On October 12th, the port of Palamós, together with its tourist destination, welcomed the Marella Explorer 2, the first cruise ship to arrive after a year and a half hiatus in cruise activity on the Costa Brava due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During these months, the port and the tourist destination worked diligently to ensure that the established protocols and health measures for serving cruise ships, passengers, and crew were ready for the resumption of activity. This autumn, the ports of Palamós and Roses expect to receive eight cruise ship calls, with the number of passengers depending on the ships' capacity.
The arrival of the first cruise ship was attended by the Director General of Ports of the Generalitat, Pere Vila; the Mayor of Palamós, Lluís Puig; the Director of Territorial Services for the VPDT in Girona, Pere Saló; the Vice President of the Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board, Jaume Dulsat; and the Councillor for Tourism of the Roses City Council, Montse Mindan, among other authorities, who warmly welcomed the inaugural cruise ship and the first cruise tourists to the Costa Brava. Pere Vila presented a gift to the cruise ship's captain, Kostas Lampropoulos, to mark the first port of call of the season.
The arrival of the Marella Explorer 2 cruise ship this autumn marks the return of cruises to the port of Palamós and its status as a tourist destination. The Marella Explorer 2, operated by the British cruise line Marella Cruises, arrived at 9:00 a.m. from the port of Málaga, is making a nine-hour stop in Palamós, and will depart for the port of Palma de Mallorca at 6:00 p.m.
The ship arrived in Palamós with 600 passengers, 33% of its capacity, due to restrictions limiting the number of passengers. These passengers are helping to extend the tourist season on the Costa Brava, as they are visiting during the off-season. All the passengers are residents of the United Kingdom and have received the full course of Covid-19 vaccinations. They were also tested before boarding to ensure they had not contracted the virus. The tourists will visit the town and surrounding area under strict safety and protection protocols, respecting the measures established by the relevant authorities. They are expected to visit Palamós and take excursions to the medieval towns of Pals and Peratallada, Tossa de Mar, and the Dalí Museum in Figueres.
The ports of Palamós and Roses anticipate the arrival of eight cruise ships this autumn, following the halt in activity due to the pandemic. Of these eight calls, six will be in Palamós and two in Roses. Specifically, the port of Palamós expects the arrival of the Marella Explorer I (two calls), Marella Explorer 2 (one call), Wind Surf (one call), and Silver Spirit (one call). The season is expected to end on November 20th. Meanwhile, the port of Roses anticipates the Seadream II on November 4th and the Seadream I on November 5th. The Costa Brava broke records in 2019 with 56,700 passengers between Palamós and Roses, and a total of 50 cruise ship calls.
During this year and a half of inactivity, with respect and empathy for the cruise sector, the Costa Brava Cruise Ports brand has reactivated its strategic promotional efforts for the ports of Palamós and Roses and their tourist destination at trade fairs and forums in a hybrid format, both in-person and virtual, as well as through meetings with companies and operators in the sector. They are now gearing up to organize the 60th edition of the Medcruise General Assembly on the Costa Brava in May 2022, which will bring together the world's leading cruise lines, Mediterranean cruise ports, operators and agents, and tourism boards. This event will showcase the Costa Brava to the world for a few days and place Palamós, Roses, and the surrounding area firmly in the spotlight of the cruise industry.
