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Palacruceros

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Welcome To BCT

Barcelona Cruise Terminal (BCT), with Palacruceros (Terminal D) and Helix Cruise Center (Terminal E), is the beginning of the cruising experience in Barcelona, where passengers can enjoy relaxing waiting areas as well as an assortment of different venues including shops and cafes, all with great views of the Mediterranean. The terminals have been created to ensure that your holiday to or from Barcelona is a great experience.

If you are departing on a cruise from the port of Barcelona, then reserve your parking space with us today for access to exclusive long stay parking. Located adjacent to Helix Cruise Center, Terminal E.

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PALACRUCEROS

Palacruceros cruise terminal was designed by Studio Vicini (Arch. Luigi Vicini and Andrea Piazza). Opened since 2007, it has been the center of operations for major cruise shipping companies in the region. It is located at Pier Adossat at the Port of Barcelona, approximately 800m from the bridge.

Helix Cruise Center is our latest 12,500m² state-of-the-art terminal. Designed by Catalan architecture firm Batlle i Roig Arquitectura, the company's newest cruise terminal reflects modern and graceful architectural style with straight lines, creating a contemporary and comfortable guest environment designed to enhance the embarkation and disembarkation process for cruise guests.

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Barcelona cruise port

Mediterranean - black sea.

• Coordinates 41.371, 2.184
• LOCODE ESBCN
• Local Time 2024-04-28 10:02

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Barcelona Lowdown

From the Cruise Ship Terminals to Barcelona City Centre

Barcelona is Europe’s largest cruise ship port, and the city receives more than two and a half million cruise ship passengers every year.

Fortunately, there are plenty of transport options available to get you from your ship to the city centre as quickly as possible. Which mode of transport you choose will depend on which terminal your ship arrives at, what you plan to see and do and your budget.

This article explains the different transfer services which are available and includes valuable information to help you make the most of your stay in this fantastic city.

Before deciding which is the best way to get from the cruise terminal to Barcelona city centre, you should check which pier your ship will dock at and how much time you will have before you need to return to your ship.

This information should have been provided by your travel agent when you booked your cruise. If not you can check the Barcelona cruise port schedule which is linked to on the right hand side of this web page under Monthly Forecast.

Location of Barcelona’s Cruise Ship Terminals

Barcelona’s cruise port comprises of 6 terminals located at the end of Barcelona’s famous Ramblas boulevard.

Two of the cruise-ship piers are located next to the World Trade Centre on the Moll de Barcelona Wharf and can be easily reached by walking from La Rambla and the nearby Drassanes metro stop (metro line L3).

The World Trade Centre terminals are called the North and South terminal and are used by smaller cruise liners.

Larger ships dock at the Moll Adossat quay terminals (Terminals A, B, C and D). Terminal D is the farthest away of the four quays and is approximately four and a half km from La Rambla and the Columbus monument .

Finally, the Moll de Sant Bertran  is a ferry terminal with routes to Spain, Morocco, Italy and the Balearic Islands. (See map below)

How to Get From the Cruise Ship Terminals to Barcelona City Centre

From the Cruise Ship Terminals by Taxi

There are taxi ranks next to each of the cruise terminals, and you can be sure that there will be a long line of taxis ready and waiting when your cruise ship docks.

A taxi from your cruise ship to the city centre will cost around €15 depending on which terminal your ship arrives at and whereabouts in the city centre you want to go to.

All taxis in Barcelona are metered; there is a €3.10 supplement for a cruise pier pick-up which will be added to the price which is displayed on the meter at the end of the journey. If you have a lot of luggage, there may also be an additional charge.

You can check the official tariffs here .

The distinctive yellow and black cabs also have a sticker displaying the prices on one of the rear windows.

From the Cruise Ship Terminals by Bus

The Cruise Bus (also known as the T3 Portbus) is a shuttle bus which runs between the Moll Adossat cruise ship terminals and the Wold Trade Center , a five-minute walk from Las Ramblas.

The fare is €3 one way or €4.50 return and can be paid in cash on the bus (coins or small value notes only) or online at the Cruise Bus website .

The buses don’t have a set timetable. Instead, they are coordinated with the arrival and departure of the cruise liners.

In the mornings, when passengers disembark from the ships, buses depart every few minutes. Later in the day, the buses run less frequently, so you should check the schedule with the driver and plan your return trip accordingly.

The Cruise Bus is NOT covered by TMB tickets or travel cards such as the T-casual or Hola Barcelona Travel Card .

The journey from the cruise terminals takes about 10 minutes. From here, you can start visiting Barcelona on foot since many of Barcelona’s most famous sights, such as the Ramblas, the Maritime Museum, the Gothic quarter and the historic Port Vell are close by.

Open-top city tour buses stop near the World Trade Centre terminals.

It’s a short walk from the Cruise Bus stop to the Drassanes metro station, which is on line L3.

If you are travelling from your ship directly to the airport, local bus company Moventis also operates a direct shuttle service from the cruise ship terminals.

From Barcelona Cruise Port by Private transfer

Although there will be plenty of taxis and buses waiting at the cruise terminal, when a large cruise ship docks and thousands of tourists disembark at the same time, long queues do form.

You can avoid the queues by booking your transfer in advance.

A private transfer is more expensive than catching a taxi at the taxi rank but has the advantage that your driver will be there waiting for you as soon as you disembark from the ship.

Book your private transfer in advance online .

From the Cruise Port to Barcelona City Centre on Foot

Before you decide to walk from your cruise ship, you should check which terminal your ship docks at.

From the World Trade Center Terminals

The  World Trade Center terminals  are located on the Moll de Barcelona, which is a short walk from the Columbus monument.

Walk straight ahead along the quay until you reach the large steel hoops of the Onades monument . Turn right and walk along the Moll de Drassanes until you arrive at the Christopher Columbus monument and the start of Las Ramblas.

From the Moll Adossat Terminals

If you decide to walk into Barcelona from the Moll Adossat quay, you should bear in mind that it takes between  25 (Terminal A) and 45 minutes (Terminal D), and there’s no shade from the sun.

Follow the road along the pier from the ships (there’s a paved footpath that runs alongside the road). After crossing the Porta d’Europa  bridge, continue straight ahead along the pier until you reach a small roundabout. Turn right and continue past the  Moll de Sant Bertran, the Onades monument and the Moll de Drassanes to the Columbus monument (see map below).

From here you can take the metro or bus to other parts of the city.

The Hop on Hop off Sightseeing bus from Barcelona Cruise Port

Barcelona’s open-topped sightseeing buses have two stops near the cruise port.

The first is located right in front of the World Trade Centre cruise terminals. The other is located next to the Columbus monument at the end of the Ramblas.

The buses follow three circular routes, each of which covers a different area of the city. Both of the stops near the cruise port are on the red route, which takes 2 hours to complete and is the most interesting of the three since it passes the most emblematic buildings.

Tour buses depart every 5 to 25 minutes, depending on the time of year.

By purchasing your ticket in advance online you can benefit from a €2 discount and board the bus at whichever stop you choose.

Shore Excursions

A popular way to maximize your time in Barcelona is to book a shore excursion .

In addition to saving you the hassle of organising your transfer from the port, being on an organised tour allows you to skip the lines when visiting popular sites such as Park Güell.

When you book your shore excursion, you will be asked to provide the name of your ship and arrival and re-boarding times.

Find out more and book a shore excursion>>

Left Luggage and Baggage Transfer in Barcelona

If you will arrive in Barcelona at the end of your cruise and want to spend a few hours sightseeing before your flight home, you can have your luggage collected from the cruise port and transported directly to the airport for you. Find out more .

There are also left luggage storage facilities near to Plaça de Catalunya,   Plaça d’Espanya and at Barcelona Sants train station.

Hotels at Barcelona Cruise Port

The only hotel at the Barcelona Cruise ship port is the Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel which is an very good 5-star hotel.

Hotels located on Las Ramblas or Av. Paral.lel are a short taxi ride from the cruise port. For more information about where to stay in Barcelona check out my Barcelona neighbourhood guide .

Barcelona Cruise Port Map

Check the locations of all six cruise ship terminals and the Cruise Bus, Bus Turistic, and Metro stops on the zoomable map below.

Barcelona Bus Turistic - Sightseeing Tour bus stop

Plaça Portal de la Pau

Barcelona Bus Turistic - open top sightseeing tour bus stop.

Moll de Barcelona

Metro Line 3 (green line)

Plaça Portal de la Pau, Barcelona, Spain

This is the location of the bus stop where you board the Cruise bus when travelling to the Moll Adossat terminals.

Moll de Barcelona, Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Moll Adossat Quay Terminal D, Barcelona

Moll Adosssat Quay Terminal C, Barcelona

Moll Adossat Quay Terminal B, Barcelona

Moll Adossat Quay Terminal A, Barcelona

Related posts:

Which terminal is for Norwegian Cruise Ship?

I believe that the Norwegian Epic normally docks at the Adossat wharf, terminal A but I recommend you check with your travel agent to make sure.

Can you please let me know how you can get to Barcelona Airport from the Cruise Terminal .

The easiest and fastest way is by taxi which will cost about €40.

If you prefer to use public transport, the fastest way will be to take the “Cruise Bus” from the cruise terminals to the Columbus Monument and then walk to the Drassanes metro stop. From here you can catch the L3 metro to Plaça d’Espanya followed by the Aerobus to the airport.

There’s more information about transport to and from the airport, including a map and fares in this post .

Arriving early and need pickup at hotel in Barcelona to the pier for NCL and back to the hotel for 3 people

Hi Darlene,

You could get your hotel to call a taxi for you or use the links in the article to book a private transfer.

what bus do we take from the Be Ramblas Hotel to the Princess Explorer of the Seas?

Hello Harmony,

Do you know which pier your ship will dock at? I just checked the 2018 schedule on the Barcelona port authority website (link in the article) and the Princess Explorer of the Seas doesn’t seem to be listed.

I expect that it will probably dock at one of the terminals on Moll Adossat but you should check with the company to make sure.

Assuming that it docks at Moll Adossat then you can catch the blue Cruise Bus which departs from near to the Columbus monument (see map above).

I’m not familiar with the Be Ramblas Hotel. Do you mean the Be Ramblas Hostal at Carrer Nou de la Rambla 50? If so then your hotel is about a 10 minute walk from the Cruise Bus stop.

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6 top transatlantic cruises for 2024.

Journey across the Atlantic while enjoying all the amenities at sea.

The Top Transatlantic Cruises

Courtesy of Cunard Line

Sailing from New York to England on Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 is just one of many transatlantic offerings in 2024.

Transatlantic cruises are unique when you compare them to traditional cruises most people book for family trips and romantic getaways. These voyages tend to be longer in general, and they have more built-in days at sea and offer a lot more time on board as a result. Repositioning cruises that include a transatlantic crossing tend to attract more retirees and travelers who just want to relax and enjoy their ships' amenities, especially since fewer days in port means fewer excursions and more time doing nothing at all.

That said, the fact that transatlantic cruises can last as few as seven nights means they may fit in your plans more easily than you may think. There are also some benefits to transatlantic crossings that may not be obvious, including lower nightly rates, more onboard credit, and more time to kick back and relax at a floating luxury resort in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

If you're curious which transatlantic cruises are best for 2024, here are six top picks with different cruise lengths, itineraries and unique destinations to explore.

Explore cruises on GoToSea , a service of U.S. News.

Cunard Line

Date: Departs May 5, 2024

Departure port: Brooklyn, New York

Starting price: $2,449 per person (plus port taxes and fees)

Cruise length: 7 to 18 nights

In May of 2024, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 vessel will offer three different transatlantic crossings of various lengths. Choose from a seven-night sailing from Brooklyn, New York , to Southampton, England; a nine-night sailing to Hamburg, Germany ; and an 18-night round-trip sailing that departs from Brooklyn and crosses the Atlantic twice on the way back to its starting point. This unique combination of itineraries lets you cross the sea and tailor your trip to how long you want to be away from home.

The 18-night itinerary is especially interesting, since it lets you depart from the United States and arrive back in Brooklyn in the end with stops in both England and Germany, as well as plenty of sea days in between. Luxury cruise line Cunard is known for its elegant design, lush amenities and upscale feel, and the Queen Mary 2 is one of the line's most luxurious ships. Highlights on this exclusive vessel include the Royal Court Theatre, a casino, gala evenings, an onboard spa and a vast library. The Queen Mary 2 holds up to 2,691 guests with 1,173 crew to cater to your every need.

Seabourn Cruise Line

Courtesy of Seabourn Cruise Line

Date: Departs March 24, 2024

Departure port: Miami

Starting price: $5,949 per person (plus port taxes and fees)

Cruise length: 21 nights

Seabourn is offering a 21-night transatlantic cruise from Miami on Seabourn Quest in March 2024 that offers a diverse range of ports of call before ending its voyage in Las Palmas in Spain's Canary Islands . Departure from Miami is followed by nine days at sea. Then, you'll enjoy multiple stops in the Canary Islands – including Santa Cruz de La Palma and San Sebastián de La Gomera – as well as stops in Praia and Mindelo the Cape Verde archipelago.

This journey with Seabourn makes it possible for travelers to see some of the most beautiful and remote tropical islands in the world. The Canary Islands are known for their white sand beaches , volcanoes and lush greenery; similar landscapes can also be found in Cape Verde's coastal towns and villages. Seabourn Quest, a smaller ocean vessel, accommodates just 229 guests.

MSC Cruises

Courtesy of MSC Cruises

Date: Departs Nov. 8, 2024

Departure port: Southampton, England

Starting price: $769 per person (plus port taxes and fees)

Cruise length: 16 nights

The MSC Virtuosa from MSC Cruises is repositioning from Europe to the Caribbean in November 2024, which gives travelers the chance to enjoy a lengthy transatlantic crossing with plenty of unique ports. This sailing departs from England with eight sea days plus stops in France, the Azores of Portugal, St. Maarten , Antigua and Barbuda, and Martinique . The ship ends its journey in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe.

The MSC Virtuosa is a larger cruise vessel that boasts an impressive grand promenade with a LED dome ceiling, dedicated clubs for children and teens, an onboard spa, a lavish casino and the luxurious MSC Yacht Club section of the ship. This vessel holds a maximum of 6,334 passengers at once.

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Princess Cruises

Courtesy of Princess Cruises

Date: Departs July 5, 2024

Departure port: New York City (Manhattan or Brooklyn)

Starting price: $4,098 per person (plus port taxes and fees)

Cruise length: 31 nights

Princess Cruises also offers its share of transatlantic sailings on various vessels. Its 31-night crossing from New York to Barcelona, Spain , on Island Princess in July 2024 is jam-packed with exciting destinations to explore. This lengthy transatlantic voyage has only 13 sea days with planned stops in Canada's Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, England, Spain, Portugal and Morocco before the journey ends in Barcelona.

This intriguing sailing experience with Princess takes passengers to eight different countries in the span of a month. Island Princess is a nice ship for a long sailing because of its smaller size, with just 2,200 passengers and 900 crew. But the ship is also large enough to have a huge selection of included and specialty dining options, a Vegas-style casino, a sports court, a large central atrium for gathering, and several pools and hot tubs to enjoy.

Celebrity Cruises

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Date: Departs April 11, 2024

Departure port: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Starting price: $760 per person (plus port taxes and fees)

Cruise length: 12 nights

Celebrity Cruises is offering a 12-night sailing on Celebrity Equinox in April 2024 that starts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida , and ends in Lisbon, Portugal – making it possible for travelers to enjoy eight relaxing days at sea. What's interesting about this sailing is its stops along the way, which include the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda; Porta Delgada in Portugal's Azores archipelago; and Porto in mainland Portugal.

The Celebrity Equinox accommodates a maximum of just 2,852 passengers at once, so this Celebrity vessel is a solid choice for travelers who want just the right size ship instead of a smaller vessel or a megaship. There are also plenty of onboard features to keep you happy and entertained as you float across the Atlantic Ocean, including The Casino, The Lawn Club with outdoor games like bocce ball and croquet, The Martini Bar, the adults-only Solarium and more.

Royal Caribbean International

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Dates: Departs Oct. 24, 2024

Departure port: Barcelona, Spain

Starting price: $876 per person (plus port taxes and fees)

Cruise length: 14 nights

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas is hosting a transatlantic voyage in October 2024 that departs from Barcelona, Spain, and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This vessel will make stops in Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartagena and Málaga in Spain, then spend eight days at sea. After that, enjoy a day in Nassau in the Bahamas before the cruise drops passengers off in sunny Florida.

Interior staterooms on this Royal Caribbean sailing start at just $876 per person (plus port taxes and fees), which works out to around $60 per night, per person. The Oasis of the Seas megaship can hold a total of 6,771 guests and 2,109 crew, so it's an enormous vessel – to put it mildly. This size may not be ideal for travelers who want a more intimate cruising experience, but it's perfect for cruisers who want plenty of space to spread out and endless activities to take part in. Oasis of the Seas boasts 20 different restaurants and cafes, 11 bars and lounges, a variety of pools and whirlpools, a rock climbing wall, the AquaTheater diving and entertainment venue, mini-golf, a casino and plenty more.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a professional travel writer and cruise expert who has covered family travel and cruises for more than a decade. She has cruised more than 40 times across most of the major cruise lines in destinations throughout the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. Johnson used her personal experience and research expertise to curate the itineraries for this article.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Solo Cruises (With No Supplement Fare)
• Sustainable Cruises: The Top Lines Making Progress
• Bucket List Cruises for Seniors and Retirees
• The Best Cruise Insurance Plans
• Cruise Packing List: Essentials Chosen by Experts

Tags: Travel , Cruises

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When cruises are cheaper than trains and planes

P lanes, trains and automobiles may be the obvious and often most cost-effective ways to get from A to B but, surprisingly, cruise ships can be, too.

Repositioning sailings are the unsung bargains of the cruise world, where canny travellers can often pick up voyages at vastly reduced rates – and give more orthodox forms of transport a run for their money.

The key to finding such a deal comes from studying cruise schedules for sailings – some of which may be just one or two nights – that go directly from one place to another. 

While low-cost flights are generally accepted as the cheapest way to travel internationally, global airfares are on the rise – and by the time you pile on charges for luggage, food and drink and the cost of travelling from the airport to the city centre – where cruise ships invariably dock – taking the sea-going route can emerge as the unlikely winner (and you’ll arrive in considerably more style).

It can even work for travelling to different parts of the UK, though options tend to be restricted to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines when it repositions ships on overnight voyages between the likes of Southampton and Newcastle, Rosyth or other ports further north. 

Italy to Spain from £54

For city-hopping stays in and around Europe, MSC Cruises is the one to watch, as it enables customers to book many of its Mediterranean cruises on a port-to-port basis, rather than taking the entire voyage.

For instance, travellers can book one-nighters between Genoa and Barcelona or Genoa and Marseilles for as little as £54pp, while an overnight sailing between Valencia and Marseilles is £72pp, with these prices obviously including meals. The £54 figure is based on an October 11 departure. For a flight from Genoa to Barcelona on the same date, Skyscanner (skyscanner.net) quotes a service with ITA Airways for £111.99pp, including luggage.

Tony Andrews, the managing director of travel agency cruise.co.uk, says: “MSC doesn’t talk about this enough, as these one-nighters are a great way for people to have a city-break-style experience with a cruise as part of it. It’s a really interesting way to do it.”

The leisurely way to cross the pond

Transatlantic crossings are another potential area to pick up a sea-going bargain, but it’s a question of waiting until the price is right, as rates continually fluctuate.

Many lines offer transatlantic repositionings in spring and autumn, while Cunard runs the only regular crossings between Southampton and New York on its liner Queen Mary 2.

On one occasion some years ago, when prices dropped to just a few hundred pounds, I was sailing from Southampton on the QM2 and met a passenger who had opted to do the same purely because the rates were so much cheaper than flying and he wasn’t in a rush (the crossing takes a week).

Cunard’s prices have since risen overall, but there are still reduced rates on some departures that make this tactic worth pursuing if you fancy a more leisurely way to cross the pond.

Alison Earnshaw, the managing director of online agencies Cruise 118 and Six Star Cruises, says that when rates drop to £600 or £700, taking the ocean route becomes more cost-effective as transatlantic flights have become so expensive.

Another plus is the lack of luggage restrictions, because on cruises you can famously take as much as will fit in your cabin.

“We’ve had people booking to sail to see family in the States with lots of luggage that they’re taking out for them, and then flying back lighter,” she explains. “Alternatively, we’ve had customers who’ve flown to New York for the shopping and sail back as they can bring as much as they want.”

Swap Blighty for Barbados – for £1,129

The Caribbean is another region that comes up trumps for value, with P&O Cruises offering a two-week repositioning voyage from Southampton to Barbados (with stops in Antigua, St Kitts and St Lucia) from £1,129. This price is for an October 18 departure, and includes the flight back to Britain. 

A return fare to Barbados with British Airways (including luggage) during the same period is £733pp. Inter-island flights with Caribbean Airlines (caribbean-airlines.com) between Barbados and other islands in this itinerary amount to approximately £714pp. Add in hotel stays and it’s clear just how much you can save by taking to the water. 

Going global

Miles Morgan, the founder of Miles Morgan Travel, cited world cruises as another option for good-value deals, when cruise companies carve itineraries into segments if they haven’t been selling well, enabling customers to buy legs such as Sydney to Singapore.

“You need to look at sailings a few months in advance, as this is when they tend to be carved up,” he says. “So look now for autumn sailings and at Christmas for the spring. There might be nothing going or you might do well.”

I soon found a 17-night sector of a world cruise on Cunard’s Queen Victoria, departing Singapore on March 26 and arriving in Cape Town on April 12. It calls at Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Port Elizabeth in South Africa. From £1,099pp, not including flights, it works out at £64pp a night – about the same as a Travelodge. 

Flights for the same routing between Singapore and Cape Town for the same time period via Skyscanner amount to approximately £1,150pp, including luggage. Another win for the cruise. 

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