By
Rebecca Gibson |
Var-Provence expects to welcome 450,000 passengers and 300 cruise calls at its 12 cruise ports in 2016, including 41 in July and 40 in August.
The season, which started on 12 January with a call from Viking Cruise Line’s Viking Star in Toulon, will end on 29 December when Viking Sea calls in Toulon and AIDA Cruises’ AIDAstella overnights in La Seyne-sur-Mer.
July is expected to be the busiest month this year, with 14 cruise calls scheduled between 18 and 24 July alone. Other highlights of the month included an inaugural call from Thomson Cruises’ TUI Discovery in Toulon on 7 July, as well as a double call from Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Navigator and Seven Seas Explorer on 9 July. The latter was making her first call to France ahead of her 13 July christening in Monaco, which was presided over by her godmother HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco.
Seven Seas Explorer will make three consecutive calls at cruise ports in Var-Provence before the end of this month, including Saint-Raphaël on 19 July, Saint-Tropez on 21 July and Sanary 22 July.
The Ports of Toulon Bay also inaugurated its refurbished and modernised cruise terminal in Toulon city centre on 13 July.
“This inauguration echoes the one that took place in May, to officially present the brand new cruise terminal of La Seyne-sur-Mer,” said Laurence Cananzi, elected member of the Var Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and president of the Var Provence Cruise Club. “With the quality of its infrastructures the Ports of Toulon Bay are able to meet the needs of the cruise lines and to provide the guests with the best services”.