Barcelona short walk to the city may be gone

[uktog]

If the papers are to be believed the Azamara advantage in Barcelona has gone 

From the UK Daily Mail the heading is Barcelona BANS cruise ships from main port in bid to reduce pollution. It cites the World Trade Centre as the pier involved with the ban coming into play on 22 October. The larger port also is to be capacity limited to 7 vessels a day (it can take 10). 

 

[jollyjones]

Not just Az, I have sailed into Barcelona a number of times recently on SS and we have docked at piers A or B. Or could be pier C if there's more ships. It is walkable into town - a bit of a trek - but one must go up and over a channel on a very high bridge. There are footpaths on the bridge but I'm too scared of heights to attempt it. Shame.

There should be a shuttle bus provided (that's what I use) and there are generally plenty of taxis at the pier.

[uktog]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

Not just Az, I have sailed into Barcelona a number of times recently on SS and we have docked at piers A or B. Or could be pier C if there's more ships. It is walkable into town - a bit of a trek - but one must go up and over a channel on a very high bridge. There are footpaths on the bridge but I'm too scared of heights to attempt it. Shame.

There should be a shuttle bus provided (that's what I use) and there are generally plenty of taxis at the pier.

Thanks. The one time I was out there indeed there was a shuttle but it was an 8 euro charge which I believe is what other ships guests have to pay. Whether Azamara would be able to offer free shuttles I do not know. 
Like you walking over the bridge isn’t an option!  
I will miss the good old days of a nice stroll after dinner from World Trade Centre 

[beatnix]

We will embark in Barcelona on Nov 14th on Pursuit at Moll Adossant Terminal C. 

Onward will be overnight in Barcelona an is announced to dock at Moll Barcelona (WTC).

So there is hope!

A few days ago I read that cruise ships (not longer than 250 m) will be allowed to dock in Venice port in 2027.

There is a shuttle, run by port, from Terminals A - E to WTC. It was € 4,00 one way and € 5,00 return journey in spring.

Edited October 10, 2023 by beatnix
corr

[GUSGB]

1 hour ago, beatnix said:

We will embark in Barcelona on Nov 14th on Pursuit at Moll Adossant Terminal C. 

Onward will be overnight in Barcelona an is announced to dock at Moll Barcelona (WTC).

So there is hope!

A few days ago I read that cruise ships (not longer than 250 m) will be allowed to dock in Venice port in 2027.

There is a shuttle, run by port, from Terminals A - E to WTC. It was € 4,00 one way and € 5,00 return journey in spring.

beatnix, Is Moll Adossant Terminal C confirmed for Pursuit on 14 November? We are on that cruise too.

[beatnix]

53 minutes ago, GUSGB said:

beatnix, Is Moll Adossant Terminal C confirmed for Pursuit on 14 November? We are on that cruise too.

I found it on https://www.portdebarcelona.cat/en/web/port-dels-negocis/47 on the bottom of the page is the forcast for November.

Could it be that we met last year on Onward Barcelona to Monte Carlo?

[GUSGB]

Yes we did. It will be nice to meet up again. Looking forward to seeing some new places in Spain.

[Oslo Dutch]

2 hours ago, beatnix said:

I found it on https://www.portdebarcelona.cat/en/web/port-dels-negocis/47 on the bottom of the page is the forcast for November.

Could it be that we met last year on Onward Barcelona to Monte Carlo?

Thank you so much, we are also embarking on the Pursuit on November 14th and have been looking for the info. It doesn't really matter as we are just embarking. Would have loved to embark at Dock S as  it's so close to town and in 1989 we docked there several times with Royal Princess during her very first European season

[the mice]

We were on Onward last Oct-Nov and docked at Moll Adossant.  I think it was Terminal C.  There was a port shuttle that runs on a loop so we got on and had to ride all the way round. It was empty when we got on, but then the next ship was Costa - what a zoo.  At the time it only took cash, and the drive didn't have much in the way of change. (I got a handful of coins - €0.96  instead of  €1 ).  So best to check the price and be prepared before boarding. A lot of the Costa cruisers didn't have the cash and it was crazy with some people trying to help pay for others.  

Getting the shuttle back (we were overnighting) was even crazier.   No such thing as a queue.  People were pushing to try to get on so they would not have to wait longer.  We were fortunate to be standing close to the bus door.  

The next day we had a private tour and were supposed to meet at a hotel a short distance from the Columbus monument, but the guide decided to come into the port and save us the trouble.  

 

[excitedofharpenden]

I can see why they are doing it, but to me it's a bit askew. Part of it is that they are trying to limit the 'plague of locusts' that decend on Barcelona, but they are closing off the docks where the small 'non-locust type' ships dock and sending them up to where the large ships are. And limiting that daily capacity (no people numbers I can see, just number of ships).

 

If it were me my focus would be away from the WTC pier where passenger numbers are lower and concentrate on Adossat. Seems to me that the smaller ships will be at a disadvantage when competing directly with the larger ones with fewer ships able to dock in Barcelona. And overnights will no longer be as fun or convenient stuck out at Adossat. A double whammy. Glad I've had a chance to experience the World Trade Centre pier. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

Funny that’s what I thought. If the port authorities can only allow 7 ships a day surely economics based on per capita taxes will drive them to give space to 7 mega factory ships. 
 

Maybe it would have been better to keep the two venues ok cut capacity at the larger (but didn’t the authorities not recently heavily invest to extend it) and keep World Trade Centre with a requirement to stay overnight and to use ship to shore power.   That would reduce the movement and docking fumes significantly. Although I do recognise, it currently doesn’t help Azamara to the fact they can’t do ship to shore power.

[Kitekat]

Once uktog highlighted the article in the Daily Mail, I investigated a bit more and discovered that the Guardian reported this back in April this year and it's been on the cards for several years. It's just they have now set a date to enact it. 

I also discovered that Tarragona, which is about an hour down the coast from Barcelona, is building a new cruise terminal which should start operating early next year and be fully open in 2025. It's an old town with roman remains and a gothic old quarter. The nearest airport is Reus (approx 8km). It's certainly possible that some cruise lines will relocated here as their start point.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I also thought this new rule is not really tailored to the problem they are trying to solve.  Why not favor turnaround cruises over port calls?  Turnarounds generate all sorts of revenue [provisioning, people flying in and taking transfers, many people flying in early and staying at hotels and eating at restaurants]

 

Also, if they added Port Power to the WTC they would eliminate the pollution aspect.  But that solution never seems to be mentioned when ports turn against cruises!

[Mackdogmolly]

8 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Glad I've had a chance to experience the World Trade Centre pier. 

Me too. As well as Venice, when you could still dock there (and experience that fabulous sail away).

[hamrag]

On 10/11/2023 at 12:56 PM, Kitekat said:

.....I also discovered that Tarragona, which is about an hour down the coast from Barcelona, is building a new cruise terminal which should start operating early next year and be fully open in 2025....

I am fairly sure, but not certain, that MSC currently use that port on a few of their cruises and it's a boarding point too.

[Kitekat]

25 minutes ago, hamrag said:

I am fairly sure, but not certain, that MSC currently use that port on a few of their cruises and it's a boarding point too.

That's quite possible especially as MSC embark and disembark at most ports on their cruises. 

[paf225]

I read a comprehensive article on this initiative on CNN Travel (link below).  It appears the intention is to repurpose the World Trade Center and its wharves as "new public spaces".  Regards,  Paul

 

Barcelona restricts cruise ship access, plans to increase tourist taxes | CNN 

[Whitby100]

Having just disembarked at Barcelona at the end of September I find this very interesting.  The mall, walkways and restaurants by the World Trade Center seemed filled with cruisers, not locals.  (We walked back from our apartment during the following week after we disembarked). The mall was weak at best. I think without cruisers a lot of these businesses would suffer. I suspect there is a disconnect between the locals and their political representatives, and the local businesses.  Adding coaches to shuttle from distant ports isn’t going to help pollution or congestion.  It will be interesting to see this play out.

[laurieb]

This is an interesting part of the CNN article:

By 2026, all cruise operations will operate from the Adossat wharf. For that to happen, the Barcelona South terminal, also on the World Trade Center pier, will be closed. The port then plans to electrify the Adossat wharf, meaning that moored ships can be powered from the pier itself, rather than pumping out noxious emissions.

 

Sounds like the WTC south terminal will remain open?

[Belfastman]

6 minutes ago, laurieb said:

This is an interesting part of the CNN article:

By 2026, all cruise operations will operate from the Adossat wharf. For that to happen, the Barcelona South terminal, also on the World Trade Center pier, will be closed. The port then plans to electrify the Adossat wharf, meaning that moored ships can be powered from the pier itself, rather than pumping out noxious emissions.

 

Sounds like the WTC south terminal will remain open?

Yes information I had seen suggested the south terminal would remain for now and the north terminal would stop on 22nd Oct 2023.

[oddjob16]

On 10/13/2023 at 3:47 PM, Belfastman said:

Yes information I had seen suggested the south terminal would remain for now and the north terminal would stop on 22nd Oct 2023.

South terminal today

[Belfastman]

5 hours ago, oddjob16 said:

South terminal today

Yes today at South terminal but this is the last time Azamara will dock here.