Cruise ship passengers abandon Spain and Greece as locals ‘are sick of us’

Cruise operators are listing fewer and fewer routes to Europe and an increased number of journeys to the Caribbean, as local Europeans protest the volume of big ship arrivals in recent years.

Only three years ago, there were 7,000 more dockings in Europe than the West Indies – this years the numbers will be even.

Cruise-goers have expressed concerns that they no longer feel welcome arriving in European ports, amid a wave of demonstrations and political interventions by local leaders.

Anne Thimm, 63, from Shallotte, North Carolina, vowed to avoid Europe after a trip to Spain and Portugal in 2022.

“It was kind of like they’re sick of us,” she said. “They’re sick of the cruisers.”  

Cruise operators have been open about the rationale behind their pivot from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Jason Liberty, the chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean, told Bloomberg: “We’re not in any way an ostrich here, putting our head in the sand,” adding that the company is “very well aware” of the hostile reception cruises have been getting in Europe.

“We’re trying to be part of the solution.”

As 2024 nears its end, 16 percent more ships have arrived in Caribbean ports compared to the year before, Bloomberg reports. 

And it’s not just Europe that’s being ditched for the islands of Central America. Huge cruise company Norweigan Cruise Line has axed more than 50 routes, including to South America, Africa, and Asia, all to prioritise the Caribbean and Mexico.

Vessels Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Jade, are all being redeployed to Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico over the next two years.

Meanwhile, two new vessels – Aqua and Luna – are both set to join the Caribbean fleet in 2025 and 2026.