The ship 'AMERA', consigned by PEREZ & CIA and owned by the shipping company Phoenix Reisen, will dock next Saturday at the Port of Santander with 617 cruise passengers on board. This will be the first stop of a cruise ship at the Cantabrian infrastructure since the end of 2019, when the campaign in the Autonomous Community ended, which overlapped with the start of the health crisis in March 2020.
The Minister of Industry, Tourism, Innovation, Transport and Trade, Javier López Marcano, and the President of the Port Authority of Santander, Francisco Martín, highlighted this morning the importance of this ship since, “after 19 months without receiving ships of this type”, the arrival of the AMERA represents “another step in the return to normality of an important industry for the hospitality and commerce of Santander that extends, through excursions, to other points of the Autonomous Community”.
Martín also pointed out that both crew and passengers will visit the city with all the necessary health measures in place, so the people of Cantabria "can rest assured".
The head of the Port Authority also referred to the support the port receives from both the regional government and the City Council at all stops to guarantee "top quality" to the cruise ship , "which constitutes a clear example of institutional collaboration."
López Marcano, for his part, recalled that cruise tourism is one of the Cantabrian Government's bets as a source of tourist arrivals and, especially, of "high-quality tourism with high purchasing power".
For López Marcano, cruise tourism is also a way to "diversify and deseasonalize tourism" and the arrival of a cruise ship means "energy and activity" for many services related to the sector.
The cruise ship, which measures 205 meters in length, will enter the port at nine in the morning, coming from Ferrol and is scheduled to leave at five in the afternoon bound for the port of Le Verdon (Bordeaux).
Of the 617 cruise passengers, mostly German, 195 will take a panoramic city tour to see its main attractions, while 136 will enjoy a combined tour of Santillana del Mar and Santander. There will also be 460 crew members on board the ship.
To celebrate the arrival of this first cruise ship to Cantabria after the pandemic, the authorities will present a commemorative plaque to the ship's captain next Saturday.
On the other hand, two new cruise ships are expected to visit the port facilities in the remainder of the year, although the number may increase as shipping companies are still confirming itineraries.
