Carnival Raises Its Stakes in Barcelona

zoom  Carnival Corporation & plc has inked a deal with the Port Authority of Barcelona to invest more than EUR 30 million (USD 33 million) to build and operate its second private cruise terminal at the Port of Barcelona, which is used by seven of the companys 10 cruise line brands as both a destination and home port. As part of the agreement, the Port Authority granted Carnival administrative concessions to operate the cruise terminal and all-new parking facility at Europes largest port. Carnival has also been granted approval to begin the final design process and start construction of the new terminal in 2016. Scheduled to open as early as 2018 in the Ports Adossat wharf, the new terminal encompass 11,500 square meters. The cruise shipping conglomerate plans to collaborate with the port to build and open the first public parking facility located on the cruise pier with over 300 parking spaces.  This new agreement ensures that we will continue to meet the growing popularity of cruising to and from Barcelona, accommodate the latest in cruise ship designs and most importantly provide cruise passengers with the highest levels of quality and service, said Sixte Cambra, president of the Port Authority of Barcelona. Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation, added:In the past several years Barcelona has seen a consistent surge in growth as a very popular destination for our cruise guests. And as the largest port inEurope, it continues to be a great city and port for both our guests and our cruise line brands. Carnival Corporation operates four additional global ports, including Puerta Maya in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Turk Cruise Center in Turks and Caicos Islands; Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras; and Long Beach in California. Carnival Corporation also operates two private island destinations in the Caribbean, Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay. Carnival Corporation will open Amber Cove in October 2015 in the Puerta Plata region of the Dominican Republic, which will be the companys sixth global port operation. The company is also expanding operations at its Puerta Maya port in Cozumel, adding a third pier to be able to receive three ships simultaneously starting with the upcoming winter cruising season.