World’s first underground cruise terminal will open in 2020 and is already set to welcome over 50 ships
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Galataport Istanbul is to showcase the features of its new cruise port and the surrounding recreational area at Seatrade Cruise Global, which will take place in Miami, Florida from 8-11 April 2019.
Exhibiting in the Destination Area at Booth 731, Galataport Istanbul’s team will share plans for Galataport Istanbul Cruise Port, which is designed to accommodate three ships at the same time and handle an average of 15,000 cruise passengers per day. The port will have an underground cruise terminal for domestic and international tourists – a first for the cruise industry. There will also be an underground car park with capacity for around 2,300 vehicles, which will help to solve the current parking issues in Istanbul.
“Galataport Team cannot wait to welcome all the cruise executives and other key players in the industry to our booth so we can show what they can expect at the wonderful marquee destination of Istanbul from 2020,” said Figen Ayan, vice president of Cruise Operations. “We will also have an interactive wall so that visitors to our booth will be able to better understand how our revolutionary underground cruise port will operate.”
Galataport Istanbul Cruise Port is set to open in March 2020 has already secured calls for more than 50 cruise ships. They will be from major operators such as Celestyal Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Marella Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises and Windstar Cruises. The port also expects to host calls from another 50 smaller ships once they begin to return to Istanbul.
Designed as the “new landmark of the Bosphorus shore”, Galataport Istanbul Cruise Port will be part of a wider recreational area on the waterfront. Public spaces will be available for open-air exhibitions, art installations and other various cultural and social activities for cruise passengers, crew, other tourists and locals. Galataport also houses the İstanbul Modern Museum and the Painting and Sculpture Museum of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.
“Galataport Istanbul will be the new arts and culture centre of İstanbul – a destination within a destination,” said Erdem Tavas, CEO of Galataport Istanbul. “Galataport Istanbul is close to an international airport, is near plenty of hotels and when our new cruise terminal and waterfront area opens, all of the necessary facilities to berth ships, handle luggage and entertain passengers. This is why we believe Galataport Istanbul Cruise Port has great potential for being a stopover port.”