'Todos a bordo' Program Brings Cruises to Bay of Cadiz Schools

Monday, October 5, 2026. The president of the Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Cádiz, Teófila Martínez; the delegate of the Junta de Andalucía Government in Cadiz, Mercedes Colombo; and the territorial delegate for Education in Cadiz, José Ángel Aparicio Hormigo, today presented the educational program 'Todos a bordo', an initiative aimed at bringing the world of cruises and port activity closer to 5th and 6th-grade primary students from schools in Cadiz, Puerto Real, and El Puerto de Santa María.

'Todos a bordo' is an international educational project designed by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and developed by various port authorities in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The initiative proposes to bring the reality of cruises into classrooms through dynamic and interactive sessions where schoolchildren can learn, firsthand from APBC staff, about the different professions that make a ship's operation and a port call possible.

Beyond learning about these professions, the program aims to convey some of the values that are part of coexistence on board a cruise, such as tolerance, cultural diversity, respect for other cultures, teamwork, and commitment to environmental protection.

During the presentation, the president of the APBC highlighted the importance of bringing the port closer to new generations: "we want the children of the Bay to know the port they have next to them. To understand that the port is not just the place where ships arrive and depart; that behind its docks there is employment, economic activity, logistics, services, technology, and many professional opportunities," she pointed out.

In this regard, 'Todos a bordo' also seeks to show schoolchildren professions they may not know and introduce them to job opportunities related to the maritime and port sector, in addition to potentially awakening new vocations linked to these sectors in the future.

For her part, the delegate of the Junta de Andalucía Government in Cadiz, Mercedes Colombo, highlighted that the "Todos a Bordo" program represents an opportunity to bring 5th and 6th-grade primary students closer to a reality in their immediate environment, such as the Port of the Bay of Cadiz, using an active, participatory, and game-based methodology. For the delegate, it is important that the program is developed in 60 schools in Cadiz, Puerto Real, and El Puerto de Santa María, enabling schoolchildren to learn about different professions linked to the maritime and port sector, and understand how the coordinated work of people with different responsibilities makes the operation of a cruise, and in a broader sense, a port, possible.

Mercedes Colombo stressed that the proposal incorporates educational values especially relevant at these ages, such as teamwork, cultural diversity, tolerance, respect for other cultures, and commitment to the environment, while also contributing to broadening students' knowledge of possible professional paths.

Finally, the delegate of the Andalusian Government in the province recalled that this initiative is part of an educational collaboration line with a future projection, which will continue with activities linked to the 125th anniversary of the Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Cádiz in 2027.

The presentation of 'Todos a bordo' has also served to advance some of the initiatives that the Autoridad Portuaria is preparing for the 125th anniversary of the constitution of the Junta de Obras del Puerto de Cádiz.

Work is already underway on a program of commemorative events and activities in which schools and students of the Bay will also play a leading role.

The celebration will be an opportunity to bring the history of the Port of the Bay of Cadiz closer to new generations, but also its present and future. In this framework, among other initiatives, a research project aimed at high school students is being prepared, which will invite them to learn about how the port currently is and what the situation and prospects of the sector are so that, based on this analysis, they can design the port of 25 years from now. The winning project will be part of a time capsule that will be opened in 2052, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the constitution of the Junta de Obras. In this way, the Autoridad Portuaria wants the celebration of the 125th anniversary to be not only a look at the past but also an opportunity for new generations to participate in building the vision of the port of the future.