The Double Weekly Rotation of the Ferry “Volcán de Tinamar” Strengthens the Growth and Success of the Cádiz-Canary Islands Route

Brothers Ramón and Manuel Acosta Merino travel once or twice a year between Tenerife and Cádiz with their van to tour the Peninsula. Both are veterans of the maritime world and ships. Ramón, now retired, sailed on fishing boats and as a sailor on Fred. Olsen Express and finally as a captain in the Boluda launch service at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Manuel, Lolo, is a professional stevedore at the port of Las Palmas, where he has worked for over 30 years.

Last year they traveled to Cádiz on the ferry “Volcán de Tinamar” when it doubled the Cádiz line with the “Ciudad de Valencia” and this year they planned to do it on the ferry “Buenavista Express”, but the delay in the incorporation of the Fred. Olsen Express ship to the Huelva line forced them to repeat the trip on the “Volcán de Tinamar” and they say they were pleasantly surprised: “This has nothing to do with what we knew a year ago. Now it is a pleasure to travel on this ship, the crew is very friendly. You can tell the change, the ship is very clean and tidy,” they highlight.

“We took a dip in the pool, it’s one of the things we like most about this ship and we’ve been to the gym a couple of times,” they add. “The food is good, there’s a variety to choose from; we, who like rice, find that they make top-notch paellas here and it’s a big, comfortable ship that sails very well. We spent a night on board, which is ideal for a trip like this, of about 700 miles.”

Ramón and Manuel acknowledge that the ship still needs to improve in some areas, such as the corridors of the cabins and the clarity of the windows, for example, “but the change is noticeable and surely this will continue to improve.” And it is true that there is still work to be done on board this great ship, as there are details that are inherited from the previous stage. All of this will be resolved according to a budget and an established schedule, in successive stages in the coming weeks, as explained by the company.

Baleària Canarias has concluded the summer of 2026 with a high occupancy rate, both for passengers and vehicles, and for rolling cargo on the Cádiz-Canary Islands route, which has continued into the autumn, to the point that there have been trips where there are no cabins available.

Since taking over the Cádiz-Canary Islands route, Baleària Canarias has increased the number of crew members serving the ferry “Volcán de Tinamar”. Most of the crew comes from Naviera Armas and knows their ship well. Among them are Captain Francisco Torres Pozo, from Cádiz, and Chief Engineer Sergio Luis, who comes from La Aldea de San Nicolás, a land of sailors from Gran Canaria and is passionate about the history of the Canary Islands. Another veteran of this ship is the purser Aday Castro, who has been at sea for 20 years and the ferry “Volcán de Tinamar” feels like his home.

To facilitate the adaptation process of this new stage to Baleària's criteria, hotel director Vicente Cabrera is on board, a trusted person of Adolfo Utor and the Onboard Services Management, who is very attentive to ensuring that everything works as well as possible.

At breakfast, lunch, or dinner, for example, everything is arranged like a well-organized machine so that the workflow between the kitchen, self-service, and dining room runs smoothly. The crew is friendly, attentive, smiles, and performs their duties with agility and good disposition.

During the journey, the pool kiosk is a must-visit and the aft bar, for example, operates 24 hours and as a novelty on this ship, it has a well-equipped gym that receives frequent visits from passengers who want to stay fit during the crossing. Almost at midnight, there is cleaning staff on duty, cleaning thoroughly, checking tables, windows, and noting incidents.

Although the change is noticeable, there is still much work to be done on board. Vicente Cabrera and Aday Castro appear at any moment, unannounced, touring the ship and looking with a critical eye, which is the eye of experience.