The Marella Explorer 2 cruise ship, belonging to the British cruise line Marella Cruise and operated by TUI, has docked at the Port of Almería with nearly 400 passengers and over 660 crew members on board, all from the United Kingdom. The ship, which entered the port at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1st, is on a route that began in Newcastle, in northwest England, and is currently traveling along the entire Spanish coast. Its next port of call will be Cartagena.
As this was the ship's first visit to the Port, the President of the Port Authority of Almería, Jesús Caicedo, received the ship's captain, Mr. Kostas, and the traditional exchange of plaques took place. He also welcomed the crew and passengers. The Regional Delegate for Tourism of the Andalusian Government, Vicente García Egea, was also present.
Jesús Caicedo celebrated that “little by little, cruise tourism activity is returning to normal,” and expressed his confidence that the strategy to boost this tourism segment, implemented jointly with the City Council, the Provincial Council, and the Andalusian Regional Government's Ministry of Tourism, “will succeed in attracting more cruise ship calls.” According to him, this renewed momentum will also be aided by the reduction in fees for shipping companies approved by the Port Authority of Almería (APA), and in the medium term, by the expansion and adaptation project for the Levante Wharf to accommodate cruise ships, a project that will provide a significant boost and allow cruise passengers to disembark just steps from the city center.
During their stay in Almería, many tourists preferred to stay in the city and visit the Alcazaba and the Cathedral, among other points of interest; and other groups opted to take excursions to the Alpujarra, Mojácar and the Tabernas Desert.
Six more cruise ships are scheduled to call at the Port of Almería between now and November: the Wind Surf, which was in Almería in August and will return in November; the SS Splendor, which will be in the Port on Sunday, October 3; the Marella Explorer 2, which will make two more calls in October; the Vasco da Gama, which will visit the city on October 17; and the Spirit of Discovery, which will do so in mid-November.
Both cruise ship port calls and shore excursions are conducted in accordance with the 'Health Measures for the Resumption of International Cruises' established by the Ministry of Health on June 16th. In the case of the Marella Explorer 2, due to COVID-19 protocols and to ensure onboard safety, only UK residents are on board. Furthermore, both tourists and crew members have proof of COVID-19 vaccination, issued at least 14 days prior to embarkation.
