Cyprus Island (Greece) doesn't expect to receive any visits by cruise ships until late 2020, Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday, June 13, citing the manager of Port Limassol (island's largest seaport).
Beginning on June 9, Cyprus reopened cruise services at the island's ports along with its airports, as part of the 3rd and major phase of the easing of restrictions following the COVID lockdown since mid-March.
Panayiotis Agathocleous, Limassol harbor-master, said that “the first cruise ships with passengers are expected late this year at the earliest.”
"Cruises require a great deal of preparation, unlike flights, involving arrangements for visits to several counties during a journey. It is natural for people to currently be hesitant to get on a ship and travel in a restricted space for so many days."
Agathocleous added that reports of cruise liners that were either quarantined for a long period of time or refused to enter a port with people infected by Coronavirus onboard during the early stages of the pandemic were a memory which discouraged prospective passengers.
Limassol port is absorbing about 80% of passenger traffic in Cyprus and servicing around 70% of ships passing through the country.
Of the 72 cruise ships expected to dock at the port of Limassol in 2020, a total of 55 (initially scheduled for October-November) have been canceled.