The Port of Cartagena welcomed its first international cruise ship of the post-COVID era this morning, the AIDA Perla, which arrived from Malaga on its Mediterranean itinerary. “This is the first of eight international calls in Cartagena that the AIDA cruise line will make between now and October, adding to the 33 cruise ships scheduled to arrive at the Port this year,” announced the president of the Cartagena Port Authority (APC), Yolanda Muñoz, at the welcoming ceremony held at the Cruise Terminal.
At the event, accompanied by the mayor of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo, the general director of Tourism Quality, Carlos Peñafiel, the deputy mayor, Manuel Padín, the councilor for Tourism, Cristina Pérez and the shipping agent Agencia Marítima Blázquez, a commemorative plaque was presented to the ship's captain, Boris Beker.
Muñoz said that “being a safe and responsible destination with port facilities and tourist centers with quality seals, as well as the confidence of shipping companies in the Port of Cartagena, has allowed us to bring forward the forecast of international cruises that we expected at the end of August, with the arrival today of the AIDA Perla with 1,445 passengers on board, given that there is a capacity limit of 50%.”.
Although this company had initially scheduled cruises to national ports, the opening of international cruises in Spain on June 7th led them to add Gibraltar to the initial itinerary through the Spanish Mediterranean with stops in Palma de Mallorca, Cadiz, Malaga and Barcelona.
This is the first international cruise ship to call at Cartagena after 16 months of this activity being paralyzed by the pandemic. “The cruise passengers disembarked as usual to enjoy the cultural offerings and experiences that Cartagena provides, following the concept of 'bubble groups' to comply with the health measures imposed by the cruise line to minimize the risk of contagion,” explained the president of the Cartagena Port Authority (APC).
From early morning, passengers disembarked in stages to visit the city on 16 buses with a total of 36 pre-arranged excursions. The tourists, mostly German, could choose between a package that included visits to the Roman Theatre, Torres Park, and a guided tour of the city in small, "bubble" groups of up to 29 passengers each, and three additional guided groups of 19 people each.
Noelia Arroyo emphasized that “Cartagena is a safe destination. We have all the necessary certifications to prove it, as well as clear protocols, trained staff, and safe corridors to prevent infections. We are a safe place, and our tourism resources are adapted to any level of health alert.”.
This has been confirmed by Carlos Peñafiel, “Cartagena has more than one hundred establishments adhering to the SICTED tourism quality system, and a safe port with a new seal, “Safe Tourism Certified”.
Yolanda Muñoz highlighted the commitment of the AIDA shipping company to the Port of Cartagena, which has doubled the number of calls in recent years, with more than 35,000 passengers on board 15 ships that called in 2019 and for this year has scheduled “calls every two weeks until October 20 with a hybrid ship that reduces CO2 emissions and saves fuel in a commitment to sustainability.
The AIDA Perla ship is the third cruise ship to call at Cartagena this year, after the docking of the first national cruise ship after the pandemic, on June 19 with the TUI shipping company through the 'Mein Schiff 2', which returned to the Port on July 3.
