1 9 8 More than 145 ports from 22 countries joined 18 cruise lines in Costa Brava for the first in-person MedCruise General Assembly in more than two years in June 2022. Hugs, handshakes and abundant smiles marked the welcome return of this popular event, which comprised six main conference sessions and hundreds of business-to-business meetings. Cautious optimism was the overriding theme during the ‘Trends in the Med’ conference session, driven by growing occupancy rates, improving yields, recovering trust and efficient itineraries. The session focused on deployment, boutique ports, expedition cruising, filling ships and thematic cruises. Andrea Ferla, manager of destination experiences at Silversea Cruises, reported growing occupancy rates for Mediterranean cruises and Jacopo Pendola, director of itinerary planning at Costa Cruises, was similarly buoyed by the improving situation. Sander Groothuis, vice president of port operations and development at Carnival UK, also shared his optimism, saying: “In general, we’re back to the itineraries that we intended and it’s a great feeling.” He also remarked on the importance of trust, adding: “The confidence is back MEDITERRANEAN: REPORT Back together again MedCruise is a mighty force, driving the industry forward on many fronts. Jon Ingleton attended the 60th General Assembly in Costa Brava to report on the association’s current priorities Cruise guests can take a walk along the coastal path in Palamos
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