In the wake of a terror attack in Barcelona, where two vehicles have knocked down pedestrians, major cruise lines continue with their scheduled city visits.
The van attack occured in Barcelona’s popular area located near to the city’s port, Las Ramblas, after most cruise lines had already left the dock.
Both Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas and P&O’s Britannia were en route to other Mediterranean port calls when the deadly incident took place.
TUI Discovery 2 was still at the port and in a statement, the British cruise line said all passengers and crew who had been in the city at the time of the attack were accounted for.
The ship then delayed its sailing until 10 p.m and today’s planned excursions into Barcelona have been cancelled for passengers sailing on TUI Discovery, docking in Palamos today.
Oceania and MSC Cruises are expected to call at Barcelona today and Oceania said in a statement: “Oceania Cruises is monitoring the situation in Barcelona and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. The safety and security of our guests and crew is our top priority.
“We have strict safety protocols in place and cooperate with local authorities regarding security matters at the destinations our ships visit. Port and onshore facilities, infrastructure, and passenger security and services in destinations are strictly scrutinized prior to a ship call. In the event of any safety concerns, we have the flexibility to alter our itineraries as needed to avoid areas of concern.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for MSC stated yesterday, “MSC Meraviglia is confirmed to call in Barcelona tomorrow as planned. We will continue to monitor the situation as the safety and security of our guests and crew is our top priority.”
Disney Cruise Line has not altered plans for its ship, Disney Magic, which is slated to be in Barcelona Saturday whilst Costa Cruises is yet another brand due to call at the Spanish city.
NCL spokeswoman, Vanessa Picariello, stated: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Barcelona, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. We will communicate any further updates, if needed, as appropriate.”
But a spokesperson from Royal Caribbean has stated that the company’s executives “haven’t made any decisions at this time” about upcoming Barcelona calls with Freedom of the Seas due to call at Barcelona on Sunday.
What are your thoughts on the news today? Do you think the cruise lines are taking the necessary precautions in the wake of these terrorist attacks? If you were on a cruise to Barcelona, how would you like your cruise line to handle the situation? Leave us your comments below
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