The vice president for Southern Europe of MSC Cruises, Leonardo Massa, has confirmed that the capital of Lanzarote will premiere a base for its cruises in the Atlantic this winter. This company, among the large shipping companies specialized in tourist cruises, is already marketing cruises with a base port in Arrecife for the years 2026 and 2027.
According to this schedule, MSC will assign, among others, the mega cruise ship MSC Fantasia: luxury that combines comfort and adventure. MSC Fantasia is a luxury ship designed to offer its passengers a unique and memorable experience, and whose passengers will now be able to combine stays on the island of Lanzarote with their circuit through the Atlantic.
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, a member of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, celebrates this election by MSC Cruises to open a base on the island of Lanzarote from this coming winter. For the mayor, the opening of the two new cruise terminals in Los Mármoles, and Puerto de Naos (Cruise dock) "makes it possible for Arrecife and Lanzarote to continue being a great destination for tourist circuits." The mayor has confirmed that the company that has been granted the concession for these passenger terminals in the cruise area will inaugurate these facilities on May 20.
During the past 2024, Arrecife exceeded the figure of more than 610,000 passengers on tourist cruises, contributing nearly 35% of the volume of passengers received by the State port network in the province of Las Palmas.
Municipal strategy of Arrecife to be a base port
This business confirmation from MSC Cruises supports the strategy promoted during this term by the Municipal Government led by Mayor Yonathan de León, where through the Department of Tourism and Commerce, led by Eli Merino, "they have been working closely with the shipping companies, and the company that has been granted the concession for the passenger terminals in Arrecife, to make the capital of Lanzarote a base port."
During last fall, and coinciding with the celebration of the WTM Tourism Fair in London, the mayor and the councilor for Tourism had several working meetings to promote Arrecife among tourist shipping companies.
"Being a base port for a cruise company makes it possible to have a greater spending capacity at the destination for tourists traveling on those cruises, expanding the portfolio of companies that will benefit from these new tourist services," they conclude from the City Council.
