British cruise line Thomson Cruises chose the Port of Malaga to celebrate the christening of its new ship, the 'TUI Discovery 2'. This unique event in the city underscores the cruise line's commitment to the port, which will be making regular homeport calls for the second consecutive year during the summer season.
Specifically, the 'TUI Discovery 2', which is visiting the port for the first time, will make 21 home port calls from May 14 to September 24, which will involve a movement of 72,000 passengers during this period, increasing this figure by 28.5% compared to the previous year.
The ship, from the Cadiz shipyard, arrived at 6:00 a.m. and docked at Cruise Terminal A, where it remained until 11:00 p.m. After the event, it began a short itinerary for company personnel and industry professionals before starting its inaugural voyage on May 14, which includes destinations such as Barcelona, Valencia, Ibiza, Porto, Lisbon, and Marseille.
To mark this inaugural port call and the company's commitment to Málaga, the ship's captain welcomed a delegation comprised of representatives from the port and the destination, including the Port Authority, the Málaga City Council's Tourism Department, Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning, the Andalusian Regional Government's Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Government Delegation in Málaga, Cruceros Málaga, and Destination Services Spain (the ship's agent). During the meeting on board, the traditional exchange of commemorative plaques took place, with the participation of the delegation, the ship's captain, and the crew.
Subsequently, the British company proceeded with the christening of its new ship, with members of the crew serving as godmothers. Rechelle de la Vega and Cecily May performed the honors during a ceremony held at the North Berth, attended by company members. The event was also broadcast live to the approximately 1,000 guests on board, including representatives, employees, and partners of the shipping company.
This ship, acquired and refurbished by Thomson Cruises, is 264 meters long and has a maximum capacity of 1,800 passengers. Thomson Cruises, which primarily serves the British and Irish markets, plans to make a total of 44 port calls this year, which will result in approximately 132,000 passengers, based on the ships' maximum capacity. This figure represents a 74% increase in the number of cruise passengers compared to the previous year.
Of the total number of stops, it is worth noting that 36 will be based in Malaga through the ships 'TUI Discovery 2', 'Thomson Celebration', 'Thomson Dream' and 'Thomson Majesty'.
