The Canary Islands expressed its gratitude to TUI Cruises today “for its commitment, in the midst of the pandemic, to continue to sail in Europe.”

Canary Islands cruises from November 2020 and to June 2021 were carried out successfully with health protocols in place and is now being replicated in Spanish ports this summer, according to a statement from the Las Palmas Port Authority.

Over the past seven months, the Canary Islands saw more than 80 cruises with a total of 103,500 passengers. TUI Cruises has operated two ships, Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2, with 42 sailings and 48,235 passengers. They sailed at an average occupancy rate of 45 percent, less than the 60 percent allow in the islands, to further ensure the safety of passengers and crew.

On behalf of the government of the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, minister of health, thanked TUI Cruises. “It is a positive effort that the Canary Islands must recognize,” he said.

“The healthy return to service concept that TUI Cruises developed onboard and ashore has been successful and allowed other cruise lines to resume their activity in our islands throughout these seven months,” Trujillo added.

The recognition took place at special event June 10 at the Santa Catalina dock of the Port of Las Palmas, the turnaround port in the Canary Islands. It was Mein Schiff 2’s last call before sailing to the Mediterranean for the summer season.

The Director of the Port Authority, Francisco Trujillo, highlighted the multiplier effect of the cruise industry on the economy. “A proof of the commitment of the port community and port authorities to the local economies of each of the islands is job creation in these difficult times,” he said.