Cartagena is experiencing its best week of 2021 for cruise tourism, with nine ships having docked at the Port and the last first call of the year being the Borealis cruise ship, in a November where it is expected to receive 26 calls and 24,000 cruise passengers.
The president of the Port Authority, Yolanda Muñoz, highlighted that “today we received the last of a total of 11 ships that have docked for the first time in the port of Cartagena in 2021. This figure consolidates Cartagena as a preferred destination for cruise tourism at the national level, as the eighth Spanish port,” at the welcome reception for the captain of the Borealis ship, where she was accompanied by the Councilor for Tourism, Cristina Pérez, Sergio Conesa from the shipping agent Erhardt Mediterránea, and the head of Business Development of the APC, Fernando Muñoz.
In addition to the Borealis cruise ship, from the Fred Olsen shipping company, Cartagena has also welcomed back the Bolette ships, also from Fred Olsen and returning for the third time this year, and the Silver Shadow, from the Silversea Cruises company, which returns to the Port for the first time since June 2019, “in the third triple cruise stop of the year with 1,500 English and American passengers and 1,353 crew members on board three exclusive cruise ships,” explained the president of the APC.
“We started the year with a ban on cruises, which were not reactivated until June, but the promotional work together with the shipping companies and with the constant collaboration of the Cartagena City Council and the regional government to position ourselves as a safe tourist destination, has allowed us to recover with figures that will place us at the end of the year at 76 port calls and close to 70,000 cruise passengers,” recalled Yolanda Muñoz.
To date, 59 ships have docked with more than 46,500 passengers who have enjoyed and toured the city, its museums, interpretation centers, hotels and shops, since 80 percent of tourists choose to stay in Cartagena over other cities in the Region.
Cruise ships have been key to the economic recovery of Cartagena and the region, in a sector that suffered greatly during the pandemic. They represent the definitive boost for the reactivation of tourism and a drive for closely linked sectors such as commerce, restaurants, culture, and passenger transport.
The Borealis is a 61,845 gross tonnage vessel. With 12 passenger decks, it can accommodate up to 1,668 passengers, though it always operates at 50 percent capacity to offer, along with its crew, the small-ship experience and attention to detail that characterizes its current cruise line. The Bolette is a ship with a classic and elegant style in both its exterior and interior design, featuring spacious and comfortable public areas, as well as 690 cabins for cruisers. Inside, it boasts a space for enjoying the voyage through large panoramic windows and an auditorium that hosts activities such as lectures and movie nights. As for the Silver Shadow, it is an exclusive cruise ship embodying the very essence of ultimate luxury at sea. With one of the highest space-to-passenger ratios at sea, the Silver Shadow is a clear favorite within the Silversea Cruises fleet.
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