Greek island Corfu welcomes first cruise ship of new season

Piraeus Port Authority SA

18/05/2021 16:04

CORFU, Greece, May 18 (Reuters) - The Greek island of Corfu
welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season on Tuesday,
hoping much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred
during 2020 due to the coronavirus.
    Corfu port authorities said some 600 tourists from countries
including Italy, France and Germany were on board the Costa
Luminosa, operated by Italy's Costa Cruises, and all safety
measures were being adhered to in the port.
    Some of the passengers expressed their delight at being able
to travel again.
    "It's freedom, enjoying life, you really feel much better.
You're not in prison anymore, you're free and that really does
you good," said French tourist Robert Maran from Lyon.
    Greece opened its doors on Saturday to tourists from the EU
and other key markets such as the United States, Israel and
Britain, lifting the need for people to quarantine as long as
they have been vaccinated or tested negative for COVID-19.
    Costa's first ship to resume cruises in Greece and the
second to restart operations overall, is one of four scheduled
to resume cruises this summer in the Mediterranean.
    It set sail from the port of Trieste on May 16, and besides
Corfu, will also stop in Athens, Mykonos, the port of Katakolon
near Olympia in Greece, and Bari in Italy. It will operate until
mid-November for some 27 cruises.
    According to the company website, safety measures due to the
coronavirus include a reduced number of passengers, social
distancing, testing before embarking and midway through the
cruise, as well as daily temperature checks when passengers
disembark and re-enter the ship, as well as during excursions.
    Masks will be required when necessary. The crew will also
undergo frequent tests.
    Another cruiseship, Mein Schiff 5 with about 1,000
passengers, was the first to dock at Piraeus Port this summer
holiday season, Piraeus Port Authority said.
    Tourists visited the local sites on the island wearing masks
and underwent temperature checks at the museums.
    "At last we're coming back on track to freedom and work,"
said tour guide Wafaa Spirou. "Safety and hygiene measures are
being respected both by us and by our clients."
    In March, the Costa Luminosa bound for the Italian harbour
of Savona, had 36 people on board found to be infected with the
coronavirus when tests were undertaken on passengers, during a
stop in the French port of Marseille.

 (Reporting by Spyros Skordilis, Writing by Deborah
Kyvrikosaios, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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