Filenews 19 June 2025 - by Ioanna Mantziapa
The cruise ship Crown Iris arrived at the port of Limassol on Thursday morning, as part of the "Safe Return" operation, with the aim of repatriating Israeli citizens who are in Cyprus.
The ship, which has a capacity of up to 2,000 passengers, is due to depart within the day carrying about 1,600 Israelis back to Israel. It should be noted that a total of four return routes have already been scheduled during the week, in order to serve all those who wish to return home.
Since the morning, there has been increased mobility at the Port both by passengers who arrived by buses and taxis and by the Police, since the security measures implemented are draconian.
Touching testimonies before departure
Many of the passengers, a few hours before departure, expressed their emotion and their anxiety about the current situation. "We live in Israel. Our family is there and that's where we want to come back. We came for a three-day vacation and ended up being blocked. That's it."
Asked if they felt fear of returning, one passenger replied: "Now I trust my country to protect us."
Another passenger added: "We are a little afraid, but there is no place like home. I prefer to be there with my family, I think it's harder to be here and not know what's going on. I prefer to be there with them."
It should be noted that the company announced that it is cancelling the scheduled cruises from Haifa to the Port of Larnaca for July 20 and 21. After the cruise ship's arrival in Israel, the ship is expected to return with foreign nationals to the Limassol Port.
