The Costa Mágica, measuring 272 meters in length and over 102,000 gross tons, arrived in Palamós with 2,178 passengers, primarily French, Italian, and Swedish, along with approximately a thousand crew members. This call marked a new record for cruise passengers in a single tourist visit to the port.
The Italian company Costa Cruises, owner of the ship, also made its debut in Palamós that day. The cruise line had scheduled three calls during the 2015 season, a development that represented a significant step in incorporating the municipality into the itineraries of major Mediterranean cruise companies.
Initially scheduled for midday, the arrival was moved to the morning due to forecasts of strong winds (tramuntana) in the Gulf of Lion. The ship remained in port until early afternoon, having sailed from Gibraltar and bound for Marseille.
The arrival of over two thousand tourists in a few hours had a noticeable impact on the town's streets. Many passengers disembarked to explore the shopping center, restaurants, and take part in excursions programmed to various points along the Costa Brava. Ports de la Generalitat estimated an economic impact of around 115,000 euros.
Although the cruise ship Noordam (285 meters) had visited the port in 2010, its call was technical and without passengers. Therefore, the Costa Mágica was recognized as the largest tonnage cruise ship with a tourist call received in Palamós to date.
This call was part of a process initiated years earlier to establish Palamós as a cruise port. In the preceding five years, the municipality had received an average of about 34,000 cruise passengers annually, and the 2015 season concluded with a record 37 calls and approximately 40,800 passengers.
The Costa Mágica returned to Palamós on September 22, breaking its own record with 2,740 passengers, the highest figure recorded up to that point on the Costa Brava. In total, during 2015, it brought 7,170 passengers to the port.
The joint promotion by the Costa Brava Cruise Ports brand, involving Ports de la Generalitat, the Palamós Town Council, the Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board, and the Chamber of Commerce, was crucial in attracting new companies and increasing the number of port calls.
