Cruise ships will be returning to the Canary Islands in November in a boost for the industry which has struggled in the wake of the pandemic.
Spain, the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands are on the UK’s quarantine list which discouraged many Britons from visiting the popular destinations. The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth, and Departmental Office) are also advising against non-essential travel to the islands.
However, now TUI Cruises and Hapag Lloyd are planning to restart sailings around the Canary Islands after the regional government had decided that the travel sector was a vital step in helping the economy of the islands recover.
The Canary Islands will be lifting their ban on cruise ships from November 5. Britons will be welcome onboard but there are new rules in place. Passengers must provide a negative Coronavirus (COVID-19) test before they arrive in the Canaries. They will also have to fill in a form that will explain all the traveler’s movements during the last 15 days which includes confirming they hadn’t been in contact with anyone who had tested positive for COVID.
And Britons will face quarantine rules on the return to the UK in case the islands are not added to the travel corridor list by then.
TUI's Mein Schiff II is scheduled to depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Hapag Lloyd’s ms Europa II is due to stop off at Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Both ships will then call at other ports in the Canaries.
Cruise companies allowed to sail from the Canary Islands can only set sail at a reduced capacity of no more than 70%.
The Ministries of Public Works, Transport and Housing and the Department of Health have agreed on measures which include a cruise ship hygiene plan, insurance to cover the outbreak of the virus, extra medical equipment, a consultation with health centres and hotels on the Canaries.