Thessaloniki to Welcome Fewer Cruise Ships but More Passengers in 2016

Photo source: Thessaloniki Port Authority

Fewer cruise ships are expected to dock at the port of Thessaloniki in 2016 compared to the previous year. However, the passenger count will be much more than it was in 2015.

According to data provided by the Athens News Agency, 30 cruise ships are expected to arrive in Thessaloniki this year, four less than in 2015, which will carry 30,000 passengers, against 25,963 in 2015.

The first cruise ship of the year arrived in the port of Thessaloniki on April 27. The last one of the season — the MV Minerva — is expected on November 18. October will be the month with the most cruise liner arrivals in Thessaloniki (nine cruise ships), followed by July (seven cruise ships) and September (seven cruise ships). Newcomers to the port of Thessaloniki this year include the MSC Opera and the Astoria.

According to available data of the Thessaloniki Port Authority, the cruise ships that dock in the port of Thessaloniki come mainly from Volos, Kavala and Istanbul and stay in the city from five to 23 hours, with the average standing at 11 hours.

As the Athens News Agency notes, the Thessaloniki Port Authority’s main aim is to place Thessaloniki on the map of cruise lines as a major destination in the Eastern Mediterranean, with growing passenger traffic and arrivals of modern large cruise ships.

The Thessaloniki Port Authority also added that tourists choose their cruise journeys depending on the sense of safety of the destinations. “Our country is a safe destination. The Thessaloniki Port offers services with high standards of safety and service.”