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The Cruise Division of the MSC Group, made up of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, today revealed details on its Greek cruise season 2024.
MSC Cruises will have six different ships calling to Greek shores making over 400 calls to nine different island and mainland destinations around the country, including a ship homeporting in Piraeus.
Not only this, but MSC Cruises will homeport a ship in Greece for a whole winter season for the first time in 2024-25 thus extending the cruise season in line with the country’s wider five-year tourism development plan to extend the core visitor season. MSC Sinfonia will sail from her home port in Piraeus on seven-night itineraries, including Corfu.
This year, MSC Cruises’ ships will begin calling Greek ports in March, marking the start of year-round operation.
The new season also sees increased calls to certain ports including Cefalonia, Katakolon, Zakynthos and Corfu, reducing pressure on destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos.
Meanwhile Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, will call to 21 Greek ports in 2024, with many of EXPLORA I’s journeys offering convenient embarkation and disembarkation in Piraeus. The brand’s first luxury ship offers a truly transformative travel experience with 461 ocean facing suites and a guest to host ratio of 1:1.25. Ports of call for EXPLORA I in Greece include Katapola (Amorgos), Paros, Patmos and Corfu.
This traffic will also support wider tourism and economic impact in the region thanks to the ships’ embarkation ports in Greece, which will see a large percentage of guests flying into Greek airports from all over the world, with many extending their holiday at sea with stays pre or post-cruise ashore in Greek resorts and cities.
Supporting this land-based economic benefit are the shore excursions taken by guests sailing in the region. MSC Cruises offers over 40 different shore excursions across all Greek destinations, using entirely local suppliers, and incorporating tours, tickets and visits to local Greek businesses. These excursions not only support local economies, but encourage guests to immerse themselves in Greek culture, taste Greek cuisine and learn about Greek history.
It might be that guests choose to visit the organic farm near Katakolon to savor the ouzo and learn about soap production or taste local wine and spectacular fresh olives just outside of Zakynthos, in each destination MSC Cruises offers guests a range of excursions to help stimulate local economies and showcase Greek culture.