Gibraltar Cruise Terminal

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Gibraltar Cruise Terminal
Island Cruises' MS Island Escape berthed alongside the Gibraltar Cruise Terminal at the Western Arm of the North Mole, Gibraltar Harbour
Map
General information
LocationWestern Arm of North Mole, Gibraltar Harbour, Gibraltar
Coordinates36°08′51″N 5°21′57″W / 36.147591°N 5.365775°W / 36.147591; -5.365775
Opened17 July 1997
Cost£600,000
OwnerGovernment of Gibraltar
Technical details
Floor area1,200 Square Metres
Design and construction
Architect(s)Dennis Mosquera
Main contractorProfield Contractors

The Gibraltar Cruise Terminal is located at the northern end of the Western Arm of the

sullage tank on the Western Arm, while a cruise ship was berthed nearby, ultimately resulted in the loss of life of a dock worker. In October 2011, the Government of Gibraltar
announced plans for expansion and renovation of the cruise terminal.

Design

An aerial view

In 1995, the Government of Gibraltar solicited bids for the design and construction of a new cruise terminal in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.

nautical motif, and lighting.[1][5]

Security

The public and restricted areas of the cruise terminal are separated by a

x-ray machines and metal detectors, as well as Gibraltar Customs and other officials.[1][5] The measures employed were based on recommendations made by Scotland Yard personnel.[1] Security is not limited to the terminal; access to Gibraltar Harbour is restricted. In addition to security on the land side of the harbour, the waters are patrolled by a combination of Gibraltar Port Authority, Royal Gibraltar Police, and Ministry of Defence (Gibraltar Defence Police and Royal Navy) vessels.[5]

First fifteen years

MV Aurora (2000) moored adjacent to the Gibraltar Cruise Terminal
Gibraltar Cruise Port (2010) from cable car

The Gibraltar Cruise Terminal opened on 17 July 1997.

Sea Princess, accompanied by her husband, received numerous gifts from a variety of Gibraltar companies and organisations.[8][9]

The cruise terminal has been acknowledged with awards, including two by Dream World Cruise Destinations in 2003 and 2008.[6][10] Following a severe storm that battered the building in October 2008, the terminal was renovated in time for the 2009 cruise season.[10] The terminal handled approximately three million cruise ship passengers in the fifteen years since the opening in 1997. Passenger traffic almost doubled over that period.[6] Gibraltar ranks fourth in cruise ports on the Iberian Peninsula, after Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Málaga, Spain.[4]

Explosion on the North Mole

After the explosion at North Mole (2011)

On 31 May 2011, a dozen passengers aboard the MS Independence of the Seas received injuries, most minor, after the explosion of a sullage tank that contained water and used oil.[11][12] The Royal Caribbean International cruise ship had been docked at the cruise terminal on the North Mole, and the blast was believed to have occurred as the result of a spark from welding operations on the tank that was also positioned on the Western Arm of the North Mole.[11][12] Immediately following the explosion, the vessel moved away from the breakwater. There was no substantial damage to the cruise ship.[11][12] Spanish dock workers that had been welding the tank, and a policeman, were also injured, one of them seriously.[11][12] The explosion resulted in a fire that raged for hours and spread to an adjacent tank.[11] Thick, black smoke from the blaze necessitated suspension of flights at Gibraltar International Airport.[12]

One of the dock workers, 40-year-old Pedro Zambrano Lopez from

consultancy company based in the United Kingdom, whose study of the explosion was commissioned by the Government of Gibraltar.[13][16] Nature Port, on the other hand, pointed out that the Capita Symonds investigations were private and incomplete, and failed to address the inadequate emergency response at the time of the explosion and fire, and hired its own investigators. The company also demanded "an independent public inquiry into all aspects of the incident." Nature Port commissioned its own investigation of the emergency response, which found "serious failings on the part of the port and emergency services."[13]

The Capita Symonds reports indicated that the explosion was due to holes in the tank rooftops secondary to corrosion. The perforations permitted the escape of flammable vapour, which was then ignited during the welding operations. While Capita Symonds did not address the issue of the emergency response to the explosion, it did address the advisability of having a sullage plant near a cruise terminal. "The concept of having a processing plant in the current location is potentially hazardous and high risk, made more so due to the presence of low flashpoint products." In addition, just five months before the explosion, Nature Port received permission to expand their facility northward and paid over £300,000 for additional land. Their licence to operate on the breakwater was suspended after the incident.[13][17]

Future expansion

Welcome sign at the cruise terminal

On 5 October 2011, the Government of Gibraltar announced the planned expansion of the cruise terminal. Their stated goal is to permit The Rock to accommodate larger cruise ships at the commercial port, as well as an increase in the number of passengers. The government also wishes to meet the needs of a variety of passengers. In addition to those customers for whom Gibraltar is a stop on their itinerary, the updated terminal and associated facilities will accommodate those who join or leave the vessel in Gibraltar, "partial turnaround" passengers. The first phase of the expansion will entail demolition of an adjacent structure, the former Ice Box Building, which has recently been utilised by M H Bland & Co. This will make available an additional 800 square metres (8,600 sq ft), increasing the facility from 1,200 square metres (13,000 sq ft) to 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft). The terminal will then be completely renovated.[6][18]

The expanded cruise terminal will feature an enlarged arrival area. That section of the building will include an information screen, seating, and an area for the Gibraltar Tourist Board. The portion of the terminal dedicated to security and immigration will be doubled in size, with separation of the areas serving the two sides of the Western Arm. New stairs and an elevator for the disabled will lead to a new mezzanine level with a cafeteria. The colour scheme inside the terminal will be changed to sand and terracotta. The exterior of the facility will also receive a new paint job, which will include a "Welcome to Gibraltar" sign on the roof of the building. The renovation will be completed with resurfacing of the Western Arm.[6][18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Cruise Liner Terminal". aboutourrock.com. About Our Rock. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. ^ "List of Crown Dependencies & Overseas Territories". fco.gov.uk. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b "An Outline of the Port Infrastructure". Port of Gibraltar Handbook 2010-11. Land & Marine Publications Ltd, on behalf of the Gibraltar Port Authority. 2010. p. 13. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Gibraltar Builds on its Status as a Mediterranean Cruise Gateway". Port of Gibraltar Handbook 2010-11. Land & Marine Publications Ltd, on behalf of the Gibraltar Port Authority. 2010. pp. 43–44. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Cruise - Facilities". gibraltarport.com. Port of Gibraltar. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d e Amanda Banks (10 October 2011). "Gibraltar Plans Expanded Cruise Terminal". tax-news.com. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Port of Gibraltar - Port Map". gibraltarport.com. Gibraltar Port Authority. 2011. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Gibraltar Cruise Terminal Welcomes it's One-Millionth Passenger". gibraltar.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. 10 June 2005. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Gibraltar Cruise Terminal Welcomes its One-Millionth Passenger". gibraltar.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. 16 June 2005. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Gibraltar wins cruise industry award". eturbonews.com. ETN Global Travel Industry News. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Major Fuel Tank Explosion at North Mole: Injuries". Gibraltar Chronicle. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  12. ^ a b c d e Oliver Smith (1 June 2011). "Cruise passengers injured in Gibraltar explosion". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Port Explosion - Nature Demands the Whole Truth". Vox - The Truly Independent Gibraltar Newspaper. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  14. ^ "New Government and New Year bring new priorities". Annual Report 2011. The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. p. 27. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Spaniard seriously hurt in Gibraltar fuel tanks explosion has died". Typically Spanish. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  16. ^ "Capita Symonds - About Us". capitasymonds.co.uk. Capita Symonds. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Port Explosion Report Reveals Tank Corrosion 'Easily' Detectable". Gibraltar Chronicle. 18 November 2011. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  18. ^ a b Brian Reyes (6 October 2011). "Government Announces Major Upgrade of Cruise Liner Terminal". Gibraltar Chronicle. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

External links

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