Greece to Reopen Six Cruise Ports on August 1

Greece will welcome back cruise traffic at six ports beginning Saturday, August 1.

According to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Piraeus, Rhodes, Heraklion, Volos, Corfu and Katakolo will reopen to cruise ships complying with elevated health and safety protocols designed to limit the spread of coronavirus.

That means that all passengers will require a negative COVID-19 test result produced at least 72 hours prior to boarding.

“All cruise ships are welcome in Greece, so as to offer a unique experience to all their passengers,” the country’s Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis wrote in a letter to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), MSC Cruises, Costa and TUI Cruises. “Greece is the first country to respond to the cruise sector, introducing health protocols especially for this form of tourism. The health procedures that will apply on cruise ships under the supervision of the Greek authorities are based on EU Healthy Gateways standards and adjusted to Greek legislation and the local conditions.”

Once a cruise ship docks and passes inspection at one of the aforementioned locations, it will then have access to all of the other ports.

Greece began welcoming back foreign visitors from approved countries last month.