The Port of Vigo welcomed the inaugural call of the Marella Explorer, which arrived at the Transatlantic Pier at 6:00 a.m. from Southampton, UK. Its departure is scheduled for around 6:00 p.m. today, Monday, at which time it will set sail for Málaga. This extended stopover will give the 631 passengers on board, mostly British, and the 680 crew members the opportunity to explore Vigo and its port.
This is the second stop of a cruise ship hosted by the Port of Vigo, after the one made on August 21 by the luxurious Seadream I, the first passenger ship to visit the Maritime Station of the Port of Vigo after the year and a half stop forced by the pandemic.
As is customary in the Port of Vigo whenever a cruise ship docks for the first time at its piers, the president of the Vigo Port Authority, Jesús Vázquez Almuiña, wanted to personally greet the Captain at the foot of the pier, to whom he presented a commemorative plaque.
During the event, the port authority's top official had the opportunity to speak with Stephen James about the Port of Vigo, its services, and infrastructure. According to the Captain, this was his first time in Vigo commanding a passenger ship, although he was already familiar with the city and its port after participating in the 1998 Tall Ships' Races, a classic sailing competition for training vessels. Stephen James also emphasized the safety that a port like Vigo offers to a vessel of the Marella Explorer's characteristics, while expressing his satisfaction at being able to return to sailing the waters on a cruise ship after the forced hiatus due to the pandemic, with Vigo being the first port chosen on his route to southern Spain.
As with its first post-pandemic stop, the ship will operate at reduced capacity during its stay in Vigo, and all measures mandated by current health regulations will be in place. Furthermore, the Port Authority has a specific protocol for cruise ship calls, which includes procedures designed to promote active social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures, both inside the terminals and in the exterior access control areas, restricted areas, and passenger transit zones under its management. Additionally, and in accordance with regulations, a designated area has been set up for External Health personnel to conduct secondary health inspections or to manage any potential incidents that may require it.
Among the measures enacted by the Ministry of Health following the lifting of the ban on these types of port calls are strict health protocols that shipping companies must follow. These include a significant reduction in maximum onboard capacity, vaccination and/or PCR testing before boarding and repeat PCR or antigen tests during the itinerary, excursions in small groups (with the option of conducting them in a "bubble" environment to avoid contact with the local population and reduce the risk of infection), staggered meal times, boarding and disembarkation times, and so on. This demanding protocol aligns with European guidelines that many countries have used as a basis for establishing their own regulations.
The Marella Explorer will make another stop in Vigo on September 25, and three days later its twin, the Marella Explorer 2, will do so on September 28, coinciding in a double stop in Vigo with the inaugural stop of the P&O Iona.
