The Port of Algeciras has welcomed the cruise ship MV Clio, operated by Grand Circle Line, which spent 24 hours at the port with mainly North American passengers. The vessel, consigned by Noatum, departed during the night of Monday, November 2, to continue its Mediterranean itinerary, which includes visits to various ports in six countries.
The Clio's arrival is part of a cruise schedule that includes new calls in Algeciras through 2028, according to the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA). The institution is working with the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar and other local organizations to add the destination to the routes of these types of vessels and help their passengers discover the city and its surroundings during port stays.
The cruise ship is undertaking an approximately two-week trip around the Mediterranean, with calls in Spain, Morocco, Malta, Italy, Algeria, and Tunisia. Ports on its route include Valletta, Trapani, La Goulette, Algiers, Oran, Tangier, Algeciras, Málaga, Valencia, and Barcelona. The itinerary combines destinations in the western and central Mediterranean, with several stops along the Spanish coast.
The call in Algeciras gave passengers a day to visit the city before continuing their voyage. The inclusion of the Port of Algeciras in this schedule follows efforts by institutions and organizations in Campo de Gibraltar to add the area to the itineraries of cruise lines operating in the Mediterranean.
The MV Clio is 100 meters long and has capacity for 90 passengers, dimensions that place it in the segment known as boutique cruise ships, characterized by lower-capacity vessels than the large ships used for cruise tourism. These vessels follow itineraries with calls at different destinations, as with the Mediterranean route on which the Clio is sailing.
On Monday, the president of the Algeciras Bay Port Authority, Gerardo Landaluce, visited the vessel and presented its captain, Marinko Radic, with a commemorative plaque to mark its arrival at the port. Representatives of the port authority and Noatum, the company handling the cruise ship's consignment during its stay in Algeciras, also took part in the meeting.
The institutional visit took place while the vessel was alongside, before its departure that night. The call was part of the planned operations for the voyage, on which Algeciras is one of the Spanish destinations alongside Málaga, Valencia, and Barcelona. The Clio's presence is also part of the Port Authority's schedule of arrivals for the coming years.
In this regard, the APBA maintains a collaborative relationship with the Mancomunidad de Municipios and other institutions and organizations in Campo de Gibraltar, aimed at facilitating cruise ship arrivals and incorporating the area's tourism resources into the visits made by passengers. This coordination covers both port operations related to the calls and the sightseeing opportunities the area offers while ships are in port.
The next arrival is scheduled for the week of November 9, when the Port of Algeciras will welcome the Corinthian, a sister ship of the Clio. This new call will give another group of cruise passengers the opportunity to visit the city during their stay, in keeping with the schedule announced for the coming days.
The arrival of both ships is included in the cruise call projections that the Port Authority has set through 2028. The schedule reflects work undertaken with local administrations and organizations to include Algeciras in maritime tourism routes and offer cruise lines the option of adding this destination to their itineraries.
