Port of Piraeus Reports Record-breaking Year for Cruise Sector

First cruise ship of the season, Viking Saturn, greeted at Greece's largest, busiest port

The first cruise ship to dock at the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) for 2025 was the Viking Saturn, which was greeted on Tuesday with a special event at Greece’s biggest and busiest port.

Passengers disembarking at Piraeus’ cruise terminal were greeted with commemorative plaques and sweets by PPA staff.

Viking is active at the port of Piraeus throughout the year, with 41 ports of call expected in 2025 by its 10 vessels, compared to 28 with seven cruise ships in 2024.

According to provisional figures for last year, PPA cited a record-breaking year, with more than 1.7 million cruise passengers passing through Piraeus, up from roughly 1.5 million in 2023. Homeport passengers last year exceeded the one-million mark, up from around 800,000 in 2023.

The number of cruise ships handled in 2024 reached 810, compared to 760 the previous year., of which 600 were homeports.

Pre-booking of vessels for 2025 at Piraeus, the greater Athens area’s main port, at approximately 940, a number that if reached will mark another annual record.

Source: pagenews.gr