The Port of Barcelona recovers the route to Asia by cruise ship, which was interrupted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The shipping company responsible for the route is the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and its starting point will be the BEST terminal of the Port of Barcelona.
This route connects the Asian continent with the Mediterranean Sea.
As reported by BEST in a statement, the Dragon returns with a new weekly rotation connecting the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Singapore, Ashdod, Naples, La Spezia, Genoa, Fos sur Mer, Barcelona, King Abdullah, Singapore and Shanghai.
This route will be operated solely by MSC and will not have the MAERSK alliance as in previous years.
With the return of MSC’s Dragon service to the BEST terminal in the port of Barcelona, the fourth connection to Asia is incorporated, improving transit times for exports.
The reduction of stopovers en route to Asia from Barcelona has helped reduce transit time.
In fact, it has helped make the Dragon one of the most competitive containerized export shipping services from the Port of Barcelona to Shanghai thanks to the high speed of connection.
Resumption of the route to Asia from the Port of Barcelona
The return of the service comes at the beginning of this year 2023, following MSC’s decision to reintroduce the call at the BEST terminal in the port of Barcelona.
The service was previously offered with another mode of travel under the 2M alliance formed by MSC and Maersk (Dragon AE20 service).
The return service will now be operated solely by MSC.
Among the most notable changes compared to the service offered before the pandemic, is the elimination of the passage through the ports of Xiamen, Beirut, King Abdullah and Valencia. Ashdod and Naples have been added.
On the trip to Asia from Barcelona, only two stopovers were eliminated: Jebel Ali and Caliphate.
The return of the service has been welcomed by the Port of Barcelona and is expected to boost economic activity in the city.
In addition, the service is particularly interesting for the tourism sector, as it opens up new opportunities for travelers who want to explore Asia.
The second vessel of the service to complete the new route was the “MSC Vega”. This vessel operated in the Port of Barcelona on May 5.
This vessel has a capacity of 13,100 teus and is one of the largest in MSC’s fleet.
The return of the cruise route to Asia is good news for the Port of Barcelona and for the city as a whole.
It is a good option for travelers who want to explore Asia.
