The Port Authority of Ceuta reports the arrival of the ship 'Clio', handled by the company Salama y Cía., which was docked between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. at the Muelle España (east side). The cruise ship arrived in Ceuta from the port of Seville and departed for the port of Gibraltar.
This cruise ship, smaller than those that usually dock in our port, is the first to arrive in Ceuta after more than 16 months of interruption to this type of cruise ship traffic due to the pandemic. This is the first of three calls that Grand Circle Line has planned, as the port of Ceuta is included in its cruise itineraries. Three more calls from other cruise lines are scheduled, bringing the total to six between now and the end of the year.
The cruise ship 'Clio', with a length of 100 m and a draft of 3.2 m, is of small dimensions, although it is still significant that it adds two more stops in the port of Ceuta to be made this same year, on October 10 and 18.
The 'Clío' cruise ship has a capacity for approximately 100 tourists, mostly Portuguese and American, and around 50 crew members of various nationalities. They had the opportunity to take some of the usual tourist excursions around Ceuta and do some shopping during their stay in the city. From 8:30 a.m., tourists were able to disembark the cruise ship, either independently or to take bus excursions organized by Tourist Services, which did not have its usual information point as a precaution against the pandemic.
Preventive measures against Covid-19 require this cruise ship to operate at only 70% capacity. For this reason, although it departed from our city at 11:30 p.m., passengers had to be back on board by 9:00 p.m. at the latest.
This ship follows the following itinerary, departing from Portimao (Portugal) on September 24, stopping in Seville, Ceuta, Gibraltar, Malaga, Cartagena, Valencia and Barcelona, where the 'Clio' journey ends on October 3, when it makes the return journey, so it will visit our port again on October 10.
As is traditional, given that it was the cruise ship's first visit, a commemorative plaque was presented to the cruise ship's captain, a brief meeting at the docking pier, as a preventive measure against COVID in outdoor spaces.
The arrival of this new cruise ship confirms good news for the port, as cruises are beginning to return to some semblance of normality, making port calls as demonstrated by the arrival of the 'Clio'. This normality is also being seen in other ports such as Malaga and Barcelona. It is also the positive result of the commercial efforts undertaken by the Port Authority in conjunction with Ceuta Tourism Services, including participation in international contracting forums and associations to promote this type of traffic, as well as the investments made in the Muelle España (Spain Dock) to accommodate these ships and welcome their passengers, who will pass through our city during their stay, benefiting its tourism and economic sectors.
