The adoption of the European directives to be observed by passengers and crew on cruise ships in Greek ports, due to the coronavirus, that have already been announced and are expected to receive the “green light” within the week from the General Secretariat for Civil Protection does not translate into the universal opening of the cruise sector in Greece.

The Association of Cruise Ship Owners and Maritime Agencies president Theodoros Kontes stressed in a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that the implementation of the cruise passenger protocols that have already been announced and are to be approved does not mean that this will translate into the resumption of the cruise sector in August as it takes a long time for the crews but also for the companies to prepare.

Asked if there are currently any cruise ships scheduled for Greece, Kontes said that some small companies have announced that they can start small cruises for three or four days without reaching the Greek ports due to increased measures for the protection of passengers. Regarding the large cruise ship companies, Kontes said that no company has announced the launch of itineraries in Greece before September.

Source: AMNA