Strike at Barcelona Port?

[Kenton210]

Tried to search for more info on-line, but it only comes up in Spanish. Looks like the fisherman (and their boats) have closed off the port in Barcelona. Nothing can come in and nothing can leave. I called RCL and they haven't heard of any disruption in service. But looking at the local news, there are cruise ships outside the port with no way of entering the port.

 

Any one know any more info? My flight leaves tomorrow from Madrid and the wife is getting VERY ANXIOUS :eek:

 

Ken

[LouCru1033]

I have been searching for information on this topic. I found the Port de Barcelona website. In Spanish there is a 'scroll' which says that ships are being diverted to other foreign ports. My question is: Does this include all cruiseships? We are on the Brilliance on Oct. 30th. I also read on a European site that the Spanish gov. has offered the fishermen 12 Million for fuel assistance. Hope this situation clears up before the 30th. As far as I can determine the Brilliance is the only ship leaving that day. :confused:

[Andros]

I too heard about this last night. I tried to find out any info, with no luck. Most of what I found was very vague. However, it was in english. I just did google searches. I hope it does not effect your itineraries, or ours either. We are on Brilliance Nov. 11 transatlantic. I will keep looking for the best info I can find and come back with a report, if I can. :confused:

[LouCru1033]

Thanks. My best luck on searches was to use Alta Vista(all Languages).

Has anyone tried contacting RC? Hope this is temporary. What are they going to do with 2000 passengers in Barcelona?:confused:

[LouCru1033]

Thanks. My best luck on searches was to use Alta Vista(all Languages).

Has anyone tried contacting RC? Hope this is temporary. What are they going to do with 2000 passengers in Barcelona?:confused:

[Aquarius2]

Hi All!

 

Well, the Situation is even a bit more interesting for me, as I'm going on the Brilliance tomorrow for a short, but sweet 3-Nighter...

 

We are checking currently the Situation with rccl, let's hope the fishermen

have started fishing again...:D

 

Cheers,

Phil

[LouCru1033]

Thanks, Phil. Please post what you find out. Appreciate any info, since we are still in the States.

[Kenton210]

I callled RC (Germany) and they still had not even heard about the situation (1000 GMT). I too am on the 3-nighter leaving tomorrow, so I hope this gets cleared up soon. I've got the TA at the US Embassy in Madrid checking in to this as well. I'll keep you posted if I find anything and hope y'all will do the same if you hear something.

 

Ken

[daxgott]

hi @ all - please excuse my english - i am german

 

i have googled here to try to get some information there is just nothing in the news here

 

i think it will not do anny matter to youre cruises - good luck have fun

[cusyl]

October 26, 2005

 

Crystal Serenity Abandons Barcelona; Heads to Gibraltar

Crystal Cruises' Crystal Serenity has been sailing around the Mediterranean for the past 24 hours in search of a port –- any port (and fortunately the weather's been anything but stormy) -– that will take it in. That's because the ship is in the unlucky middle of a port strike in Barcelona; that facility, along with most if not all others in Spain, has been closed for several days now as a result of a strike by fishermen protesting rising fuel prices.

 

Creating the biggest logistical headaches for Crystal and its passengers is the fact that this stop in Barcelona is to disembark one voyage and embark another. As a result, the situation is not as easy as if the ship was simply calling for a day of sun and fun and could spend the day at sea instead.

 

Onboard veterans, from officers to entertainers, all are amazed at the experience, saying it has been a first-in-a-career one for them (not to mention er, an unusual one for impacted passengers). At the same time -- and from this vantage point -- it must be said: There's absolutely a wonderfully strong sense that Crystal staffers both onboard and at headquarters are working full out to find solutions to this no-way-a-textbook scenario.

 

The latest developments for those passengers whose cruise is now extending two days beyond the scheduled disembarkation date came from the Captain early this morning (Wednesday) at 1 a.m. (European time). He noted that negotiations to reopen the port seem to be at such a stalemate that Crystal Serenity, the only cruise ship here, will have to sail to Gibraltar in order to disembark the 700-plus passengers from this cruise and send them home.

 

Cruise Critic's editor Carolyn Spencer Brown, who is onboard the ship, has heard from various sources at Crystal that negotiations to disembark in Barcelona in a timely manner (i.e. no later than Wednesday) have been ongoing between Crystal headquarters in Los Angeles, the ship's Captain, port agents and even officials from the European community. Crystal's president Gregg Michel spoke with the port of Barcelona's president ... all to no avail.

[Aquarius2]

Hi again,

 

From a very good source: There is a meeting today at 5pm local time in Barcelona, (that's 11am in New York) and we hope the outcome will be positive.

 

Have also called RCCL in Germany and they have no clue...:confused:

 

 

I hope these Fisherman realize what big impact their action is having on others living from the passengers onboard these ships...

 

We have to keep on hoping...

 

Cheers,

Phil:)

[Kenton210]

I just called RC at their office in Miami and they don't have a clue as to what I am talking about :confused:

 

This is starting to look pretty ugly. It's 9pm here in Madrid and I haven't seen anything on the tube about any sort of resolution. I guess we'll head to the port tomorrow and see what God has in store for us.

 

Ken

[Ocean Boy]

Let's see, if I were on a 50 ft. fishing boat and the 90,000+ ton Brilliance was bearing down on me.....:eek: :D :D

[LouCru1033]

I read in the International Herald Tribune about this matter.(Translated from El Pais). They did not mention Cruise ships at all. It mentioned ferries and boats mainly going to the Balearic Islands etc. You can see that unions in Europe have influence, although I am sure the money will make them move out of our way !!:cool:

[wrp96]

I just called RC at their office in Miami and they don't have a clue as to what I am talking about :confused:

 

This is starting to look pretty ugly. It's 9pm here in Madrid and I haven't seen anything on the tube about any sort of resolution. I guess we'll head to the port tomorrow and see what God has in store for us.

 

Ken

 

I'm not surprised considering the mess they are dealing with now in Miami due to Wilma. Hopefully everything will work out for you and your cruise will start as expected tomorrow.

 

Good luck.

[Aquarius2]

Yup, was thinking the same, just tell the Fisherman: Move, or you'll see what 90'000 grt can do...

 

Anyway, is there no one that can give some light into this story and what about passengers on the current Brilliance-Cruise..??

 

Cheers,

Phil:)

[wrp96]

Yup, was thinking the same, just tell the Fisherman: Move, or you'll see what 90'000 grt can do...

 

It's like our local traffic guy says - biggest amount of gross tonnage wins every time.

[German Wunderkind]

Going on that cruise tomorrow as well.

Called my TA and RCL in Miami and nobody knows anything.

So we are going to fly to Barcelona tomorrow and if we can not board we will have some nice days in Barcelona.:)

 

Anyway, is there no one that can give some light into this story and what about passengers on the current Brilliance-Cruise..??

I think they are still at the dinner table or packing their suitcase.:D :D

Remember it's 9pm right now here in Europe.

[Aquarius2]

Dear Co-Worriers,

 

Let's see, we never had a roll call or something, but quickly we found some people sitting in the same boat (or not yet, or maybe not even later, but however...)

 

Let's try to tell the Fisherman to go away, we all say: Dear Fisherman, please go fishing, be nice to the poor and little Brilliance....

 

Anyway, I hoped I could motivate some People on the current Brilliance-Cruise to post about what's happening...

 

Cheers,

Phil:)

[German Wunderkind]

Dear Fisherman, please go fishing, be nice to the poor and little Brilliance....

 

Anyway, I hoped I could motivate some People on the current Brilliance-Cruise to post about what's happening...

 

Cheers,

Phil:)

 

Ok my turn:

Dear Fisherman, please go fishing, be nice to the poor and little Brilliance cruisers.

 

And if they do I will have a couple drinks in honour of their wisdom to go back to work:D

 

See you tomorrow Phil. Either on board or at the closed entrance of the port :)

[German Wunderkind]

This is what is showing on their website right now:

 

Barcelona Update

October 26, 2005

4:00 p.m.

 

Royal Caribbean International continues to closely monitor a labor dispute affecting operations at the Port of Barcelona and other seaports in Spain. Talks between the Spanish government and the groups involved are continuing.

 

Brilliance of the Seas, currently scheduled to arrive in and depart from the Port of Barcelona on Thursday, October 26, is sailing to Barcelona. Guests booked on that sailing should continue in their travel to Barcelona.

 

As the situation in Spain is quite fluid, guests booked on Splendour of the Seas, scheduled to arrive in and depart from the Port of Barcelona on Saturday, October 29, and guests booked on Brilliance of the Seas, scheduled to arrive in and depart from the Port of Barcelona on Sunday, October 30, should continue monitoring these updates for the latest information regarding the labor dispute and their sailings.

 

Guests may also contact Royal Caribbean in the U.S. at 1-800-327-6700 to receive this information.

 

Royal Caribbean will update this information at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time - U.S.) Thursday.

 

See you all tomorrow in Barcelona then.

G.W.

[Aquarius2]

Hey All!

 

This is actually starting to be really Funny....despite the Fact, that we don't know what we can expect tomorrow...I want to meet all of you on board and not at the closed entrance...what a horror-vision...so close, but still so far away...

 

Maybe we have to Swim to the Brilliance and we'll get a Free Drink (without Souvenir Glass of course...)

 

What amazes me, is that RCCL has no clue (at least they are not telling) what's gonna happen tomorrow...the Brilliance isn't a ship with 20 Pax and 10 Crew, there are some more People on Board...

 

Cheers,

Phil

[Kenton210]

Just heard on the tube that the government and the fishermen were at a stalemate with .04 cents/liter being the difference between ending and prolonging this ordeal. (Okay, at least that's what I understood with my limited Spanish) They've been negotiating for over 5 1/2 hours and hope to have a resolution this evening. I'm gonna head to bed and wake up for my flight and hope for the best.

 

See ya on-board tomorrow afternoon :confused:

 

Take care and good night.

[German Wunderkind]

I think even the two groups who are talking together don't know how long this blockade, or what the right term for this is, will take.

 

So if they block the entrance to the port what can they(RCL or the captain) do?

They will certainly not damage any of the local fishing boats.

And when you have a change to watch the news the people who blocked the harbour in Valencia did not look very friendly.

They are very upset and I think everybody is well advised not to upset them any more.

 

Kenton210

I hope they will agree to something. Gas prices are really mad these days and these people are certainly not the richest.

 

Phil, if you swim to Brilliance and they won't give you the Souvenir Glass I'm going to buy it for you.

To honour your determination to cruise on this voyage:) - just tell me when you start and where we can meet for the drink!:D

 

 

Have to quit know and take some hours of sleep. Flying to Barcelona in less than 7 hours.

Good night and good luck to all of us tomorrow.

 

G.W.

[Aquarius2]

Ok, let's see...Brilliance should arrive in approx. 2.5h in Barcelona...interesting...

 

I hope it turns out well for us...

 

Ok, hope to see you all soon aboard Brilliance of the Seas in Barcelona!

 

Cheers,

Phil

:cool: