It will probably have been noted that Cartagena Port Authority has recently commenced accepting a small number of cruise ships through their facilities.
The first ship was Mein Schiff 2 which was accepted providing passengers wished to proceed ashore. They were marshalled in groups and were escorted and not permitted to wander individually.
This ship, operating on a joint venture based in Hamburg between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises, was reportedly operating in the premium volume segment. There are seven vessels in the fleet; the first being Mein Schiff followed by Mein Schiff 2 which was christened in 2019. There is currently a new-build, Mein Schiff 7 which is programmed for delivery in 2023. This business consists of TIU Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and a line regularly visiting Cartagena, Marella Cruises.
For those statistically minded, the building of the featured ship cost EUR 500 million!
The itinerary for Mein Schiff 2 at the current time is operating on 4 day cruises from Palma De Mallorca. It visited Cartagena for the first visit on June 19th and the ship departed on the same day on passage to Cadiz. It returned to our port on 26th June, again from Palma De Mallorca. It was on this visit that my pictures were taken.
Mein Schiff 2 reportedly accommodates up to 2,894 passengers with a crew of 1,000. They advertise a large selection of cabins and suites.
Cartagena Port authority informs me that 39 ships are scheduled for the remainder of 2021, but this of course depends on the COVID situation.
The next ship was AIDAperla which arrived and departed on 14th July. This is another German operating company.