Virgin's cruise extends its stay in the Bay of Malaga

Since last October, it has become a common sight off the coasts of the capital. It is the 'Brilliant Lady' cruise ship of ... the Virgin shipping line, which has chosen the Bay and the port of Malaga to train its staff and practice the necessary maneuvers before its next commissioning. The novelty now is that the ship, which was initially going to be in Malaga waters until May, will extend its stay, so it will remain until the summer, as confirmed by the Port Authority.

The 'Brilliant Lady' is scheduled to be inaugurated in August in New York, and then it will start its routes in Miami; so it still has a few more months in front of La Malagueta, where it will continue with the necessary certifications and inspections, as well as the training of its professionals. Precisely, the good connections of the airport with all of Europe have been key to choosing this environment. The shipping line has announced the first route in the Caribbean on September 5th.

The large-sized cruise ship left the shipyard last year and it is the first time that a shipping line of this type chooses the maritime environment of Malaga to launch one of its ships. For this, it is also entering and leaving the port, with the aim of practicing various nautical maneuvers, connecting to the 'fingers' (gangways), and for the tasks of provisioning food and materials, among others.

The cruise generates criticism for its gas emissions, although it is actually one of the least polluting in the world

The 'Virgin Brilliant Lady', flying the flag of the Bahamas, is 278 meters long by 38 meters wide, and has a gross tonnage of 110,000 tons. It can sail at a speed of 20 knots, according to the data available on the company's website. The ship has a capacity for 2,762 passengers, who will travel in 1,404 cabins (the vast majority with balconies and 78 suites). They are accompanied by 1,150 crew members.

The accommodation spaces and leisure offerings are distributed across 17 decks (with 14 elevators). The 'Brilliant Lady' is classified as a cruise ship of "maximum luxury level" and will be for adults only. Onboard there will be 12 bars and lounges, another 12 restaurants; cinema, library, spa, casino, jacuzzi (3); exhibition room; theater; laundry; game room and disco.

There will also be two indoor pools and one outdoor; a basketball court; running area and gym, as well as internet access. Gastronomy will be one of its strong points, and it will feature two world-famous American chefs: Brad Farmerie and Sohui Kim. This will be the fourth ship in the fleet of the shipping line, and its name pays homage to "the intelligence of women," according to the company.

Criticism for pollution

However, its prolonged presence in the Bay has also drawn criticism from residents of the eastern area, especially from areas closest to the coast, such as La Malagueta and Pedregalejo. According to them, the ship is continuously emitting large amounts of smoke, close to their homes.

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What is a Virgin cruise ship doing moored in the Bay of Malaga?

Regarding this, an engineer expert in this type of vessels consulted by SUR highlights that, while it is true that the ship must keep its engines running while it is moored, the machines are operating at a minimum, as it is practically without crew and empty of passengers.

Moreover, precisely this cruise ship, which is newly built, stands out for its high technological development, with all the innovations available in the market to reduce its consumption and emissions. In fact, these sources value it as one of the ships in its category "most advanced in terms of energy, waste, and cleaning of exhaust gases," with autonomous systems for self-supply of electricity and minimal fuel consumption.

Therefore, its real impact is much lower than any other ship moored, especially the container ships, which also usually remain in the Bay for days. Precisely, Malaga has very little impact from ships in anchorage, compared to other major ports. The website VesselFinder, which allows knowing the position of any ship on the map, indicates that last April 15 there were 11 ships in the waters of Algeciras and another ten in Gibraltar. "Anchoring is a normal and usual practice in the environment of other large port cities," such as Valencia, Barcelona, and Huelva.