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The Silver Dawn, a cruise ship loaded with wealthy British visitors, made a manoeuvre into Vigo’s port yesterday.
The Silver Dawn is referred to as an ‘ultra-luxury cruise ship’ belonging to the Silversea Cruises fleet – with an eye water starting cost of €6,000 per person.
Each room is a suite, complete with a butler and marble bathroom.
Eight restaurants, five bars, and a gym are available on board. The ship features a spa, wellness area and fitness centre that are inspired by Roman baths and leisure.
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This was just one stop on a 12 night trip that took the boat along the Atlantic Coast between Southampton, England and Lisbon, Portugal. The boat will stop again in Vigo when it returns in the opposite direction on 12 October.
Celebrity Apex was the second UK cruise ship to dock on the same date.
The ferry arrived in Vigo while on the way to Southampton from Funchal. The stop is part of an 11-night trip that includes visits to Madeira and Leixoes, as well as the Canary Islands. The starting price for a trip on the boat is around €3,000 per person.
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The Celebrity Apex offers guests the opportunity to relax in the ship’s rooftop gardens, enjoy live performances at the theatre, play in the casino and look at artwork in the Gallery.
When the vessel docked passengers flocked immediately to the casco vello, Vigo’s old town, to see the Renaissance-era architecture and 19th-century Concatedral de Santa María church.
Some jumped on the busse waiting for guests at the port, which took them to Baiona or Tui. Others got onto the busse that would take them to Cambados, Santiago de Compostela, or Cambados.
Carlos Botana – the President of the Port of Vigo – welcomed both cruise ships with great fanfare.
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He hailed the huge boost the 5,000 tourists – the majority of whom are British – will make to the local economy.
Ports are located close to the centre of the city, which makes it convenient for passengers and local businesses to visit nearby shops and restaurants.
Vigo is visited by over 250,000 tourists each year.
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In the budget for 2026, the Galician government includes implementations of tourist tax in certain cities.
Vigo, however, has requested that cruise ships which do not spend the night on board be exempted from paying this tax.
On October 6, neither Silver Dawn nor Celebrity Apex spent the night in Vigo – the boats were docked at the port for the day only.
This is the first of four double-calls planned for Vigo in this month.
The Olive Press has more Galicia News. Click here to view it.
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