Cruise passengers face blocked access as angry protesters set barricades on fire
About 200 Barcelona port workers blocked an access road to a cruise terminal for roughly four hours on Wednesday, setting a barricade of branches on fire. The disruption forced passengers to carry their luggage on foot and highlighted a dispute over possible pay cuts following a government audit.
Four cruise ships carrying more than 13,000 passengers were in port, including Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, Mein Schiff 7, AIDAmar and Norwegian Escape. Workers fear the audit’s payroll discrepancies could lead to cuts of up to 8%; their committee says employees should not bear the cost, while the port says it must correct the discrepancies and denies wrongdoing. Barcelona recorded nearly four million cruise passenger movements in 2025, amid wider debate over tourism and its effects on the city.
In short
- Port workers blocked a Barcelona cruise terminal road for about four hours.
- More than 13,000 passengers were aboard ships affected by the disruption.
- Workers fear an audit could lead to pay cuts of up to 8%.
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The case for
Workers can argue that employees should not lose up to 8% of their pay because of payroll discrepancies identified in a government audit, particularly before responsibility and any errors are fully established. Their protest draws attention to the risk that workers bear the cost of correcting accounting problems while the port and the city benefit from a large cruise industry.
The case against
The port can argue that it has a responsibility to correct discrepancies identified by an audit and ensure payroll is accurate, while denying wrongdoing. Blocking terminal access and setting a barricade alight also disrupted thousands of passengers, who may reasonably expect safe, reliable access even while workers’ pay concerns are addressed.
Explained simply
Barcelona is one of Europe’s busiest cruise ports, serving ships whose passengers travel to and from the city by road. Its port workers help keep those operations running, while cruise companies bring large numbers of visitors through the terminal.
The dispute centres on a government audit that found discrepancies in the port’s payroll. Workers fear these could lead to pay cuts of up to 8 per cent; their committee says staff should not bear the cost, while the port says it needs to correct the discrepancies and denies wrongdoing.
The argument comes as Barcelona faces debate over the effects of tourism on the city. Cruise travel brings visitors and business, but the large passenger numbers also put pressure on transport and other city services.