Walter Finch
GIBRALTAR has been celebrating a record April for cruise ship calls that has put the wind up its Spanish neighbours.
As the Olive Press reported at the time, the Rock enjoyed a record-breaking 41 passenger liners stopping over, a 41% increase on the same month last year.
Meanwhile, over in cruise ship favourite Cadiz, a total of 47 vessels birthed – still greater than Gibraltar’s figure but down from the 61 that were scheduled.
Gibraltar is on track to receive almost 240 cruise calls in 2025, a 28% increase on 2024. But it still has some way to go to compete directly with Cadiz’s expected total of 324.
READ MORE: Cruise ship calls to Gibraltar soar by nearly 75%: Passengers have already spent £4m this year
However, this figure has been revised down from a staggering 396, marking a declining – but not unwelcome – trend for the city.
Accordingly, one of the most notable differences between Gibraltar and Cadiz is in the respective attitudes towards the passenger behemoths – something that has not gone unnoticed by the operators.
While the gibralteños welcome the influx of cruise ships and their thousands of passengers, by and large, the gaditanos complain that the town is selling its ‘neighbourhoods, businesses and its soul’ to the cruise ships and the enormous footfall.
Almost 11,000 passengers, mostly from the US, Canada and the UK, arrived in Cadiz on three different cruise ships on May 8 – a tenth of the city’s entire population.
It was a catalyst for the eruption of fiery protests, including a march of 2,000 locals led by the group Cadiz Resiste.
Spokesperson Marta Pérez Martín, who lives across from the port where the cruises dock, told the Olive Press: “We’re living here, studying, working, taking care of our daughters, trying to sleep and rest, and the cruise ships bring so much noise, noise at late hours.”
“The people of Cadiz can’t shop comfortably, go to work or bars comfortably, or even simply walk the streets comfortably.”
Meanwhile, Gibraltar has so far proven immune to the bouts of tourismophobia that afflict Cadiz (and sweep across Spain periodically) despite having an even smaller territory.
Gibraltar’s tourism minister, Christian Santos told the Olive Press it was because ‘Gibraltarians ‘understand how important tourism is for the local economy.’
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“We’re a small community and we’re all mutually dependent upon one another for business and economically.
“So people see that local businesses thrive thanks to the continual arrival of cruise ship passengers, and the community welcomes it.”
Gibraltar has worked hard to achieve its success in the cruise sector.
A series of upgrades to its port facilities and capacities, strategic deals with leading cruise liners – including the luxury Explora Journeys – and beefed up excursions and activities on the Rock have paved the way for the success.
Attractions such as St Michael’s Cave, the World War Two tunnels, plus the iconic Gibraltar monkeys have all added distinctive lustre to the Rock’s brand as a cruise ship destination.
The minister pointed out that Gibraltar has consistently scored ‘eights and nines out of ten’ in recent passenger feedback surveys.
The tourist board also assured that it was not resting on its laurels but working on ‘fresh products and new initiatives’.
One of the key competitive advantages Gibraltar has for cruise ships stopping over is the Liquid Natural Gas terminal.
READ MORE: Outrage after 13,000 cruise passengers descend on tiny city in southern Spain in just one day
With this, cruise ships can refuel more quickly and efficiently than in competitor ports – also enjoying Gibraltar’s low-tax discount, effectively killing two birds with one stone.
But ultimately what might attract the ships and their cosmopolitan customers is simply the uniqueness of Gibraltar and its massive rock, its monkeys, its history – and its bizarre but charming fusion of cultures and languages.
“We’re attracting the right kind of ships, those that value culture, quality excursions, and the unique character that Gibraltar offers,” Santos added.
