DP World Limassol finally launches cruise season

This year’s cruise season has finally kicked off for DP World Limassol, as Jewel of the Seas and Celestyal Olympia departed on their inaugural sailings from Limassol port.

DP World said it is the first time two cruise lines are calling Limassol their homeport, making this a huge milestone for the company and Cyprus.

Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas is sailing from Limassol until late October 2021, carrying out seven-night cruises calling at Piraeus, Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini.

Celestyal Olympia will operate its new seven-night itinerary until late August 2021, calling at Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, Ag. Nikolaos (Crete) and Rhodes.

On Saturday, DP World Limassol safely welcomed the crew and passengers that boarded the vessels, ensuring that personal protective measures and social distancing were strictly followed.

Nawaf Abdulla, CEO of DP World Limassol, said the decision of Royal Caribbean and Celestyal Cruises to choose the port as their base this year is a testament to efforts to improve its competitiveness and transform it into a major homeport in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“As operators of the Limassol Cruise Terminal, we are aware of our key role in the recovery of the country’s tourism sector.

“The sustainable development of the cruise industry and especially of homeporting, provides a significant transformative opportunity for Cyprus tourism bringing multiple economic benefits to the country”, said Abdulla.

Jewel of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ships, and Celestyal Olympia can carry around 2,500 and 1,600 passengers, respectively.

They are operating at reduced capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“We are proud to have gained the trust of two leading cruise operators and hope that this is a sign that the cruise industry is bouncing back up.

“These concurrent departures mark the solid restart of the cruise sector in Limassol, and we are certain that DP World Limassol’s Cruise Terminal will be able to take on the challenge of increased health measures while maintaining a high quality of services.”