Tag Archives: Palma de Mallorca

Málaga Welcomes Mein Schiff 2, First Cruise Ship Since Pandemic

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Málaga has become the first port in Spain’s mainland to host a cruise ship upon the restart of operations after a 15-month pause.

According to a press release, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 2 arrived from the Canary Islands on June 16 at 6:15 a.m.

Carrying 1,275 passengers, she stayed in the port until 7 p.m. of the same day, when she departed for Palma de Mallorca to start domestic itineraries in Spain.

The Mein Schiff 2 will be visiting Málaga again on June 22 and July 6, according to the MedCruise Association.

To mark the special first sailing, representatives from the port and the destination have met with Tom Roth, the captain from Mein Schiff 2, and handed a commemorating plaque.

“Today is a very important day for Málaga, (which) proves how governmental bodies have worked together, and will keep working together, for Málaga, a cruiser-friendly destination,” said the President of the Port Authority of Malaga Carlos Rubio.

The Mayor of Malaga Francisco De la Torre said that cruise tourism will help reactivate tourism in Málaga, which is an “essential cruise destination for cruise lines.”

Roth highlighted that “this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

According to the press release, TUI Cruises developed a “bubble” cruise experience, allowing only organized excursions, which guarantees that the anti-COVID-19 safety measures are respected, thus benefiting both the passenger and the crew, as well as the population of the destinations visited.

In Málaga, cruise passengers visited the city and other towns nearby in small groups, having chosen emblematic places of the historical city centre of Málaga, as well as Ronda, Mijas or Marbella, among others, supporting the recovery of the economy.

The Mein Schiff 4 was also in the Málaga port on June 16, arriving at 3 p.m. for a technical stop with no passengers.

AIDAperla Set to Open Western Med Season in July

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On July 10, AIDA Cruises will open its cruise season with the AIDAperla in the Western Mediterranean.

Two different seven-day round trips from/to Palma de Mallorca (Spain) will be offered, which can also be combined into a 14-day cruise. Deployment runs through October 30, according to a press release. Bookings are set to open on June 4.

Port calls include Cadiz, Malaga, Cartagena and Barcelona on one itinerary, while the second voyage heads to Alicante, Ibiza, Valencia and Barcelona.

“We are very happy to offer our guests cruises from Palma de Mallorca again. We have been closely connected with the island for 25 years. AIDA is one of the most important cruise companies when it comes to sustainable local added value, even beyond the high tourist season. I would like to thank all our partners. Without their support this development would not have been possible,” said Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises.

“The Government of the Balearic Islands welcomes the restart of safe cruises in its ports. We are very satisfied with the results of the talks between the Balearic Islands and the Costa Group over the past few weeks so that we can start safely. We warmly welcome AIDA and its guests,” added Rosana Morillo, Directora General de Turismo Illes Balears Conselleria de Model Econòmic, Turisme I Treball.

FTI Cruises To Shut Down

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MS Berlin

As part of a restructuring, FTI Group has announced it will shut down its one-ship cruise brand.

The German tour operator will cease operating the FTI Berlin, which had sailed under the FTI banner since 2012 as was originally delivered in 1980.

The ship had global routes and carried 420 guests. Of note, the vessel was stretched in the mid-1980s.

Prior to the news, FTI had only published cruises through October 2020 and the Berlin was slated to sail in Northern Europe during the summer, before moving to the Mediterranean in the fall and the Caribbean for the winter, including Cuba.

The last cruise of the Mediterranean season was scheduled roundtrip from Nice to Palamos, Sant Charles de Rapita, Ibiza, Formentera, Palma de Mallorca and Mahon, Menorca.