The Port of Barcelona has worked with shipping companies and other agents in the cruise sector to have a phased, sustainable and, above all, safe resumption of activity, both for crews, passengers, workers in the Port Community and for the citizens of Barcelona.
The cruise lines that regularly operate in the Port of Barcelona will begin arriving gradually, with MSC Cruises and its MSC Grandiosa inaugurating the season. Subsequently, the arrival of TUI's Mein Schiff 2 is scheduled for June 29; Costa Cruises' Costa Smeralda on July 5; and Aida Cruises' AidaPerla on July 9. Ships from American lines will not begin arriving until August. The first will be Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas on the 15th of that month. The arrival of the American lines will facilitate the normalization of flights to the United States from Barcelona-El Prat Airport, connections that were suspended due to the pandemic.
“As the Port Authority, we are aware of our responsibility to guarantee public health. Therefore, we believed that the resumption of activity had to take place when infection and vaccination rates in Spain allowed it,” explains Carla Salvadó, Deputy General Manager of Commercial and Marketing at the Port of Barcelona. Regarding the projected number of port calls for the season, “we cannot yet provide a specific figure because we are currently still working with shipping companies to gradually introduce vessels. And we have worked to bring the least polluting ships currently sailing to the Port of Barcelona,” adds the Port Authority executive.
Regarding the health measures implemented by the cruise industry, ports, cruise terminals, and shipping companies have worked for months to establish protocols with the highest standards for the safety of passengers, crew, and, of course, city residents. From the Port of Barcelona and its terminals, “the work done so far allows us to guarantee the safety of passengers, crew, port workers, and citizens from a health perspective. But it also guarantees that ship operations, despite the new protocols, will be efficient and that the infrastructure and services will function perfectly,” notes Carla Salvadó.
The protocol that the Port of Barcelona will follow is the one agreed upon by the Spanish Ministry of Health's External Health Service. In addition to basic hygiene measures, such as the use of face masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing, cruise lines are required to provide information about their health plan, approved by the flag state, and guarantee its implementation. This includes specific information about the ship's medical resources and onboard diagnostic capabilities, as well as information about the cruise line's procedures prior to passenger embarkation, among other details.
The shipping company is also required to provide insurance for passengers and crew that will cover all accommodation, food, and medical expenses for asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19 who do not require hospitalization. This also applies to close contacts who must quarantine, and to hospitalization for positive COVID-19 cases where necessary. This coverage includes all transportation needs, including medical air transfers and repatriation if required, and guarantees that the public healthcare system will not be overwhelmed.
This was explained by Fernando Pacheco, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in Spain, who also emphasized that the MSC Grandiosa “is one of the most modern and environmentally advanced ships in our fleet.” Pacheco explained that the MSC Seashore is scheduled to leave the shipyard at the end of July and that this ship, the most technologically advanced in the fleet, will be based in Barcelona at the beginning of August to begin its Mediterranean cruises.
The terminals also have their own health and safety measures in place for passengers, as well as protocols for disinfecting luggage and facilities after each operation. Ventilation, disinfection, and the proper flow of passengers will be key to the process.
During the months that cruise activity has been suspended, the Port of Barcelona has not stopped, taking advantage of the downtime to carry out improvement works in the Adossat Wharf area designated for this traffic. Work has also been done to improve accessibility to the area. Regarding the expansion of the Adossat Wharf, between February 2020 and April 2021, the consolidation of the third phase was completed, enabling the construction of the new cruise terminal awarded to MSC at the last Port Authority Board meeting.
The cruise ships arriving this year will provide a significant boost to the recovery of a sector that has suffered a tremendous crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This industry employs more than 9,000 people in Barcelona and generates €1.083 billion in revenue annually in Catalonia.
