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June has been a busy month for cruise traffic in Málaga, and it is ending with a flourish. Two ships are making their first ever visits to the port in the final days of the month, and they could hardly be more different from each other.

 

The first arrives on Saturday June 27, when four cruise ships are scheduled to dock. One of them will be the Douglas Mawson, a compact 104-metre expedition vessel owned by Sunstone Ships and sailing under the flag of Aurora Expeditions. Built for polar voyages, it is part of a series of seven sister ships known affectionately as "egg ships" thanks to their distinctive inverted bows. With capacity for just 154 passengers across 87 cabins, it is a world away from the usual cruise ship, and its visit to Málaga will be brief, just five hours, before it continues its summer Mediterranean itinerary.

 

Then, on Tuesday June 30, something altogether more spectacular arrives. Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will sail into Málaga for its international media launch before beginning commercial operations on July 4 from the Italian port of Civitavecchia. The numbers are staggering: 365 metres long, 20 decks, a grand glass dome, 250,800 gross tonnage and capacity for up to 7,600 passengers. Alongside its sister ships Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, the Legend of the Seas is considered one of the largest cruise ships in the world. Málaga gets to be the stage for its global debut, and the occasion will be marked with a fireworks display as the ship departs.

 

By the end of June, the port will have welcomed a total of 25 cruise ship calls during the month, including three maiden visits, with the Legend of the Seas arrival easily the most high-profile of them all.

 

For anyone who enjoys watching the comings and goings at Málaga's waterfront, the last week of June is worth keeping an eye on.

 

 

Image: wikicommons