MSC Cruises Expects 20% Growth in Greece and Cyprus for 2019

Photo Source: MSC Cruises

Global cruise giant MSC Cruises said it expects 20 percent growth in Greece and Cyprus in 2019, on the back of a 72 percent rise in 2018 and on top of a 31 percent increase in 2017.

Speaking at this year’s Ρosidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2019 held in Athens, last month, the company’s executive director, Angelo Capurro said that more than 2 million travelers have thus far visited Greek destinations on MSC Cruises.

The Geneva-based company, represented in Greece by Cruiseway Travel and Top Kinisis Travel, marked an 800 percent increase in the number of passengers in the 2003-2013 period, with 211 port calls.

Angelo Capurro, Executive Director, MSC Cruises

Capurro added that in the same 10-year period, 12 cruise ships were built set to boost the company’s fleet in the next decade to 17 cruise liners.

In Greece, this summer the MSC Musica will run every Wednesday, welcoming  passengers at the port of Piraeus for a seven-day voyage to Sarande (Albania) – Dubrovnik (Croatia) – Venice (Italy) – Brindisi (Italy) – Katakolo, Pyrgos – Mykonos, and back to Piraeus; and the MSC Magnifica will every Thursday pick up travelers from Piraeus for Corfu – Kotor (Croatia) – Venice (Italy) – Bari (Italy) – Katakolo, Pyrgos – Santorini, and return to Piraeus.

Referring to Piraeus, Capurro said new cruise ships MSC Musica and the MSC Orchestra would be departing from the port as of 2020, in addition to the MSC Lirica, MSC Magnifica, MSC Opera and MSC Simfonia, which are already making port calls this summer.

“Greeks are no longer hesitant about holidaying on board a cruise ship, and our company – Cruiseway Travel – is positioned to offer very affordable prices,” said Tatiana Hamba, president of Cruiseway Travel.

“We are extremely satisfied that the response of the Greek market to cruise travel is positive, given that our country and the Adriatic are among the most popular cruise destinations in the world. We are confident that slowly but steadily cruise travel will win over Greek holidaymakers,” she added.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) was a media sponsor of the 5th Ρosidonia Sea Tourism Forum.