Sardinian ports: 54 luxury and ultra-luxury cruise ship berths by December
Sardinia’s ports are focusing on luxury cruise tourism.
From now until 27 December, 54 port calls by luxury and ultra-luxury vessels have been scheduled. Kicking off this segment is the arrival in Olbia of the Sea Cloud Spirit, a 138-metre-long vessel with three square-rigged masts, designed – like all vessels in this segment – to reach ports and destinations not always accessible to the large ships of the contemporary market.
A growing sector
And this tourism sector is showing steady growth, as highlighted by the Sardinian Ports and Maritime Authority.
Of the 298 port calls scheduled for 2026, the updated programme includes 96 relating to the luxury and ultra-luxury segments, with an estimated 26,500 passengers out of the more than 800,000 cruise passengers expected this year. “These figures are modest in terms of volume but, when multiplied by an average spend ashore conservatively estimated at 250 euros (though which could, in some cases, exceed 1,000 euros) – as the Authority points out – compared with around 45 per contemporary passenger, would bring significant economic benefits to the area during a period of low visitor numbers.”
