Palma-bound cruise ship warned of risks of British nuclear submarine

The Royal Navy nuclear powered submarine, HMS Astute, arrived in Gibraltar last week and is moored in the naval base far from the main port area. But the environmentalist said: "Gibraltar must decide whether it wants a military port or a tourist port, the UK nuclear-powered submarine HMS Astute docking in Gibraltar's military port on 15 March 2025 puts the rock's tourism sector at risk."

The cruise ship Celebrity Apex was due to dock in Palma later today after the voyage from Gibraltar with thousands of passengers on board.

Related news

Massive armada of cruise ships heading for Mallorca this week

More related news

HMS Astute is the leading ship in a class of seven Royal Navy submarines which are nuclear powered but not nuclear armed. Last month HMS Astute´s sister ship, HMS Anson, also paid a visit to Gibraltar. The submarines are amongst the most modern in the world. Late last year, HMS Astute, surfaced alongside a Russian vessel which was allegedly "interfering" with undersea cables close to the British coastline.

Spanish environmentalists have long campaigned against the visit to Gibraltar of British and U.S. nuclear submarines.

On 20 July 2016, Ambush sustained damage to the top of her conning tower during a collision with a merchant ship while surfacing on an exercise in Gibraltarian waters. It was reported that no crew members were injured during the collision and that the submarine's nuclear reactor section remained undamaged.