Limassol port to host 26 cruise calls
Cyprus’ cruise season began on Wednesday with the arrival of Marella Discovery II at the port of Limassol, according to an announcement by operator DP World Limassol.
This marks the country’s first ‘Fly and Cruise’ operation since the Covid-19 pandemic, something which the port operator described as a “reaffirmation of its place in the Eastern Mediterranean cruise market”.
Moreover, DP World Limassol’s dedicated cruise terminal will serve as the cruise liner’s home port for the entire 2025 season.
Operated by Marella Cruises, a UK-based subsidiary of TUI Group, the vessel features 11 passenger decks, 918 cabins, and a range of facilities including an outdoor cinema, a rock-climbing wall and a minigolf course.
The company also said that the cruise ship is scheduled to make 26 calls between April and November.
This also marks the first full ‘Fly and Cruise’ package to Cyprus since the pandemic.
This means that travellers will fly into Larnaca and Paphos before transferring directly to the terminal in Limassol.
“The selection of DP World Limassol’s cruise terminal as the home port is a major vote of confidence in the facilities available at the port,” the company stated.
“It is also an endorsement of Cyprus’ air connectivity and tourism infrastructure, as the island is the primary embarkation and disembarkation point for passengers,” it added.
The ship’s maiden voyage runs for eight days, with stops in Kusadasi, Mykonos, Piraeus, Souda (Crete) and Rhodes before returning to Cyprus.
“The cruise industry is a crucial and vibrant part of Cyprus’ tourism sector,” said Simon Pitout, CEO of DP World Limassol.
“It’s exciting to welcome the Marella Discovery II to DP World Limassol’s cruise terminal as its home port for the 2025 season,” he continued. “Limassol is becoming one of the key ports for cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, and we will keep investing to ensure that we continue to support our customers growth and success.”
Pitout added that the company “will keep investing to ensure that we continue to support our customers’ growth and success.”
Kris Adams, Executive Vice president for Eastern Europe at DP World, said the company’s long-term approach had paid off.
“The cruise industry went through a volatile period,” he said.
“But we have continued to grow and evolve our services for our customers so that we would be well-placed to benefit when the industry started to recover,” he added.
“It was the right decision, and we are now starting to see the results,” he concluded.