Santander Cruise Deluxe, the brand created by the Port Authority of Santander (APS), the Government of Cantabria and the Santander City Council for the organization of port calls and the promotion of cruise tourism, participated this week in Madrid in the ‘International Cruise Summit’, the leading cruise conference in Europe, where the main challenges and opportunities that will focus the sector for the coming years are recognized and examined.
On this occasion, the most relevant issues revolved around the conservation of the oceans through the promotion of sustainability in the industry, port security, the revolution at sea represented by the application of AI-driven systems, luxury markets, and the exploitation of new ports and destinations that are discovering the potential of cruises.
The representatives of Santander Cruise Deluxe also took the opportunity to invite different cruise lines to visit Cantabria through their participation in a ‘fam trip’, a familiarization trip to get to know the region firsthand. For Sophie Lanos, cruise manager of the APS, “it is about presenting to the cruise lines and those responsible for creating the itineraries the advantages of calling at Santander. We have a wonderful entrance to the port through the Bay and a Maritime Station in the heart of the city, but, in addition, we offer exclusive experiences a short distance from the berth, which allows for better use of time at the destination.”
“We have a very high-quality product and our goal is to make it known. The cruise industry represents a magnificent opportunity to boost economic growth while also deseasonalizing tourism in our community,” she added. Santander Cruise Deluxe was also present at a meeting of the Cruise Lines International Association Spain (CLIA) to learn about the state of the cruise industry in Spain and the steps to be taken to adopt environmental practices and technologies with the aim of achieving net zero emissions. Cantabria has closed this 2025 with the visit of 20 cruise ships, although it is expected that in 2026, the figure will exceed 30 calls at the port of Santander.
Beatriz Calzada, new president of Cruise Atlantic Islands
For its part, the Port Authority of Las Palmas has assumed the presidency of the International Association of Macaronesian Island Ports, Cruise Atlantic Islands, during the II General Assembly of the entity, held this November 17 in Madrid, within the framework of the International Cruise Summit 2025, the main European summit dedicated to the cruise industry.
The president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, thus takes over from Paula Cristina de Araújo Dias Cabaço da Silva, president of the port of Madeira, who had served as president since the constitution of CAI in 2024. The renewal has been carried out in accordance with the annual rotating term established in the association’s statutes.
This second general assembly brought together representatives from the five member ports, Las Palmas, Madeira, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Açores, and Cabo Verde, with the goal of reinforcing coordination and advancing the strategic lines planned for the coming years.
After assuming the presidency, Beatriz Calzada highlighted the importance of this new stage for the association, stating that “it is an honor to assume the presidency of Cruise Atlantic Islands on behalf of the Port Authority of Las Palmas. Macaronesia is a strategic space for the cruise industry and cooperation between ports is essential to continue growing, diversifying markets, and strengthening our presence in the Atlantic.”
Calzada expressly thanked the work carried out by her predecessor: “I want to recognize the work and commitment of Paula Cabaço, whose leadership has been key to launching this association and consolidating its first steps. We will continue to promote a common agenda based on sustainability, joint promotion, and improving the competitiveness of all our ports.”
During the meeting, held at the Hotel Meliá Castilla in Madrid, the progress of the actions planned in the 2025–2027 Commercial and Marketing Plan was approved, the operational guidelines for the next fiscal year were validated, and the creation of an internal management structure to consolidate the association’s functioning under the Spanish legal framework was discussed.
Established in February 2024, the International Association of the Ports of the Macaronesian Islands, under the brand Cruise Atlantic Islands, aims to globally promote the port destinations of Azores, Madeira, Canarias, and Cabo Verde, strengthening their positioning in the cruise sector and facilitating collaboration between the member ports. Among its main purposes are joint promotion, the development of regional itineraries, information exchange, training, research, and participation in international cruise fairs and forums.
The general assembly concluded with a commitment to continue advancing the joint agenda and to further position Cruise Atlantic Islands as a benchmark in the Atlantic for cruise lines and tourism operators. In this vein, the Port Authority of Las Palmas is undertaking this presidency with the goal of consolidating the planned actions for 2026, boosting the international visibility of Macaronesia as a sustainable cruise destination, and reinforcing cooperation among the five member ports.
