Virginia López Valiente
Managing Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine
Who has to make the decision to lift the ban on cruise ships in our ports? Don't think I'm ignorant; I know that the Ministry of Transport, which ordered it, is the one that has to lift the ban. But that same ministry created a chapter of exceptions that has allowed cruise ships to dock in the Canary Islands but not in the rest of Spain.
I suppose that by now we all understand that cruises are not the usual means of passenger transport; that is, nobody hires a cruise to go from an origin point to a destination point, like on a plane, ferry or train, all of which are authorized means of transport to, through, from and to Spain.
Cruise ships are vacation destinations that move, yes, floating hotels or even resorts where guests enjoy their private rooms, restaurants, bars, sports areas, hairdressers and many more activities, all of which are authorized to open in Spain, with very diverse restrictions and protocols that are not standardized as a whole.
So why are cruises still prohibited? I can think of many reasons, all of them easily refuted and based on ignorance and a lack of will.
Let's look at the data. Shipping companies have developed safety protocols based on science and the safety of passengers, workers, and the ports or destinations they visit, not on economics or profit margins. It's easy to understand that the current operations aren't profitable. Ships are already operating in some parts of the world, and sufficient data has been collected to prove the effectiveness of their protocols. These protocols have been reviewed and aligned with those of the authorities in the destinations and ports where they dock, including the Canary Islands.
It seems that in certain offices, talking about allowing cruise ships is like talking about UFO sightings, but those who have to make decisions based on evidence and science cannot ignore the data, if it has been collected and there is a willingness to analyze it.
Who needs to provide this data to finally create a procedural framework? Get moving now! And stop looking the other way.
MSC Cruises has sailed along the Italian and Maltese coasts with a total of 50,000 passengers, and TUI Cruises has operated several ships in the Canary Islands and Greece, with more than 70,000 passengers; both offered bubble excursions. Other cruise lines that have sailed include Costa Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd, AIDA Cruises, and Royal Caribbean.
Asia is conducting its trial cruises, the Caribbean is launching cruises this summer, and Greece, Cyprus, and Croatia, along with Israel, have taken the lead, causing Spain and the Western Mediterranean to lose competitiveness. The "save the summer" slogan championed by the authorities is leaving an entire sector, including large companies, SMEs, and employees, both salaried and self-employed, high and dry. Spain is a cruise powerhouse; it is the second most popular cruise destination in Europe, which is itself the second most popular cruise destination in the world; Spain is also the fourth largest source of cruise passengers in Europe; Barcelona is the most important cruise hub in Europe; Spanish travel agents need more products to sell; we are a global tourism powerhouse; and the cruise sector generates millions of euros and employs guides, logistics companies, transport providers, tour operators, shipping agents, retailers, restaurants, taxi drivers, and suppliers of all kinds. Because we are a country with a unique and special characteristic that makes us a preferred choice, having more than 30 cruise ports in our territory, because it has been shown that cruises are safe, and because if analyzed, it can be stated categorically that there are no objective reasons not to authorize cruises in Spain.
If we don't have cruises this summer and it will be the second summer, the damage will be irreparable.
