The newest cruise ship in the world, the «REGAL PRINCESS», was officially welcomed at Piraeus Port on May 27th. The arrival of the ship came along with a special ceremony, while guests on board were cordially greeted by Captain Edward Perrin and his officers.
The event was also attended by Mr. Giorgos Anomeritis, President & CEO of Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) SA, Mr. Stavros Hatzakos, President of MedCruise and General Manager of PPA SA, and Mr. T. Conte President of E.E.K.F.N,.
Captain Edward Perrin, expressed his satisfaction for the high quality of services offered by PPA SA as well as his great appreciation for the country as a cruise center, while the president & CEO of PPA SA, Mr Giorgos Anomeritis reported that PPA provides high-quality services, with international certifications to all types and sizes of cruise ships.
PPA SA is now focusing on cruising, providing constant service since 2009 and over 2.000.000 passengers per year , while the port today, has already served – concurrently with others – two of the largest cruise ships in the world, with a length of 330m. He also underlined the fact that within a decade, the arrivals/departures to/from the PPA raised from 662.357 passengers in 2004 to 2.296.457 in 2014.
The PPA honoured the company INCHCAPE SHIPPING SERVICES – with a special plaque – representing PRINCESS which as known belongs to the CARNIVAL group of companies. The President of E.E.K.F.N, Mr. T. Conte, has also honoured the company, with a special plaque, wishing success to the captain, the crew and generally to the whole cruise industry, because of the benefits of the cruise market as of utmost importance for the development of local societies and national economy in general.
The REGAL PRINCESS was built in Italy and launched in May 2014. It has a length of 330 m, 18 decks, weights 142.714 tons, has a crew of 1.350 and can accommodate 3.560 passengers in 1.780 cabins.
In the same time, financial information of Central Bank of Greece for the first four months of the year shows a growth of arrivals of 21,1% (1,915 millions tourists) while noting a growth standing at 27,8%.
Finally, there is a notable growth – over 35% – of the tourists coming from Germany, 10,8% of the tourists coming from France, and another 29,4% of the tourists coming from United Kingdom.
