The Port of Las Palmas welcomed two cruise ship giants on October 15th: the 344-meter-long Iona and the 306-meter-long Celebrity Apex. Both vessels made their maiden calls at the capital of Gran Canaria and, as is tradition, received commemorative plaques.
The event was attended by Captains Andrew John Wolverson of the Iona and Panos Kostopoulos of the Celebrity APEX, as well as representatives from Hamilton & Cía, Eugenio Gómez, and Bergé Marítima, José Cristóbal Rodríguez. Representing the Port Authority of Las Palmas were the Commercial Manager, Juan Francisco Martín, and the President, Luis Ibarra.
Luis Ibarra explained that “the presence of these large cruise ships in any port is an image for the collective memory, but it is also a reminder that economic activity is recovering its pulse in the face of the pandemic.”.
The cruise ship Iona, operated by P&O and handled by Hamilton & Co., docked on the west side of the Santa Catalina pier, carrying a predominantly British passenger fleet. This vessel uses LNG fuel and is the first and largest passenger ship of its kind in the British market. It is currently operating a cruise route between Southampton (UK), the northern coast of Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands. The Iona was built in Meyer Werft-Papenburg (Germany) and christened on May 16, 2021. Its maiden voyage took place on August 7, 2021. It has a gross tonnage of 184,089 GT, a length of 344.5 meters, and 19 decks (16 full decks + 3 partial decks). Its full capacity is 5,206 passengers and 1,762 crew members (6,968 people on board).
The Celebrity Apex, from the Celebrity Cruises-Royal Caribbean Group and handled by Bergé Marítima, docked on the eastern side of the Santa Catalina pier. This ship, designed for the North American premium market, has a distinctive feature: a large exterior elevator on one side of the vessel between decks. This platform serves the dual purpose of a floating dock for boarding small shuttles to destinations without large piers and a large observation deck overlooking the restaurant on the upper deck. It is currently operating a cruise from Barcelona to the Canary Islands. Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique (Saint-Nazaire, France), it was christened in late 2020. The maiden voyage took place on May 20, 2021. With a gross tonnage of 130,818 GT and a length of 306 meters, it has a capacity for 3,405 passengers and 1,320 crew members (4,725 people).
