of cruises for some of the world’s largest cruise ship companies.
Alicante Cruise Terminal Building and Services
The Alicante Cruise Terminal is located at Muelle (dock) 14 on Alicante harbour, and is accessed via Calle Muelle Levante. The terminal building is open 24 hours and is fully equipped with all of the services which cruise ship passengers would require when arriving into the city port of Alicante.
It is an attractive, air-conditioned, modern building with two floors and large windows allowing plenty of natural light to enter the building as well as offering panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. It therefore also serves as a function room for a number of events including weddings, exhibitions, presentations and professional conferences, with the main room holding a capacity of 1000 people.
On the second floor there is a long corridor with a finger at one end from which cruise passengers can safely and swiftly disembark from the cruise ships and walk straight into the terminal building. After disembarking from the cruise ships, passengers are greeted and assisted by members of staff giving directions and providing wheelchairs to those who may require them.
On the same floor there is an attractive café and bar offering a vast selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.
There is also a waiting area, an information desk, toilets and security control for those arriving at the cruise terminal and embarking on cruise ships at the start of their journey.
Visitors can access the ground floor via the clearly marked stairs, escalators or lift, taking them down to luggage handling services and the small commercial area where there are several shops selling souvenirs and typical food from Alicante.
For comfort and convenience, the Cruise Terminal offers a free bus shuttle service transporting visitors to and from the terminal building to the top of the cruise ship port. Passengers are dropped off just before the roundabout, next to the Volvo Ocean Race Museum, and at the start of the Marina Deportiva, where there are a number of places to eat including restaurants serving some of the best ‘arroz’ (traditional rice) in Alicante.
Cruise passengers also have the option of pre-booking tourist bus excursions before arriving in Alicante, which also begin at the drop-off point and take passengers all around the city to see some of the main attractions.
Alternatively, visitors wishing to travel to specific destinations can use the taxi rank located at the cruise terminal, and of course there is always the option of walking to the city centre from the Cruise Terminal building by following the road running alongside the jetty.
The road leads round to the drop off point and the roundabout. From the roundabout, visitors can either take the second exit, which joins onto the attractive promenade alongside the marina deportiva, or alternatively, visitors can take the third exit (head straight over the roundabout) and continue onto Calle Muelle de Levante. Both routes lead to Plaza Puerta del Mar, where the start of the Explanada de España can be located to the left and the Postiguet beach promenade, Paseo de Gomiz can be found on the right.
The cruise terminal is 1km from the city centre, so on foot it should only take about 15 minutes to arrive at the main port promenade, the Explanada de España, La Playa de Postiguet and the main street connecting the port and the city centre, La Rambla de Méndez Núñez.
However, if visitors want to make the most of their visit to Alicante city and give themselves as much time as possible to follow one of the many interesting tourist routes which the city has to offer, it is definitely worth using the shuttle bus services. There are four shuttle busses running to and from the Cruise Terminal throughout the day, so cruise passengers can easily hop on and off at their leisure and with no added costs.
In addition, cruise ship passengers can make online reservations in advance to use the Terminal’s large long stay parking located next to the cruise terminal building.
In terms of transport links, Alicante-Elche international Airport is 12 kilometres from the cruise terminal, and by car the main Alicante Terminal Train station is only 5 minutes away.
Navigation Range from Alicante Cruise Ship Port
Alicante to Barcelona
Distance: 229 nautical miles
Travel time: 12 hours at 19 knots
Alicante to Palma de Mallorca
Distance: 174 nautical miles
Travel time: 9 hours at 19 knots
Alicante to Málaga
Distance: 252 nautical miles
Travel time: 12 hours at 21 knots
Click here for more information about visiting Alicante City
