The London-based cruise company, Noble Caledonia, has announced the inclusion of Gibraltar as the turnaround port for two of its 2016 itineraries in the area. And it is hoped this might encourage other cruise companies to feature the Rock in like manner.
For the Rock's cruise industry this represents a major breakthrough, and Gibraltar will feature in two of the ship's voyages in October and November next year.
The 'Morocco Bound and Beyond' tour takes in coastal Morocco and the Canary Islands from 2 - 14 November 2016.
On arrival in Gibraltar airport by scheduled flight from London, passengers will transfer to the MS Serenissima. Passengers will board the vessel on the first day and spend a full day on the following day visiting the Rock's main tourist attractions, before continuing the journey to Casablanca on day three.
Gibraltar will also feature in the 'Caliphs and Kings' themed cruise which will explore the architecture and art of Islamic Spain from 25 October - 2 November 2016.
After boarding in Seville, the cruise ship is scheduled to sail to Malaga and Motril and then on to Gibraltar, where holiday-makers will disembark for a complete day to be spent exploring local visitor attractions, including a lecture on the Rock's history. The final stage of the cruise is the transfer to the Gibraltar airport for the scheduled return flight to London.
This is the first 'turnaround' in Gibraltar for many years, a 'turnaround' being the term used when a cruise commences or finishes at a destination. Gibraltar has the modern facilities at the cruise terminal to cope with turnaround business, something the Government of
Gibraltar has keenly pursued, in addition to normal port-of-call operations. The move by Noble Caledonia will provide further opportunities for the port in terms of bunkering, stores, crew changes etc.
Minister for Tourism, Samantha Sacramento, welcomed this exciting development for Gibraltar's cruise and tourist industry, noting the extra economic benefits that would accrue from the additional presence of tourists at visitor attractions, Main Street and other retail outlets and restaurants.
"We are delighted at the encouraging news that Noble Caledonia has included Gibraltar as the turnaround port for two itineraries in 2016. This is a major breakthrough for us, which underlines the untiring efforts of the Gibraltar Tourist Board and our other partners and stakeholders in the private sector.
"Thanks to the efforts of this Government, Gibraltar has become a successful, internationally-recognised maritime hub of excellence. We have also been very supportive of the Gibraltar cruise industry and we are beginning to reap the fruits of our hard work.
"Noble Caledonia's initiative represents a great step forward and further evidence that the global cruise industry has complete confidence in our role as a leading port of call in the western Mediterranean.
"I am confident this will trigger further interest from other cruise operators to follow Noble Caledonia's example and that Gibraltar's position as cruise port and turnaround port will be further enhanced in the not too distant future."
13-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Certificates and warrant cards for Customs
August 13, 2015
The Collector of Customs recently presented certificates to officers who had successfully qualified as single engined RHIB coxswains. As part of their development training, officers will now progress onto vessels with twin and triple engines. Members of the Department of the Environment's Marine Protection Section also participated in this training.
This training is delivered by local HM Customs instructors and covers the use of interceptor vessels in law enforcement scenarios. These courses are fully endorsed by the Gibraltar Maritime Administration.
Also, the Acting Chief Minister Dr J Cortes has recently visited the Customs Training Section and presented warrant cards to officers who had completed their eleven week recruit training programme. This is the fourth of five scheduled intakes for 2015, forming part of the HM Customs modernisation programme.
13-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Voice of Gibraltar tells Cameron: You are doing nothing about Spain's harassment
August 13, 2015
The Voice of Gibraltar Group feel that the British government "and you as the prime minister are doing nothing" about all the harassment Gibraltar is getting from Spain, day after day, Prime Minister David Cameron has been told by the Group in a letter signed by Julio Pons and Eddie Bonfante.
Cameron and his government are accused of being crossed handed and we Gibraltarians as British Citizens want action and not words.
They give as an example the Spanish police ie (Guardia Civil) having acted irresponsibly and endangering elderly, children's and all other swimmers, but this is not the only time that we get incursions into your British territorial waters. 'We as British Citizens ask you as the British Prime Minister: 'What are you waiting for to take action? For someone from the Gibraltar law enforcements or a member of the community to be killed or seriously injured.
Also we as VOGG closely monitor all the harassment we are suffering from Spain, so allow us to point out our situation throughout this many years, first but not least the border queues we have been suffering delays both Spanish nationals and British citizens which either live in Spain or travel for recreational purposes are suffering delays up to seven hours delay which we experienced in the summer of 2014. It is a coincidence that we have long delays when the summer season arrives ie when tourist enter Gibraltar which is clear that the only aim is to affect the Gibraltar economy.
Proof of all the above has been sent by minister Joseph Garcia to the EU and we strongly believe that you and your government must have been informed but once again unfortunately you are doing nothing about the welfare of Gibraltar or Gibraltarians, ie British Citizens.
Cordoba agreement was dissolved when Mr Mariano Rajoy came Into power, and all which the British and Gibraltar government had worked with the PSOE was thrown clown the drain in seconds as they don't recognise our Chief Minister or Government, well we ask the British government if you have a pension agreement toward Spanish workers, why after all these years the British government haven't frozen this agreement until all the situation is rectified by the Spanish Government, and we understand that with this restriction your relationship with Spain will be affected but allow us to say that Spain is not British but Gibraltar is.
The letter adds: Also we have come to the conclusion that some times when we have a situation with Spain you send a representative to meet with our government, well Mr Prime Minister we the Gibraltarians ie British Citizens would like you to confront the situation on first hand: and if the Spanish Government complains so be it, but what we need is for the Prime Minister to stand up for Gibraltar in person, and not via video message on national day. A great example is our ex Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill who visited Gibraltar without thinking about the retaliation from Spain.
To summarise they remind him that Gibraltar's civilian population during the World War II was an event which dramatically changed the lives of Gibraltarians, the British government's decision to enforce mass evacuation from the crown colony of Gibraltar, in order to increase the strength of the Rock with British Armed Forces personnel only. Those with essential jobs were allowed to stay; however this event gave the entire community a heightened sense of Britishness by sharing in the war effort, and also the latest conflict which Gibraltar supported the United Kingdom to a very high standard was the Falklands Island conflict.
The VOGG will be more than happy to attend an organised meeting to express the feeling of the people of Gibraltar either in the UK or Gibraltar, they add.
13-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Waters around Gibraltar are not Spanish, Europe minister tells Spain
August 13, 2015
The Minister for Europe Mr Lidington has told Spain that the UK will continue to work in close cooperation with the Gibraltar Government. This comes following last weekend's repeated incursions by Spanish vessels and helicopters.
On Sunday, Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said that "it is completely unacceptable and unlawful under the international law of the sea to enter our waters without notifying us."
He added that the repeated incursions are a 'clear violation of UK sovereignty by another EU country.'
Now, Mr Lidington has reiterated the UK's protest against the unlawful incursions on 9 August in writing to Spanish Minister for Europe, Fernando Eguidazu Palacios.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said that the Minister had made clear that the UK is confident in its sovereignty over the whole of Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and refuted the assertion that the waters around Gibraltar are Spanish.
Mr Lidington called for "better cooperation with the Gibraltar law enforcement agencies, on the water and at the border; a need highlighted by Chief Minister Picardo in his statement of 9 August. The UK will continue to work in close cooperation with the Government of Gibraltar on achieving our mutual goal."
In a lengthy statement Mr Picardo said that the landing of vessels and, in particular, the flying of aircraft in Gibraltar, a terrain the relevant Spanish officers are unfamiliar with, is unlawful and unacceptable as it is a violation of the sovereignty of Gibraltar. Such activity is also extremely dangerous - especially in pitch darkness."
The violations were described as 'outrageous', with Guardia Civil vessels taking executive action in British Gibraltar territorial waters and boarding a Spanish pleasure craft off Eastern Beach, questioning the crew. A Spanish helicopter flying over Sandy Bay within 50 metres of people's homes also enraged everyone in Gibraltar, while in another incident a Spanish helicopter chased a Spanish fast boat through British waters. Scandalous.
While welcoming the protests that have already been made, the Gibraltar public expect that concrete action should follow, given the serious and dangerous nature of what has happened.
'HOT PURSUIT'
Meanwhile, Ashley Fox MEP, as a good friend of Gibraltar, has been defending the Gibraltar position but he gave the impression that he thinks that hot pursuit in territorial waters is acceptable.
When he said so, his attention should have been drawn to what an EU spokeswoman said two days ago in that 'hot pursuits' over land frontiers may be acceptable in the right curcumstances, but this does not apply in respect of maritime situations.
13-08-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR