An Event Called 'Britannia'

Since the late 1920s, P&O has been part of the maritime tourism history of La Palma. After a hiatus until the 1960s, when its ships returned to the shelter of Risco de la Concepción, it was from the late 1980s that cruise traffic was significantly reactivated and has been increasing ever since.

The century-old British shipping company resulting from the merger of Peninsular & Oriental Line is present every season at the port of La Palma, as both the company and the tourists, many of whom are repeat visitors, know La Palma well and enjoy it. Except for a few exceptional cases, the local political class with responsibilities in this area is not interested in maritime tourism. However, the Port Authority is, and thanks to them and the agents and other entrepreneurs who defend what they believe in and the interests of shipping companies, the position has been maintained.

Seen in all its length, from the starboard side

Seen from the starboard fin, upon arrival at the entrance

Regarding the first call of P&O Cruises' flagship at the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma, the arrival of the brand new “Britannia” has been quite an event. On board, 4,300 passengers and nearly 1,400 crew members flooded the historic center of the capital of La Palma for a few hours, while hundreds more took contracted excursions to explore the interior of the island.

We saw several buses on the Cumbre road serving Ten Travel, a well-known specialized agency in England based in Puerto de la Cruz, along with others from Transportes de La Palma, providing excellent service and professional quality. The bars in the island capital were overflowing. Traditional commerce, not so much. At noon, there was an exchange of plaques on board led by Captain Paul Brown, who is a notable figure in the maritime sector of his country.

This is the first of two scheduled calls for this ship this year. The next one is planned for June 11. There may be a third. Although the ship is large, it is not true, as some media have reported, that the “Britannia” is the largest ship to have called at La Palma, as it is surpassed by the iconic “Queen Mary 2” and also by the ships “Liberty of the Seas” and “Independence of the Seas,” which are the largest so far.

A good friend and fellow countryman, José Ayut Santos, who has the soul of a photographer and musician, sent us some photos of the arrival and stay of the iconic British ship at the port of La Palma. The pilot Francisco Noguerol Cajén also does this, who had the honor this morning of advising Captain Paul Brown during the entry maneuver and will do so again this afternoon for the departure maneuver, scheduled for 6:30 PM.

Maneuvering backward to dock port side at the pier

The height of the stern of the ship is impressive

The maneuver was carried out with precision and normalcy

Seen in all its length on its first call at the port of La Palma

The maneuvering officer checks the operation's progress

Preparing the call for disembarkation in the capital of La Palma

'Britannia', naval registration of Southampton

Carlos Concepción, representative of the Port Authority and Captain Paul Brown, during the traditional exchange of plaques

Photos: José Ayut Santos and Francisco Noguerol Cajén