The AIDAperla cruise ship docked in the Port of Valencia with 1,371 passengers on board, mostly German, who enjoyed several hours of bubble excursions in Valencia and its surroundings. This is the second cruise ship to make a stop in Valencia on a peninsular itinerary after 15 months of inactivity.
Around thirty buses departed on organized "bubble" excursions, following COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) and the cruise ship community have developed a diverse tourism offering within the city and its surroundings. These tours will be exclusively guided, with no option for passengers to disembark independently, and will feature small groups and more outdoor experiences. In addition to sightseeing tours of the city by panoramic bus, or outdoor routes through the Albufera Natural Park or the L'Horta region, these experiences also include destinations such as Requena, Sagunto, and Vall d'Uixó, among others.
The AIDAperla, which sails the Spanish Mediterranean on routes that began this July, has 18 decks and 1,643 cabins. It is a hybrid ship with a 10,000 kWh lithium-ion battery system. The battery allows for zero-emission operation while docked in ports and saves fuel by reducing peak consumption during hybrid operation at sea.
In this way, the Port of Valencia continues its phased resumption of cruise tourism in the city, following the arrival of the Mein Schiff 2 on June 27th, which will return on July 11th. This operation complies 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.
