This year is emerging as a pivotal one for the future of Greek (and not only Greek) cruising, as indications of a significant slowdown in the number of calls to Greek ports are intensifying.

Various parameters related to increased competition and the rise in ship operating costs due to European regulatory requirements are cited as the main causes. 

This picture is similar throughout the Mediterranean, however in Greece there are also additional infrastructure issues, namely outdated port facilities, and reactions of local communities to the increased flows of daily visitors; flows that are often not due to cruise ships, but to daily excursions carried out by high-speed coastal vessels mainly from Crete to the Cyclades, as well as from Turkey to the Dodecanese. 

At the same time, high-income travelers are increasingly turning to a new generation of smaller, ultra-luxury ships that resemble super yachts more than conventional cruise ships. Add to this the opening of new destinations that are now attracting demand, such as trips to the Arctic Circle and Antarctica, and the emergence of new markets for cruising such as Asia, along with the strengthening of traditional markets such as the Caribbean, and it becomes easier to understand why market participants estimate that 2026 will be a year without growth.

“The particularly high cost of compliance with the European regulatory framework for greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants makes the operation of ships in the Mediterranean and Greece less attractive for companies,” explains Giorgos Koumbenas, president of the Association of Cruise Ship Owners and Shipping Operators and Chief Operating Officer of Celestyal Cruises, speaking to Kathimerini. 

If this cost is passed on to final prices, the competitiveness of the product shrinks for large cruise customers who usually have the US as their starting point. As he notes, the trend of ship bookings for calls at Greek ports this year and for 2027 shows a significant decline compared to previous years. Especially for Greece, the higher air transport costs compared to destinations such as Spain and of course the Caribbean, constitute a competitive disadvantage.