ODYBOAT Cruise Flow
Port call observatory

What we really know about the cruise port call

We read international research on flows, spending, mobility and governance in cruise ports. Every summary gives the full reference and a link to the original study.

39studies
113places
8themes

Case studies worldwide

Each dot is a place analysed in a study. Select it to open the summary.

Juneau — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Ketchikan — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Seward — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Whittier — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Vancouver — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Victoria — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Prince Rupert — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Seattle — Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Broome — What cruise calls bring to small local businesses San Antonio — What cruise calls bring to small local businesses Keelung — What cruise calls bring to small local businesses Alotau — What cruise calls bring to small local businesses Callao — What cruise calls bring to small local businesses Barcellona — How cruise passengers walk in Barcelona Barcellona — Shore excursions and crowding in Barcelona and Valencia Valencia — Shore excursions and crowding in Barcelona and Valencia Montserrat — Shore excursions and crowding in Barcelona and Valencia Berlino — Personalised sightseeing itineraries computed in seconds Unione europea / Spazio economico europeo — A common European data space for tourism St. Maarten — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Bahamas (Nassau e Freeport) — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Cozumel — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Isole Vergini americane — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Isole Cayman — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Giamaica — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean San Juan — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Cartagena — How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Santa Cruz de Tenerife — The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries Las Palmas de Gran Canaria — The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries Arrecife (Lanzarote) — The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura) — The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries Santa Cruz de La Palma — The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries San Sebastián de La Gomera — The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries Caraibi/Bahamas/Bermuda — The global cruise market in 2024-2025 Mediterraneo — The global cruise market in 2024-2025 Stati Uniti — The global cruise market in 2024-2025 Europa — The global cruise market in 2024-2025 Copenaghen — Stops and spending of cruise visitors in Copenhagen Porto di Barcellona — Digital twins: where port authorities start Anversa-Bruges — Digital twins: where port authorities start Rotterdam — Digital twins: where port authorities start Amburgo — Digital twins: where port authorities start Livorno — Digital twins: where port authorities start Busan — Digital twins: where port authorities start Singapore — Digital twins: where port authorities start Sei porti RoPax anonimi in quattro paesi del Nord Europa (area baltica) — Digitalisation and business models in ferry ports Mar dei Caraibi — Cruise lines sell itineraries, not destinations Mar Mediterraneo — Cruise lines sell itineraries, not destinations Fukuoka — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Hakodate — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Hiroshima — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Ishigaki — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Kagoshima — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Miyako — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Nagasaki — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Naha — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Osaka — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Shimonoseki — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Sakaiminato — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Shimizu (Shizuoka) — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Yokohama — Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Ho Chi Minh City — Ports far from the city in Ho Chi Minh City Porto di Phu My — Ports far from the city in Ho Chi Minh City Porto di Hiep Phuoc — Ports far from the city in Ho Chi Minh City Venezia — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Barcellona — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Napoli — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Marsiglia — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Santorini — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Dubrovnik — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots La Valletta — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Mykonos — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Palma di Maiorca — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Atene — Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Venezia — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites La Spezia — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Livorno — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Civitavecchia — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Genova — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Savona — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Napoli — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Palermo — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Barcellona — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Palma di Maiorca — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Marsiglia — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Dubrovnik — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Corfù — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Pireo — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Mykonos — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites La Valletta — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Kuşadası — By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Palermo — Open GPS data on cruise visitors in Palermo Limassol — Four governance models for cruise ports Baia di Suruga (Shimizu, Tagonoura, Omaezaki) — Four governance models for cruise ports Lisbona — How the port shapes cruise visits in Lisbon and Livorno Livorno — How the port shapes cruise visits in Lisbon and Livorno Porto di Valencia — Sharing data among port actors in Valencia Mediterraneo (caso di riferimento: Barcellona) — A network governance model for cruise destinations Comunità Valenciana (Rete delle Destinazioni Turistiche Intelligenti) — Open data in Valencian smart tourism destinations Aalborg — Smart tourism practices in European cities Aarhus — Smart tourism practices in European cities Siviglia — Smart tourism practices in European cities Pafos — Smart tourism practices in European cities Antalya — Smart tourism practices in European cities Szeged — Smart tourism practices in European cities Alicante — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Almería — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Barcellona — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Malaga — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Palma di Maiorca — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Tarragona — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Valencia — Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Colombo — Shore excursion challenges in Sri Lanka Galle — Shore excursion challenges in Sri Lanka Pinnawala — Shore excursion challenges in Sri Lanka Kandy — Shore excursion challenges in Sri Lanka Barcellona — How European port cities can coexist with cruises Venezia — How European port cities can coexist with cruises Dubrovnik — How European port cities can coexist with cruises Lisbona — How European port cities can coexist with cruises Amsterdam — How European port cities can coexist with cruises Buenos Aires — Cruise ships and road congestion in South America Callao — Cruise ships and road congestion in South America Cartagena — Cruise ships and road congestion in South America Montevideo — Cruise ships and road congestion in South America Rio de Janeiro — Cruise ships and road congestion in South America Sydney — Where cruise passengers go after disembarking in Sydney Tasmania (Hobart) — Tracking tourists with smartphone GPS Trieste — Sustainable mobility for cruise passengers in Trieste Valencia (Calle del Miguelete, centro storico) — Measuring crowding on a historic street in Valencia Valencia — How cruise visitors move and spend in Valencia Port Vila — The economic impact of cruises in Vanuatu Luganville — The economic impact of cruises in Vanuatu Mystery Island — The economic impact of cruises in Vanuatu Venezia (Stazione Marittima) — Cruise tourism and urban development in Venice Visby (Gotland) — Cruise visitor patterns in Visby
Spending and impactFlows and trackingMobility and transportOvercrowdingPort-city governanceData and digitalPassenger experienceMarket
Dossiers

Five questions, several studies compared

Spending and impact · 7 studies What stays ashore Cruise passenger spending is the most quoted argument in any debate about port calls. But how much do passengers really spend, and what drives it? We compared seven studies, from Copenhagen to the Caribbean. €56 / €28 Average and median onshore spending reported by cruise passengers interviewed in Copenhagen (2018–2019). Read the dossier → Flows and tracking · 6 studies Where cruise passengers go GPS has made visible what could once only be estimated: how far cruise passengers go, for how long and by what means. Six studies, from Barcelona to Sydney, describe a short visit, on foot and close to the port. Mobility and transport · 6 studies From quay to city The first kilometre decides much of the visit: how far the terminal is, what transport exists, when ships arrive. Five studies, from the Mediterranean to South America and Vietnam, measure how calls weigh on traffic and transport. Overcrowding · 7 studies Crowding and carrying capacity The problem is rarely the annual number of cruise passengers: it is how many people are in the same place at the same time. Five studies explain where concentration comes from and what tools exist to manage it. Data and digital · 7 studies Port and city: shared data Everyone wants real-time flow data, but few publish it and hardly anyone exchanges it. Six studies, from port governance to European data spaces, explain why ship, port and city struggle to work from the same information.
Archive

All studies

Digital twins: where port authorities start Barcelona · 2026 The study identifies 80 possible digital twin applications for a port authority and proposes a method for choosing among them by weighing expected benefits against required resources. Data and digital Open data in Valencian smart tourism destinations Valencian Community · 2026 Of the responding destinations, 67.2% publish no open tourism data; according to their managers, the main obstacles are lack of budget and technical capacity. Data and digital Accessible cruising: the Carnival case Conceptual study · 2025 According to the analysis, based on information published by the company, the main accessibility gaps lie ashore, in excursions usable by people with disabilities. Passenger experience How cruise passengers walk in Barcelona Barcelona · 2025 For the typical independent cruise passenger in the sample, 47.6% of the time spent away from the port is on foot (median value from GPS tracking). Flows and tracking Open GPS data on cruise visitors in Palermo Palermo · 2025 The public dataset contains 162 GPS routes of independent cruise visitors in Palermo, with visits of a few hours mostly within a few kilometres of the starting point. Data and digital Ports far from the city in Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City · 2025 According to the operators interviewed, ports far from the centre, such as Phu My at 65 km, cut into visiting time; fragmented responsibilities are also a barrier. Mobility and transport The global cruise market in 2024-2025 Worldwide · 2025 According to figures released by the industry association, ocean cruise passengers worldwide numbered 34.6 million in 2024, up from 2023. Market The port of call and word of mouth in the Canaries Canary Islands · 2025 Better ratings of services, organisation and arrival information at Canary Islands ports are associated with a higher stated willingness to recommend the cruise (average 4.68 out of 5). Passenger experience Measuring crowding on a historic street in Valencia Valencia · 2024 A camera with automatic counting on a street next to the cathedral shows that, on the days analysed, comfort thresholds are exceeded in step with local calendar events. Overcrowding A common European data space for tourism Europe · 2023 The draft proposes shared rules for exchanging tourism data and finds that only 18.4% of the sources catalogued can be accessed remotely. Data and digital A ladder of measures against overcrowding Conceptual study · 2023 The model, not yet tested in the field, ranks five types of intervention, from information to closing access, by visitor pressure and visitors' willingness to change plans. Overcrowding Crowding and the wish to return to Mediterranean hotspots Mediterranean · 2023 In the online sample, mostly not cruise passengers, those who perceive more crowding and less authenticity report lower satisfaction and less willingness to return. Overcrowding Cruise visitor patterns in Visby Visby · 2023 In a thesis based on GPS tracks, cruise visitors spend on average about 4.8 hours in Visby and move mostly within the town walls; those with less time explore less. Flows and tracking Cruise visitors' intentions and behaviour in Japan Japan · 2023 Four years after the visit, few respondents say they have returned, while 96.1% say they have talked about it with others: stated intention to return is a weak indicator. Passenger experience Smart tourism practices in European cities Europe · 2023 The report gathers practices as declared by 29 candidate cities for the European title, without independent checking; spreading tourist flows appears in only one case. Data and digital Cruise ships and road congestion in South America South America · 2022 According to the econometric model, each cruise ship arriving or departing is associated on average with a rise in congestion of roughly 12% in the areas near the terminal. Mobility and transport Cruises and urban mobility in Mediterranean Spain Mediterranean Spain · 2022 Where public transport is well developed, as in Barcelona, cruise passengers' estimated trips weigh little on metropolitan mobility; in Palma, with about five cruise passengers a year per resident, they weigh more. Mobility and transport Stops and spending of cruise visitors in Copenhagen Copenhagen · 2022 Cruise visitors' self-reported spending depends more on how they visit than on who they are: making at least one stop of over 40 minutes is linked to much higher odds of spending. Spending and impact Where cruise passengers go after disembarking in Sydney Sydney · 2022 In a small preliminary sample, Australians from elsewhere travelled on average much farther from the terminal (about 143 km) than international passengers, who stayed near the port. Flows and tracking Four governance models for cruise ports Conceptual study · 2021 A systematic literature review, based on a very small body of studies, distinguishes four cruise port governance models, from an entrepreneurial port authority to a private terminal operator. Port-city governance How European port cities can coexist with cruises Europe · 2021 An analysis of policies in Barcelona, Venice, Dubrovnik, Lisbon and Amsterdam identifies five strategies to be combined, starting with knowing how cruise passengers move. Port-city governance How cruise visitors move and spend in Valencia Valencia · 2021 In this sample, reported spending averaged about €36 per person and tended to be higher among those visiting the city independently and staying longer ashore. Spending and impact Personalised sightseeing itineraries computed in seconds Berlin · 2020 In tests on Berlin, iterated local search proposes an itinerary in about 1.5 seconds, although fast methods may fall short of the best solution. Mobility and transport Sharing data among port actors in Valencia Valencia · 2020 A prototype tested on container traffic at the Port of Valencia shows that port actors can share data while keeping control over it, and derive four operational indicators from it. Data and digital What cruise calls bring to small local businesses Asia-Pacific region · 2020 In the authors' hypothetical scenarios, direct spending per call varies by more than an order of magnitude depending on port type, ship size and embarkations. Spending and impact A network governance model for cruise destinations Conceptual study · 2019 A conceptual paper, not empirically tested, proposes managing cruise flows through network governance built on collaboration and data exchange between port, city and operators. Data and digital How the port shapes cruise visits in Lisbon and Livorno Lisbon and Livorno · 2019 In Livorno about 90% of cruise excursions head to Florence, Pisa and Lucca, while in Lisbon cruise visitors mainly tour the city: the port's role shapes where visitors go. Port-city governance Shore excursions and crowding in Barcelona and Valencia Barcelona and Valencia · 2019 Based on what is offered, roughly 85 out of 100 excursions sold by cruise lines include a stop in the port city, helping to concentrate flows in the centres. Overcrowding Tracking tourists with smartphone GPS Tasmania · 2017 Experience from a large study in Tasmania indicates that GPS tracking yields detailed movement data, but survey participation falls as the trip goes on, down to 28.2% for the final survey. Flows and tracking Cruise tourism and urban development in Venice Venice · 2016 According to the report, cruises make a modest contribution to urban congestion in Venice; the main pressure points are days with several ships in port and moving transit passengers. Port-city governance Shore excursion challenges in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka · 2016 In a pilot study with few interviewees, local operators report coach convoys, crowded sites, shortages of guides and facilities, and a passenger berth too short for the largest ships. Passenger experience How much cruise visitors spend in the Caribbean Caribbean and Latin America · 2015 By the estimates of this industry-funded study, each passenger visit is worth an average of USD 103.83 in onshore spending, with wide differences between destinations. Spending and impact The economic impact of cruises in Vanuatu Vanuatu · 2014 According to the report's estimates, about 59% of cruise spending in Vanuatu feeds the local economy, with wide differences across sectors and stops. Spending and impact Cruise lines sell itineraries, not destinations Caribbean and Mediterranean · 2013 For cruise lines a port is a replaceable stop on the itinerary; in the Caribbean, for instance, time ashore averages 4.3 hours. Market By train and bus from ports to World Heritage Sites Mediterranean · year n/a Based on travel times estimated for 2015, only 54.70% of the World Heritage Sites considered can be reached by public transport within two hours of the terminal. Mobility and transport Cruising and sustainability along the Inland Passage Alaska and British Columbia · year n/a According to the chapter, which relies on secondary sources, in 2007 most cruise visitors stayed ashore just 4.1 hours on average, too little for local businesses. Port-city governance Digitalisation and business models in ferry ports Northern Europe · year n/a In the six ferry ports examined, the authors judge digitalisation to be fragmented, made up of short projects without a strategic vision and few new services. Data and digital Smart technologies in the cruise sector Conceptual study · year n/a According to a qualitative analysis still under review, cruise digital technologies become strategic tools only when integrated with each other and when ship, port and destination share data. Data and digital Sustainable mobility for cruise passengers in Trieste Trieste · year n/a Trieste introduced themed routes starting from the maritime station, bike sharing and a tourist app, but the effects on travel choices were not measured because of the pandemic. Mobility and transport