Greece to lift cruise ship ban from August 1
Cruise ships will be allowed to dock in Greek ports from this weekend after its government announced plans to relax rules.
Six major ports – Piraeus in Athens, Rhodos, Iraklio, Volos, Corfu and Katakolo – will welcome vessels from August 1, more than four months after it banned them in an effort to control the spread of coronavirus.
Cruise lines will only be able to dock if all passengers on board have had a negative Covid-19 test at least 72 hours before boarding, and authorities also plan to undertake random testing.
Ships will subsequently be able to visit any other Greek port on their itinerary, Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis confirmed.
In a letter to trade body Cruise Lines International Association, the minister said that "all cruise ships are welcome" and that "Greece is the first country to respond to the cruise sector, introducing health protocols especially for this form of tourism".
Rules could be reviewed as epidemiological data changes, he added. Greece has recorded 4,279 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 203 deaths.
The move had been widely expected, with a source based in Athens telling Telegraph Cruise last week that ships were gearing up to “extend the summer and save the season”. Before the date was confirmed Theocharis told a Greek television news channel that he anticipated “[the] country will open up to cruise tourism” before the middle of July.
It follows the publication of interim European Union guidelines on the safe resumption of cruise across the continent, which was described as a “step in the right direction”.
Current restrictions in Greece forbid ships with more than 49 berths from sailing. Last Friday saw small-ship operator Variety Cruises, the first line to sail passengers on Greek waters since March, begin an itinerary around some of the country's islands.
The number of passengers on board Galileo was capped by the Greek government at 31 – down from its usual 49.
Despite the return of cruise to Greece, it’s still not a viable option for Britons looking to get back onto ocean waves. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) “advises against cruise ship travel at this time”, which means it’s almost impossible to purchase travel insurance for sea-going voyages. River cruises are exempt from this guidance.
The decision to effectively ban small ship cruises, even domestic itineraries, was labelled as “madness" by Telegraph Cruise expert Jane Archer.
Chris Lorenzo, managing director of yacht and small ship specialists Seafarer, said: “We are indeed delighted to see affirmative action from the Greek authorities and it has to be said that they have managed the containment of the pandemic in Greece in an exemplary manner.”
He added: “It is, of course, hoped that with this announcement from the Greek Government, that this will give added impetus for more operators to restart their programmes.”
