Filenews 1 March 2021
The Ministry of Tourism welcomes the decision of Royal Caribbean, the world's largest cruise company, to include Cyprus in its programme for June, July and August 2021. It also welcomes the fact that the above initiative will be implemented with its most modern and advanced ship, of global scope, which is being delivered soon.
This cruise program includes departure from Israel, then stations in Cyprus and Greece and finally return to Israel. The ship is expected to approach Cyprus about 15 times in the June to August 2021 quarter, with the prospect of additional stations in the coming months.
It is worth noting that a major role in the company's decision to implement the cruises was played by the agreement of the Governments of Cyprus and Israel on trafficking, from 1 April, without the presentation of a PCR laboratory test or the need for self-restriction for the citizens of Israel who received the vaccine.
The ship's passengers will be entirely Israeli, already vaccinated. In addition, prior to boarding, travellers will present two negative tests and, during the cruise, will be subject to additional checks.
This important agreement for our country was reached after the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, which lasted about six months, since the whole project began in September 2020. It should be noted that the agreement is a great success for our country's cruise tourism, which paves the way for further development, at a time when the damage to this sector, due to the pandemic, has been enormous.
It is also worth mentioning that Cyprus is one of the few countries in the world that have already achieved their integration into major cruise programs. Through them, our country will receive intensive visibility in the coming months.
The Ministry of Tourism wishes to thank the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for their valuable support and the provision of know-how in order to successfully close this agreement for our country.
