In the navigation season of 2017 which ended on 17 October 2017 with the call of AIDAvita (Carnival Corporation) Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg «Marine Façade» welcomed 247 cruise liners and two ferries with 562,682 passengers. As compared with the navigation season of 2016, passenger flow and the number of calls grew by 23% and 19% accordingly, Aleksey Panfilov, Commercial Director of Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg, told journalists. According to IAA PortNews correspondent, he emphasized that this result is a record throughout the company’s history.
According to Aleksey Panfilov, among 9 vessles that made inaugural calls at the Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg was MSC Fantasia of MSC Cruises, the largest cruise ships welcomed by the port. The 333-meter long ship brought 3,922 passengers.
Aleksey Panfilov said the number of passengers who started of finished their cruises in Saint-Petersburg totaled 13,281 (6,801 arrivals and 6,480 departures). All in all, the port was visited by representatives of more than 180 countries including Germany (31%), the USA (19%), and the UK (13%).
Maximum loading of the port’s berths was registered 35 times with five to seven ships moored in the port.
In 2018, the number of calls is expected to grow by 8%, year-on-year, to 263 ships, passenger flow is forecasted to grow by 6% to 598,863.
“Next year, Passenger Port is going to welcome eight new ships including 333-meter long sister ship of MSC Fantasia (MSC Cruises), said Aleksey Panfilov.
Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg «Marine Façade» PLC is in the ownership of the city of St. Petersburg and is the largest passenger seaport in Russia. Construction of Marine Façade began in 2006. The port can accommodate cruise and ferry ships of up to 330 m long and with a draft of up to 8.8 m. The length and depth of new access channels - 10 km and 11 m, accordingly. The port operates seven piers. The quay-side length – 2,171.06 m.