Cyprus is ready to welcome the first cruise passengers based on a revised health protocol, Minister of Transport Yiannis Karousos and Deputy Minister of Shipping Vasilis Demetriades have told reporters.
In June, Cyprus is set to welcome the first cruise passengers from Israel, while in July the two global cruise companies which chose the port of Limassol as their base will lick off their own cruise programme.
Karousos clarified that the Covid-19 protocol has a lot in common with the one that is implemented in the airports, but noted that there are some special regulations.
This is because passengers are divided into two categories, those arriving by cruise ships for short stays and passengers of cruise ships that are based in the port of Limassol.
The Minister also pointed out that, those passengers who wish to enter the Republic of Cyprus for a short visit must undergo – at their own expenses or those of the cruise organisers – an antigen rapid test up to 24 hours before disembarking the boat.
Passengers who are vaccinated and present a proof of that will not be required to undergo a laboratory test.
Regarding passengers who complete their cruise in Cyprus waters, the Minister said that they should comply with the relevant decree and the provisions included in the category of the countries they visited.
He said that if the cruise destinations only include countries that are listed in the green category, passengers will be able to disembark without any restrictions.
Karousos added that if the cruise destinations include countries that are listed in the orange or red categories, then the decrees of the Ministry of Health and the corresponding protocols should be implemented.
Meanwhile, Demetriades said that the protocol presented on Friday is the result of a collective effort and stressed that a big step is made today, demonstrating that Cyprus is ready to welcome large-scale cruise ships, which have included Cyprus in the world cruise map.
He assured that there is no reason of concern regarding the presence of cruise passengers in Cyprus, since the protocols of the companies are among the strictest ones.
