The captain of the brand new Seven Seas Explorer luxury cruise ship decided after all not to venture into Portimão’s harbour in a move that has left local businesses angry that nothing yet has been done to enable large cruisers to dock with ease and safety.
The head of the Algarve ports authority, now run from Sines, said everything had been ready to welcome the massive cruise ship but the Captain decided he was not going to risk it, citing ‘sea conditions’ as the reason to skip Portimão.
The ports authority said that there were enough tugs on stand-by with a large one having been sent down from Lisbon to help out, but the Captain’s word is the final one and local shopkeepers and restaurateurs will remain disappointed as will those who had laid on special trips for the passengers.
The €10 million dredging plan and upgrade for the docks at Portimão, announced as a ‘no brainer’ by the former Economy Minister Pires de Lima, remains mired in official reports and studies.
A major part of the problem is the Sines Ports Authority which was given the Algarve’s ports to run as an unwelcomed addition.
Investment to date has centred on the busy freight docks at Sines rather than in the Algarve which has had some cursory improvements at Faro docks and some passenger handling improvements in Portimão.
In 2015, the administration based in Sines said it planned "to invest €21.5 million in the year, €18.8 of it in Sines" - leaving Portimão the poor sister sharing the scraps with Faro.
The current government is as disinterested as the previous one in having Portimão's harbour dredged to boost the tourist trade but until this work is done, local traders can expect more ‘drive bys’ with larger cruise ships deciding to harbour only where safety is guaranteed.
The local council is in no position to complain, it has just borrowed €130 million from the government to convert short-term borrowings into a long-term burden.
See also:
'Portimão dock expansion might start in 2017, perhaps...'
'Cruise tourism - Lisbon grows fat as Portimão withers'
