Over 710 cruise ships are expected to reach the port of Piraeus this year, announced George Anomeritis, Chairman and CEO of the Piraeus Port Organization, at the welcoming ceremony of Costa Magica cruise ship, the first  to anchor at the port of Piraeus in 2013, carrying 3,336 passengers. "Greece is a unique destination, which offers quality, safety and has natural beauty as well as a classical culture," Anomeritis said, noting that Greece will be welcoming more than 2.2 million tourists in 2013.

The Italian cruise ship Costa Magica has already scheduled 74 visits to Piraeus port this year, against 33 in 2012. In the course of 2013, Piraeus will offer 11 mooring berths for cruise ships and new reception areas, and it will also be included in National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) projects, which will allow the establishment of 6 berths for new generation cruise ships (300 m length). In addition, the port has frozen its docking rates for the 2013-2016 period.

Greek News Agenda: Greece Welcomes First Cruise Ship for 2012