Record day for the port of Olbia with eight ferries and three cruise ships in transit

Monday 3 June 2024

From Golfo Aranci to Olbia the great spectacle of the giants of the sea which occupied the curiosity of tourists and residents throughout the day with arrivals and departures.

OLBIA. Yesterday, June 2, was a record day for the port of Olbia, with the arrival of three cruise ships and eight large ferries, for a total of around 15 thousand passengers. The cruise ships Seven Seas Voyager, Azamara Pursuit and MSC Orchestra docked at the docks of the White Island carrying around 4 thousand cruise passengers of various nationalities, who chose to go on excursions to the Costa Smeralda, La Maddalena, the vineyards and archaeological monuments of Gallura , or to visit the city center.

Despite the exceptional turnout and the high number of embarkation and disembarkation operations, the port did not register any particular problems. Eight ships operated from early yesterday morning until 10pm, also using the docks of the industrial port of Cocciani to optimize operations and minimize inconvenience for passengers on foot, thanks to a free shuttle bus service.

During the hours of least traffic, the Port System Authority (AdSP) carried out maintenance interventions on the seabed of the port to resolve some critical issues, while waiting to obtain the necessary permits for a larger dredging project which will restore the depth of the basin port at the required levels.

«Today, with three large cruise ships moored at the same time and the presence of 8 ferries arriving and departing, is the first real record day for the Isola Bianca port since 2008 – explains Massimo Deiana, President of the AdSP of Sardinian Sea – A historic performance, made more complex by the presence of the latest generation maxi ferries, which required extraordinary work from all the AdSP staff, the Maritime Directorate of Olbia, the Pilots, the Tugmen and the Moorers , to whom I extend my particular thanks for their commitment and great professionalism. Despite some physiological problems, such as the continuous movement of muddy material in the seabed, for which, within our competence and within the limits set by the law, we have put in place immediate solutions, the port of Olbia is therefore in good health. The hope is that results like today’s can leave their mark and overcome the sterile controversies and reckless considerations that risk generating unnecessary alarmism to the detriment of the airport’s excellent reputation at an international level.”