Cruise Companies Opt For Heraklion, Crete

The promotional strategy followed by the Heraklion Port Authority – high quality port services, appearances in major global industry exhibitions and involvement in the planning of Greece’s national policy for the cruise industry – is paying off. Visitor numbers to Heraklion Port this year showed a major increase, one that will continue in 2014.

This year, cruise passengers to Heraklion, Crete, increased by 26.17 percent compared to 2012, while next year the city’s port authority expects a 24.75 percent increase compared to 2013.

A total of 272,149 passengers arrived at Heraklion Port this year compared to 215,700 in 2012. Next year, 339,512 passengers are expected, based on the capacity of the cruise ships that have included Heraklion Port as a transit port or homeport.

Out of the total amount of passengers that arrived at Heraklion Port this year, 55,435 were homeport passengers, which has multiple benefits for the local economy.

Nineteen cruise companies have announced routes to/from Heraklion Port for 2014:

1. AIDA CRUISES
2. COSTA CROSIERE
3. CUNARD LINES
4. DISNEY CRUISE LINES
5. FRED. OLSEN CRUISE LINES
6. HAPAG LLOYD
7. HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
8. LOUIS CRUISES
9. MANO MARITIME
10. MSC CROSIERE
11. PAUL GAUGUIN
12. PETER DEILMANN REEDEREI
13. PHOENIX REISEN
14. ROYAL CARIBBEAN
15. SAGA SHIPPING
16. SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
17. SWAN HELLENIC
18. THOMSON CRUISES
19. V SHIPS