MSC Cruises Choose Piraeus, Greece as Home Port for its Lead Ship

MSC Cruises has chosen Piraeus, Greece as the home port of the “MSC Lirica” cruise ship for the East Mediterranean schedule in the summer of 2022, it announced on Monday.

MSC Lirica is the lead ship in her class of cruise ships, owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She was the first newbuild cruise ship to enter service for MSC Cruises. She can accommodate 1,560 passengers in 780 cabins. Her crew complement is approximately 732.

Lirica scheduling will offer a new schedule of 7 overnight stays and 28 itineraries between April and October 2022.

Some of the destinations include Kusadasi (Turkey), Haifa (Israel), Limassol (Cyprus) and the Greek islands of Rhodes and Santorini, before returning to Piraeus. Travelers will be able to start at any of the mainland cities named above.

Crete and Iraklio in particular will also be included as a stopover in the four 11-day trips offered in the East Mediterranean between November and December 2022. Greece also features in another three schedules of MSC Cruises ships in the East Mediterranean (the MSCs Armonia, Fantasia and Musica).

Greece is a key player in the scheduling for cruise ships

MSC Cruises Executive Director Angelo Capurro said that Greece “will be a key player in our scheduling for cruise ships in the East Mediterranean next summer.”

The Athens International Airport ‘El. Venizelos’ will also feature as an arrival airport for European and North American tourists who want to get on the cruises, he added, “one of the safest choices of vacation that will provide memorable onboard experiences.”

Capurro said that company cruises in Europe attract 180 different nationalities, on trips where “they may feel at home, relaxed, and above all safe.”

According to its site, MSC Cruises is the world’s third-largest cruise brand and the fastest-growing one globally. Its headquarters are in Geneva and it is part of privately-held MSC Group.

Last week, Greece was voted top tourism destination by readers of Global Traveler Magazine, the ultimate source for news, reviews, and travel guides for luxury business travelers.

Greece was honored as the Best Tourism Destination in Global Traveler’s 18th Annual GT Tested Reader Survey Awards which were announced on December 1. The American travel magazine placed Greece at #1 with Italy in 2nd place, Spain 3rd, Ireland 4th, and South Africa 5th.

This was the first time Greece has been honored with first place in this specific category at the Tested Reader Survey Awards.

Francis X. Gallagher, Global Traveler CEO noted for Greece “whether it’s your first or your 20th visit to the country, be certain that Greece will be on the destination list where you can travel as fast as possible.”