Piraeus Port Authority estimates that within 2022, more than 700 cruise ships are expected to arrive at the Port, of which more than 60% concern homeport arrivals at Piraeus. It is noted that in 2019, before the pandemic outbreak, 622 cruise ships were served.

The dynamic restart of the cruise is obvious, since it has been achieved a recovery rate of around 60% in 2021, compared to 2019 in terms of the number of cruise vessels. It is noted that in 2020 there was a decrease of 88% compared to 2019 due to the pandemic. For 2022 it is expected an increase to 18% compared to 2019. At the same time in 2022, new brands are scheduled to reach the Port, such as Virgin Cruises, as well as the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. It is noted that about 60% concern homeport cruises, which have a positive contribution to the local and national economy.

Yu Zenggang, Chairman of the Piraeus Port Authority welcomed the resumption of the cruise, saying: “The immediate and rapid restart of the cruise proves the dynamics of the Port of Piraeus due to its high-end service provisioning, the support offered during the pandemic to the cruise companies but also the port’s unique geographic hub location. It is certain that with the end of the pandemic the port will prove once again as one of the best ports in the Mediterranean and Europe and it will further enhance the position of Greece’s tourist industry in Europe”. Chairman Yu Zenggang also pointed out that the expected arrivals will be carried out in strict compliance with the Covid-19 protection and safety measures.

Piraeus Port Authority SA is a Greece-based company engaged in the management and operation of Piraeus port, Greece largest post. The main activities of Piraeus Port Authority SA are ships’ anchoring services, handling cargo, loading and unloading services as well as goods storage and car transportation. The Company is also responsible for the maintenance of port facilities, the supply of port services (water, electric current and telephone connection, among others), for services provided to travelers and for renting space to third parties. The main shareholder of Piraeus Port Authority SA is COSCO SHIPPING with a stake of 67 percent, one of the world’s largest maritime operators.