DP World Limassol bid farewell to Royal Caribbean “Jewel of the Seas” for the last time this year, on Saturday, 30 October 2021. On the occasion of the cruise ship’s last departure from Limassol, which has been its home port this year, DP World Limassol’s Interim Operations Manager, Mr. Ernesto Osorio, and Terminal Supervisor, Ms. Katerina Constantinou, exchanged plaques with the captain of Jewel of the Seas, Mr. Anders Bjornar Ingebrigtsen.

The “Jewel of the Seas” first began sailing from Limassol on 10 July 2021 and completed a total of 17 seven-night cruises, calling at Piraeus, Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos, Santorini, and back to Limassol. Although the cruise ship was required to operate at reduced capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions, it managed to carry about 23,000 passengers, whose spending generated significant economic activity and created various job opportunities.

Throughout the cruise season, DP World Limassol served cruise ship passengers and operating crews in a safe manner, adhering to all the local and international cruise protocols and ensuring that all personal protective measures and social distancing measures were strictly followed – always in close coordination with the relevant stakeholders.

In statements, the CEO of DP World Limassol, Mr Nawaf Abdulla, referred to the importance of the cruise sector for the country’s economic recovery, adding that “Royal Caribbean’s decision to make Limassol its home port this year gave fresh momentum to the country’s cruise sector, which had been going through a challenging year due to the pandemic, while it encouraged more major cruise lines to make Limassol their home port as of 2022”.

“We are proud to have gained the trust of a leading cruise operator like Royal Caribbean, in cooperation with their local agent, and we are confident that this is only the beginning of a long-term partnership. Besides, according to our latest cruise schedule, the company will start cruising from Limassol port in May 2022. Cruise operators are gradually starting to recover from the pandemic, but this will take time”, he pointed out, adding that he believes that the industry will return to 2019 levels in late 2023-early 2024. Furthermore, he said that “cruise tourism can offset traditional tourism seasonal cycles, as well as create the conditions to diversify our tourism base and attract tourists from non-traditional markets”.