Passengers arriving at Barcelona’s busy cruise terminals faced chaotic scenes Wednesday as angry port workers, protesting potential pay cuts of up to 8% stemming from a government audit of payroll discrepancies, set a barricade ablaze. The fiery roadblock near the Porta d’Europa bridge forced thousands of travelers from four docked cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, to abandon vehicle transport and haul their luggage on foot for approximately four hours. Riot police were deployed as the disruption, involving around 200 workers who argue they shouldn’t be penalized for administrative errors, brought a significant halt to operations in one of Europe’s busiest cruise destinations, which saw nearly 4 million passenger movements in 2025. This incident adds to rising tensions surrounding mass tourism in Barcelona, a city that has recently seen increased efforts to curb overtourism, including proposed higher taxes for short-stay cruise visitors.
Adapted from: Travel News Today on Fox News
