The Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, held a meeting this Wednesday with those responsible for the cruise company Royal Caribbean Group, who conveyed their intention to resume operations with the Canary Islands from the United Kingdom from the beginning of September.
Yaiza Castilla was accompanied by the manager of Tourism of the Canary Islands, José Juan Lorenzo, and both held a telematic meeting with the associate vice president of Destination Development of Royal Caribbean, Ana Karina Santini; the Director of Communication of RC; Isabel Rodríguez; and the international Director of Product and Sustainability of RC, Sebastian Mariz.
The cruise company officials announced that during the months of September and October they will carry out five cruises with the ship Ocean of de Sea, which will depart from Southampton to the Canary Islands with a capacity of 4,200 passengers, although they will limit its occupancy to 75% as a Covid prevention measure, "always conditioned to other security measures established by national authorities."
In addition, according to Castilla, they stated that the Canary Islands "has demonstrated that it is viable to develop this activity because it has the appropriate protocols." "Proof of this are the 24 cruise operators since November 6, 2020 with the ships Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 that have moved 26,000 passengers to the Islands," they emphasize from the Executive.
Yaiza Castilla explained that the Canary Islands has been "one of the few destinations in the world that has received cruises during the pandemic, once they were allowed by the State, and with which a certain schedule is maintained, which clearly shows confidence in our destination." However, although she admits that "cruise activity in our islands is quite scarce if we compare it with pre-covid years."
The meeting is part of the meetings that the Minister of Tourism has been holding with all tourism operators in order to a possible international opening that facilitates the transit of tourists through the Canary Islands.
