The leadership of PPA S.A. extended a warm welcome to COSTA Deliziosa, heralding the arrival of the first cruise ship at Port Piraeus/Athens Greece in 2024. A special ceremony, featuring a plaque exchange and festive Christmas treats for all passengers, unfolded at the Cruise Terminal during the ship's arrival.
Hailing from Izmir Turkey, Deliziosa brought with it 2500 passengers. The fleet of COSTA liners consistently operates in the port of Piraeus year-round, with 16 calls recorded in 2023. Anticipating a busy 2024, the port is poised for 22 scheduled calls based on pre-booking data.
Remarkably, preliminary figures indicate historic milestones for cruise passengers at the port of Piraeus. The total number of passengers reached ~1.5 million, a significant surge from 880,000 in 2022. Homeport passengers also witnessed a substantial increase, totaling ~800,000 compared to 380,000 the previous year. The port served 760 cruise ships, with 525 of them serving as homeport vessels.
Looking ahead, the cruise industry at the port of Piraeus is poised for continued success in the current year. Pre-bookings have been made for 1042 arrivals, indicating a substantial rise, and an expected new record in homeport arrivals, with ~800 scheduled calls.
Mr. Yu Zenggang, Chairman of PPA, expressed satisfaction with the thriving course of the cruise business at the Port of Piraeus. Emphasizing the cruise industry's pivotal role in PPA's strategic vision, he underscored its positive impact on various stakeholders, particularly the local community, neighboring municipalities, the Attica region, and the country as a whole.