NPR. It has been a fraught tourism season in Barcelona this year. Public opposition

against crowds of visitors including from local protesters reached a fever

pitch and there is particular grumbling about cruise ships,

these massive vessels like floating cities

that carry thousands of passengers at a time.

Yeah, Barcelona is the largest cruise port in Europe.

Nearly 4 million passengers cruise through the city last year.

And Juani Perez, who's a hospitality worker in Barcelona,

she says it has just gotten out of hand.

In Barcelona, the Port of Barcelona, receive a mass cruxero,

the port of Barcelona receives more cruises than it should.

This is what's always being discussed among neighborhood associations, some anti-cruse platforms,

some political parties as well.

And Juani says you don't even have to work in hospitality to see how crowded it's gotten in Barcelona.

This cannot continue at these levels because it's affecting all of us.

This is the indicator for Planet Money.

I'm your cruise director, Adrian Ma.

And I'm your evening entertainment, Whelan Wong.

Today on the show, we look at how cruise ships are generating both mega revenues and mega headaches for Barcelona.

And we consider what cities options are for making the flow of visitors more sustainable.

This message is brought to you by Warby Parker. Their glasses start at $95,

including anti-reflective scratch-resistant prescription lenses that block 100% of UV rays.

...