Early this morning, the Mein Schiff 2 entered the Port of Valencia through its northern entrance, escorted and greeted by water cannons from two Boluda Towage Spain tugboats. It was the first cruise ship to arrive in Valencia after a 15-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 800 tourists, primarily German, were welcomed with Valencian music such as "Paquito El Chocolatero" and paso doble songs.
With the arrival of the TUI cruise ship, the port of Valencia resumes cruise activity. This cruise ship, which follows a peninsular itinerary with stops only at Spanish ports, arrives from Alicante and will depart late this afternoon from Cruise Terminal 1 for its next destination.
COVID-19 health and safety protocols require strict control over passenger movement and interactions. Since early this morning, passengers have been disembarking in stages to participate in pre-booked excursions. Francesca Antonelli, head of cruises at the Port Authority of Valencia (APV), explained that “the safety of both residents and tourists is currently the top priority for these excursions undertaken by passengers of this first cruise ship to arrive in Valencia. All stakeholders must evaluate these initial pilot programs, ensuring the traceability of tourists within these 'bubble groups' on pre-arranged excursions to comply with all COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Passengers are not permitted to disembark independently. As the pandemic continues to improve, the situation will gradually return to normal.”.
After disembarking to music, the cruise passengers traveled in groups by bus (at half capacity) to their excursions around the city and its surroundings. These pre-arranged visits were conducted with a guide at all times and followed a plan to ensure compliance with safety measures. Currently, passengers are not permitted to disembark independently. On this first cruise stop since the COVID-19 shutdown, the passengers visited several points of interest in the city of Valencia (the historic center, the river parks and nurseries, as well as the City of Arts and Sciences), while other groups explored the Albufera Natural Park, enjoyed an adventure in Chulilla, or visited the Caves of Sant Josep in La Vall d'Uixó.
The Port Authority of Valencia's cruise division has reiterated that prior to the arrival of the Mein Schiff 2, the TUI cruise line complied with the safety and prevention measures outlined in the "COVID-19 Control and Prevention Protocol for Cruise Ships Docking in Ports of the Valencian Community," established by the Valencian Ministry of Health. Furthermore, for this cruise operation, all the companies involved (the Port Authority, the shipping agents Intercruises and Erhardt in Valencia, the Trasmediterránea terminal, and the tour operator Intercruises), the Valencian Ministry of Health, and tourism promotion agencies have worked intensively to guarantee safety.
Therefore, a diverse range of tourist activities has been developed within the city and its surroundings, including "bubble" excursions. These are guided tours in small groups, emphasizing outdoor experiences. At all times, until the epidemiological situation improves and health protocols indicate otherwise, the priority is to limit interaction with the local population to minimize the risk of infection. Consequently, the itineraries of these first passengers arriving in Valencia will be limited to the plans designed by the companies in collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia (APV).
The reopening of the cruise sector was eagerly awaited by everyone involved in this industry, which is expected to progress positively in the coming months. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) anticipates that international cruises will resume in the Port of Valencia in July. Currently, cruise lines are reorganizing their routes and submitting their health and safety protocols to destinations. For now, the Port of Valencia will welcome back the Mein Schiff 2 on July 11th.
