The Port of Motril is preparing for the return of international cruises, with the arrival of the Bolette on September 30th. This Fred Olsen Cruise Line ship will be making its maiden call at the port of Granada. This is one of nine scheduled arrivals for the last four months of the year, five of which are first-time calls, mostly from the luxury segment. In terms of numbers, a total of 7,842 passengers are expected from September to November aboard eight cruise lines. “We are very hopeful about the future because, with only a quarter of the season completed, we are just 1,500 passengers shy of matching the total for 2019,” stated the President of the Port Authority, José García Fuentes, during an online promotional event organized by Suncruise Andalucía, in which the Provincial Councils of Granada and Jaén also participated.
For the resumption of cruises, the Port has designed the project “Safe Terminals and COVID-Free Passenger Docks: Motril Port Check of Trust.” This protocol includes extraordinary safety measures, such as thermal imaging cameras, a medical service within the port staffed by a doctor and a nurse, equipped with primary care supplies, signage indicating passenger routes, and the disinfection of roads and public spaces within the port area, as has been the practice since the declaration of the health alert in March 2020. It also includes specific actions for operations at the docks where cruise ships berth (Dique and Poniente).
García Fuentes emphasized the port's location in the heart of the Costa Tropical, just three kilometers from the city of Motril, with excellent road connections and three airports within an hour's drive. "This allows cruise passengers to explore a fascinating, diverse, and comprehensive region: an unforgettable paradise," he stated. He added that the port's "unique strategy is linked to a destination that is not overcrowded, is sustainable, and offers high added value, based on excellence and immense resources.".
Another of the main strengths pointed out by the president of the Port Authority is the fact that Motril is the only port in Spain and probably the world where cruise passengers disembark in a tropical climate, with a ski resort just over an hour and 45 minutes from the Alhambra, one of the most visited monuments in the country
“In terms of travel time, we are the closest port to the destinations of Granada and Jaén compared to any other port, which translates into greater passenger comfort and a reduced carbon footprint.” Of the nine scheduled calls for the last four months of the year, five correspond to ships docking for the first time at the Port of Motril.
