Monday, December 17, 2012
The Port of Heraklion in Crete was voted second best cruise port in the world, and best in Europe, at this year’s Seatrade Insider Cruise Awards. The award was presented during the leading cruise industry event Seatrade Med 2012 held on November 27-29 in Marseille. The Cretan Port came second in the "Port of the Year" category, out of a total of 70 entries from around the world, with New York’s Cruise Port getting top spot, and the Port of Cartagena in Spain, in third place. 
The "Port of the Year" title is awarded on the basis of significant improvements to handling facilities or infrastructure. The Heraklion Port landed the second best spot thanks to the innovations in its homeporting procedure, implemented in partnership with Italian cruise giant Costa Crociere and the Herakleio Nikos Kazantzakis International airport. The panel of experienced cruise-line specialists took particular note of the airport-to-port transfer service for cruise passengers, as well as the Port’s innovative mobile phone services, including a Heraklion City Guide and a City on Wheels service. 
