Santander has already started its 2026 cruise season, welcoming the first call of the year in January and preparing for the next arrival scheduled for 17 March.
The season began on 21 January, when the Spirit of Discovery (236 m), operated by Saga Cruises, arrived from Portsmouth. The vessel, with capacity for 999 passengers, made an extended stay in Santander until 25 January at 23:10, allowing visitors several days to explore the city and the wider region of Cantabria.
Cruise activity will resume in the coming days. The next scheduled call will take place on 17 March, when the Ambition (216 m), operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, arrives from Lisbon carrying up to 1,428 passengers. The ship is expected to remain in port from 12:00 to 19:00.
Several further cruise ships are scheduled to visit Santander during the spring. On 10 April, the Ventura (288.6 m) from P&O Cruises (Carnival Group) will arrive from Southampton. With capacity for 3,300 passengers, it will be one of the largest vessels to call in the city during the first half of the year, docking between 09:00 and 21:00.
May will be the busiest month of the semester. The Spirit of Discovery will return to Santander on 4 May from Vigo, remaining in port from 08:00 to 17:00. This will be followed on 11 May by the Ambience (245.1 m), operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, arriving from Bilbao with capacity for 1,900 passengers and scheduled between 08:00 and 18:00.
Two vessels are expected on 19 May. The luxury cruise ship Silver Spirit (210.7 m), operated by Silversea, will arrive from Vigo and remain in port from 08:00 to 23:00. On the same day, the expedition vessel SH Diana (125 m) from Swan Hellenic will arrive from Gijón, carrying up to 192 passengers, with a scheduled stay from 08:00 to 18:00.
The first half of the year will conclude with two calls on 27 May. The expedition ship World Voyager (126 m), operated by Nicko Cruises / Atlas Ocean Voyages, will arrive from Lisbon between 12:00 and 13:00, while the Ventura will return to Santander later that day from Gijón, remaining in port from 08:00 to 17:00.
These cruise calls are expected to bring several thousand passengers to Santander during the first half of the year, further strengthening the city’s role as a cruise destination on the Atlantic coast.
