Numerous alarm clocks sounded on Saturday, January 18, earlier than usual for some residents of Tenerife. The locals are well aware of the excitement surrounding Princess Leonor’s visit to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and consequently, they opted to rise early to be among the first to experience the public tours taking place over the weekend. Undoubtedly, the presence of the Crown’s heir as part of the crew of the Training Ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano has sparked considerable interest among the community during this 62nd stopover of the vessel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, having never seen such long queues of eager visitors wishing to board.
The umbrellas proved to be invaluable for the inquisitive attendees, who gradually began to equip themselves with bottles of water and snack packets to endure the lengthy wait. However, patience was not a trait possessed by all, as throughout the morning, when the sun began to rise strongly, many chose to abandon the queue after waiting for approximately half an hour.
Around ten in the morning, the bustling activity was palpable on the Port-City promenade, as the curious who joined the queue mingled with cruise passengers disembarking from various floating hotels docked in the harbour. As anticipated, the security measures were notably heightened on this occasion due to the Princess’s presence among the group of young crew members.
Though few dared to admit it, the media attention generated by this stopover of the training ship in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the first carried out during this XCVII training cruise, has resulted in larger public turnout, with individuals hoping to catch a glimpse of Princess Leonor at some point. Consequently, as they stood waiting, some took the opportunity to recount the instances when the royal family had visited Tenerife in recent years. Furthermore, upon boarding the vessel, the crew’s explanations were often accompanied by discreet glances in every direction, attempting to spot the heir to the Crown, who was visible for a few moments before disembarking for a brief city tour.
As is typical during these public open days, interested individuals were allowed access to the ship in small groups, wandering across the seven decks while discovering the ship’s details with assistance from the crew, proceeding at their own leisurely pace and snapping photographs of every feature. Sisters Elena and Sandra Melián arrived from Granadilla de Abona, making excellent use of their time onboard, where they enjoyed a nearly hour-long tour and conversed with many non-commissioned officers responsible for explaining various ship details. They were accompanied by young Carla and Alexia Rodríguez, who witnessed the challenging life aboard this ship, which set sail from Cádiz on January 11 and still has six months of sailing ahead.
On this inaugural day of public visits, attendees arrived from various parts of the island and even from outside Tenerife. For instance, María del Carmen Gómez, who hails from Gran Canaria, is visiting the island during these days. She has previously toured other vessels that have docked at the Canary Islands, which opened their doors to the public, and since she enjoyed that experience, she chose to visit the Juan Sebastian de Elcano this time at Puerto Chicharrero. Nonetheless, she admitted that she had never faced such a lengthy queue as the one accompanying this vessel during its stopover.
