From November and over the winter months into 2026, Palma will cease to be a departure port for many Mediterranean cruises.
The president of the Aviba travel agencies association in the Balearics, Pedro Fiol, explains that cruise operators have eliminated Palma from their itineraries and are replacing the port with the likes of Valletta (Malta) and Barcelona.
Fiol believes that this could be because of "a certain weariness" on the part of shipping agents in the face of protests against cruise tourism that have been led by the platform against 'mega' cruise ships and the environmentalists GOB.
He says that cruises are the most popular holiday packages for people living in the Balearic Islands, especially during the low season. "It's the star product and offers a very competitive all-inclusive price in winter, starting at €600 per person. It's the type of holiday chosen by those who work in the tourism sector and who travel in the winter."
A typical route from Palma has included the south of France and Italy. "Now they're switching to Malta or Tunisia. Residents won't have cruises specifically from Palma." He does, however, distinguish between Spanish speakers and German speakers, as TUI, who use German as the main language on board, will continue with their cruise departures from Palma. Costa Cruises and MSC will stop embarking passengers in Palma from November 5 and are expected to resume operations in April 2026.
"People will now have to fly if they want to go on a cruise." And that will, for example, include flying to Barcelona, which will entail additional cost.
As Barcelona will continue to be a departure port, Fiol's argument about the impact of protests is perhaps questionable. Anti-cruise sentiment in Barcelona has been as great as in Palma, if not more.