The 2025 season of the Cyprus–Greece sea passenger link officially began on Saturday, with the passenger ferry Daleela embarking on its first journey. Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis expressed her satisfaction with the growing public interest in the maritime connection and praised improvements made for safer, smoother travel.

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Speaking from Limassol Port, Hadjimanolis noted that this is the fourth consecutive year of the Cyprus–Greece passenger ferry operation. “We are very pleased to see public engagement increasing year by year,” she said.

She emphasized that procedures and safety checks have improved significantly and thanked Scandro Holding Ltd—the operating company—for upgrading the vessel. She also acknowledged the support of DP World Limassol, the Customs Department, the Ports Authority, and the Police.

Commenting on President Christodoulides’ recent remarks about expanding maritime links beyond Greece, Hadjimanolis confirmed that companies have expressed interest in establishing connections with Israel and Lebanon, and have requested information from both the Shipping Deputy Ministry and the Ministry of Transport.

“We’re ready to support any entrepreneur who wants to launch a new service,” she said.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the strong rebound of Cyprus’ cruise sector. This year, 170,000 cruise passengers are expected from 130 cruise ships, up from 120,000 in 2024.

“There’s excellent cooperation between international cruise operators and DP World Limassol,” she said. “With the completion of the first National Cruise Strategy, we’re confident that Cyprus will solidify its place on the global cruise map.”

Simon Pitout, CEO of DP World Limassol, called the maritime passenger link “very important for the island,” as it boosts tourism and draws more visitors. “We’re proud to host this service and look forward to a successful season,” he said.

He acknowledged past setbacks due to regional instability but noted that the cruise sector is once again showing steady growth thanks to government support and stakeholder coordination.

“We believe Cyprus has great potential in cruising,” he added, outlining plans to expand port services and integrate them into the broader tourism industry. He also highlighted the importance of Marella Cruises choosing Limassol as a home port this year, bringing the Marella Discovery to the city every Wednesday.

“You see happy faces disembarking and enjoying Cyprus, and that’s a good sign,” he said.

Charalambos Manolis, CEO of Scandro Holding Ltd, said bookings for this year are consistent with last year’s, with the inaugural voyage seeing higher demand and only limited availability left for July. He noted that the ferry has been upgraded and that the company is doing everything possible to serve the public effectively.

Representing the Municipality of Limassol, Deputy Mayor Ira Philippou described the ferry connection as “a well-established institution” now in its fourth year, reinforcing ties between Cyprus and Greece and contributing to both tourism and cooperation.

“It’s important that this partnership continues in the coming years, as it has been warmly embraced by the public,” she said, wishing all travelers safe and pleasant journeys.