Taxis where the cruise ships dock
Lanzarote's cruise ships berth in Arrecife, a short walk from the centre, and outside the terminal a rank is drawn up. It is the shared days that change things: several calls at once stretch the line, so arriving with an idea of the wait, and of what to request, is worth having.
Where you get out, and where the cars line up
Disembarkation is at the cruise pier and the signposted rank sits at the gate of the enclosure, on the street that faces the seafront. Inside the terminal no trips are sold and nobody may offer a service to passengers on the pier: what you find is an orderly queue, one taxi behind the next.
When more than one ship is in
Two or three ships alongside at once push up the demand and stretch the wait, more so when most passengers are bound for the same hotels in the south. On days like that, ask at the rank how the queue is running, or ring the dispatch, and weigh the bus up if your destination sits on the line.
Cases off the ship
A cruise ends with several cases and often a hand trolley. Say how many pieces you have before you climb into the first taxi, so that you are not left standing on the pavement with two of them; where they do not fit, the rank points you to the next vehicle or the dispatch is called to send a larger one.
Getting from the pier to your bed
A hotel in Arrecife means a short run under the ordinary city fare. Further south or north and it lengthens, so ask before you set off whether it runs on the meter and which supplements apply. For the return to the ship with time to spare, ask early: the sailing hour does not move.
Frequently asked questions
Will taxis be waiting when a ship docks? ＋
The rank is prepared for the arrival and port staff organise the way out, but the wait depends on how many passengers come ashore together and where the bulk of them are going. On the big calls, the margin you allow counts.
Is there room for the cases off the cruise? ＋
Yes, so long as they fit in the boot. Give the number of pieces when you reach the rank; where there are many, you will be pointed to a larger taxi or the dispatch will be called so that nothing is left behind.
Can this site arrange a transfer from the port? ＋
No. Lanzarote.taxi explains how the service works and publishes checked and dated data, but it takes no bookings, charges no amounts and has no agreements with operators. The transfer is asked for at the rank or by ringing the relevant dispatch.