THE world’s largest cruise ship has set sail from Malaga port after a spectacular firework send-off celebrating its departure.
The 250,000-tonne Legend of the Seas has set off on an exclusive, invitation-only four-night trip to Rome, from where it will begin its first commercial Mediterranean tour over the summer.
This tour will include a seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary, stopping at ports such as Naples, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and ports in the French Riviera.
The ship is operated by Royal Caribbean, and is the latest in the company’s record-breaking ‘Icon Class’, with a capacity of up to 7,600 passengers and a length of 365 metres.
“The arrival of the Legend of the Seas is fantastic news for the Costa del Sol because it reflects the continued confidence that major cruise lines have in our destination,” said Esperanza Gonzalez, CEO of Costa del Sol Tourism.
“Each new port call helps strengthen our international profile and allows us to showcase everything the province has to offer to thousands of visitors.”
Despite confidence in the ship from local officials, its departure has prompted mixed reactions on social media.
“This thing called Legend of the Seas is heading to Barcelona, coming from Málaga, where it will set off for Rome,” wrote one X user.
“Three cities with brutal tourist pressure that have their citizens between the sword and the wall.”
In Malaga, cruise traffic is said to have grown roughly 20% each year since 2024, according to local cruise port statistics.
This rise of cruise ship holidays across the Mediterranean has been strongly blamed for tourist overcrowding, prompting government responses in other port cities.
Just this year, the Palma de Mallorca government and Cruise Lines International Association renewed an agreement that allowed a maximum of 7,500 passengers to undock per day, in an attempt to control the daily flow of visitors.
Barcelona has also recently approved plans to triple the tourist tax on passengers to about 30€ a day, in a bid to discourage short stopovers and manage overcrowding in the historic centre.
While debate over the impact of large cruise ships continues, industry leaders say vessels like the Legend of the Seas remain central to the region’s tourism economy as it enters its first full season in service.
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