Greece’s relevant tourism minister on Monday announced record-setting cruise ship bookings for the coming summer season, saying 807 vessels have scheduled holiday cruises in Greek waters, up 19 percent compared with 2022 figures
Minister Vassilis Kikilias said 607 bookings for homeport cruises have also been registered, up 38 percent for 2022
Pre-booking figures for the port of Piraeus show the arrival of 786 cruise ships this year, up 16 percent from 2022, and at higher levels than before the pandemic. Homeport arrivals at the Piraeus also show a 30-percent increase from 2019.
Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) Deputy CEO Capt. Jin Beiyuan also expressed satisfaction over what he called the “dynamic course” of the cruise sector in Greece’s largest and busiest port.
Chinese multinational Cosco owns a majority stake of PPA and holds its management in a long-term concession.