Club Med 2, the largest commercial cruise vessel in the world, made its first call at the port on Friday 24th April after the arrival of the ship that signaled the start of cruise ship season on Saturday 18th April in Motril, Granada Province’s Costa Tropical.

To celebrate the arrival, representatives from the port, the town hall and the provincial authority, the Diputación de Granada, received the captain of the ship with a presentation and various gifts, as a sign of welcome and of the importance of this visit for the Costa Tropical town.

It is a boat that measures just under 200 meters in length. It runs on a diesel and electric propulsion system, which is combined with the wind, making it both efficient and environmentally-friendly. The decks of this boat are covered in teak wood covering 2,700 square metres. Handrails and 164 cabins look out over the sea. The decks of large cruise ships are capable of carrying 5,000, 6,500, or even more. However, this ship only has 208 guests and 200 crew members.

Even though the Club Med 2 remains the world’s largest commercial cruising vessel, Jeff Bezos owns the private yacht Koru.

The menus are designed by Ferrandi-Paris, one the most prestigious cooking school in the world, and include Michelin Stars. The ship also has a spa, and there are many water activities.

Club Med 2 is on a Mediterranean cruise, which includes some of southern Europe’s most beautiful coastal cities. The ship stopped at Malaga before arriving in Motril. From Motril the ship will travel to Cartagena and Valencia. It will then continue its journey towards Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, Collioure, Tarragona and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer.

According to the president of the port authority, José García Fuentes, this season is set to be historic for Motril, with records being broken one after the other. The port expects to have 71 cruise ship stops this season. The port is expecting 71 cruise ship stopovers this season, with 59 of them coming from shipping companies who already know Motril, and are repeat visitors, showing that those that come, return. This year, the biggest news is the inclusion of 12 new stopovers. These are ships and shipping firms that have never visited this port before but now include it on their routes. Club Med 2 is the first new visit.

“We are breaking all the records of the port of Motril”, said García Fuentes during the welcoming ceremony, highlighting that attracting a ship of these characteristics, luxury, exclusive and of great international recognition, is the result of intense commercial work that has been going on for years. He said that the arrival of Club Med 2 will reinforce Motril’s position as a destination of high-end and exclusive cruises.

The councillor for commerce, Susana Peña, said, “These cruise passengers are looking for different things: traditional shops, churches, small museums… and Motril has all that to offer them.” She continued, “This kind of stopover helps boost local commerce, and promotes Motril’s image as a welcoming, attractive destination that can receive high-level tourists.”

General director of the Granada provincial tourist board, Manuel Muñoz, said, “Cruises are another tool to attract tourists to this province,” adding, “Granada has culture, nature, gastronomy, beaches, mountains, we have more and more reasons for cruise passengers to come to our land.”