Now that domestic and international cruise ships have been given permission to dock in Spanish ports, shipping companies are busy reworking their schedules to squeeze in a stopover in Mallorca and so far, 26 cruise ships are planning to dock in Palma between June 17 and August 31.
"With so many unknowns in this summer season, this is the best news we could hope for,” said an Association of Discretionary Road Transport spokesperson.
TUI’s ‘Mein Schiff 2’, will be the first cruise ship to arrive in Palma on June 17 and she'll come back again on June 24.
“‘Mein Schiff 2’ has weekly stopovers in Spanish ports throughout the summer and it’s possible that some other ‘Mein Schiff’ cruise ships will be added when the Mediterranean routes are rescheduled,” said a TUI Cruises spokesperson.
Aida Cruises will be up and running in early July with weekly stopovers in Spanish ports, including 8 stopovers in Palma in July.
"The first ship in the Aida range will be the ‘Perla’ and her capacity will be limited to 2,000 passengers, instead of the usual 4,500 passengers,” said Viajes Kontiki President, Pedro Iriondo, who’s responsible for Aida's commercial tourism operations in Mallorca.
“Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean will be the first International cruise ships to arrive in Mallorca, with 16 scheduled stopovers expected in Palma in August,” said Commission of Consignors & Stevedores, Beatriz Orejudo.
The arrival of more domestic and international cruise ships in Mallorca is also great news for taxi drivers, restaurants and traders in Palma.
The Balearic Port Authority has already held meetings with all parties involved in the cruise ship industry to confirm the necessary Covid protocols required onboard ships, on land and during excursions.
“There will be diagnostic tests on all ships, follow-ups will be very thorough throughout the trip and when international cruise ships dock in Spanish ports,” said Beatriz Orejudo.
Nothing will be left to chance and the shipping companies have insurance to cover any treatment needed at private hospitals.
The crew of every cruise ship that docks in Palma port will also be required to perform three hours cleaning and disinfection onboard, check all passengers and the Ministry of Health will carry out strict checks on those arriving from International ports.
“Our Sector is experiencing an extremely critical situation, so any positive news is well received,” said FEBT President, Rafael Roig. “We can only hope that British tourists will return to the Islands soon, because they will have a huge impact on our activity.”