Haifa Opens NIS 16 Million Cruise Terminal for 2026 Season
The terminal opened before the May fourteen season start and includes twenty-eight border-control stations, with a design that can also serve a remote third berth.
Haifa Port Company has opened a new NIS 16 million cruise terminal at the Port of Haifa for the 2026 cruise season, adding facilities designed to handle two large cruise ships at the same time. The port says the terminal can process about one million passengers annually, roughly twice Israel’s previous peak year for cruise traffic.
The project is central to Haifa’s effort to rebuild cruise activity after several years of disruption tied to Israel’s security situation. The terminal opened before the season’s May 14 start. It is intended to support both homeport and port-of-call operations.
Terminal adds passenger-processing capacity
The upgraded facility includes new or expanded areas for duty-free retail, security screening, check-in and border control. Inside the roughly 5,500-square-meter terminal, the main passenger-processing spaces include about 1,300 square meters for security screening, 1,200 square meters for border control with 28 stations, 1,000 square meters for check-in and 600 square meters of duty-free retail.
The terminal was also designed to serve a remote third berth, giving Haifa added flexibility when multiple cruise calls are in port. Cruise-port guides list passenger amenities including a cafeteria, currency exchange, parking, bus terminal, duty-free shopping and free Wi-Fi.
Port officials look for cruise lines to return
“We are preparing for the return and growth of the cruise industry after several complex years,” said Zohar Rom, vice president of cruises at the Port of Haifa. “The new terminal will allow for the reception of two large ships at the same time and a significant upgrade of the passenger experience.”
Rom said the port expects international cruise companies to resume Israel operations “after the war period.” The company did not identify specific cruise lines or publish a 2026 call list in the terminal announcement.
“The Haifa Port Company and its owners are committed to continuing to promote cruise tourism in Israel, especially during a challenging security period,” said Captain Sumit Chauhan, president of the Port of Haifa.
Haifa Port Company has been controlled since Israel’s January 2023 privatization sale by a consortium in which Adani Ports holds 70% and Israel’s Gadot Group holds 30%.
Officials expect a gradual return
Port officials described summer 2026 as the beginning of a gradual return for cruise tourism in Israel.
