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Limassol entices cruise ships with ancient wonders and artisan trade

cruise planners in Limassol
Cruise planners experienced Cypriot hospitality, here, at a Limassol hotel bar, during a familiarisation trip
Limassol, the cruise gateway to Cyprus, makes an attractive combination with Holy Land itineraries, Mayor Nicos Nicolaides told planners on the second leg of the Israel-Cyprus Cruise Summit. After the Holy Land, travelers can 'come to Cyprus to relax,' he said.

‘Limassol is a modern European city with a historical past dating back over 4,000 years. We have a strong infrastructure, many hotels, good roads, mountains and beaches. We are developing a casino resort with some facilities already operating and our new marina opened six years ago.’ Nicolaides highlighted.

At the meeting cruise executives discussed the importance of being able to deliver planned itineraries to meet customer expectations for pre-booked shore excursions.

‘We try to do the best we can to make a visit worthwhile so that visitors go back and talk about their experiences. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising for the city,' Nicolaides added.

Limassol cruise port

Limassol cruise port’s east quay is dedicated to cruise ships and has a depth of 18mtrs. The passenger terminal was officially opened last year but will undergo further development with relocation of the main entrance planned for completion next year.

‘We can accommodate a number of cruise ships at once but try to limit it to two large vessels. But we aim to offer flexibility,' said Lazaros Charalambous, commercial manager, DP World Port of Limassol. 'We will have four cruise ships arriving at the same time this year but the passenger terminal and luggage hall can accommodate this as we can section off each arrival.'

This year the port will receive a maiden call from Crown Iris and 56 transit calls, an increase from 36 in 2018. The port will handle 65 homeport calls, up from 64, and 90 transit calls are planned next year. Cruise traffic will bring some 117,000 passengers to the city, a figure expected to rise next year, with calls already booked for ships carrying 100,000 passengers.

‘Cyprus is very safe,' Charalambous said, adding there have been issues in surrounding countries in the past 'but now that cruise ships are returning to destinations like Greece and Turkey, we hope that they will also return to Cyprus. This is why we want to connect with the cruise industry to encourage cruise lines to put Cyprus back on itineraries.'

Pullmantur will make its maiden call in September with a further two or three calls planned next year. ‘Our guests like to spend time on the beach and visit the city to experience local culture. They want to go to lunch maybe do some shopping or visit a museum but still be close to the ship,' said Yolanda Pelayo, Pullmantur’s senior manager, shore excursions operations.

‘Royal Caribbean Cruises plans to upscale the size of the vessel we have scheduled for visits to Cyprus next year so we can take more passengers, and we plan to increase the [number] of calls. This will be on one of our vessels cruising the Mediterranean,' said Devin Paige, senior analyst deployment & itinerary planning.

German operator TUI has already made one call this year and will return in September. ‘We don’t make turnaround calls to Cyprus, just transit calls. The feedback is generally very positive for shore excursions from our guests,’ said Klaus Schneider, shore excursion manager, TUI Cruises.

Silversea usually calls Limassol once a year, and Silver Shadow will visit in October.

Local connections

The cruise terminal is served by local buses to the seafront and an hourly intercity bus.

An arrival event can be arranged with the port in cooperation with the municipality to greet guests with live music, local dance and sweets. The Ministry of Tourism attends every event, hosting a kiosk to provide maps and local information.

Ancient ruins, hillside villages and culinary delights

Cruise executives visited some of the highlights in the Limassol region during the summit. First stop was Kolossi Fruit Plantation, an oasis where visitors can pick seasonal fruits, taste lemon juice or coffee and try homemade dishes.

Kourion archaeological site, located on the west coast of Limassol, is well known for its ancient theatre and mosaics that adorn the floors of the house of Eustolios.

‘Some of the archaeological sites are so intact a lot of cruise passengers will connect with that experience,' Royal Caribbean's Paige said.

Wine tours can be booked for groups at Lambouris Winery; there the group experienced a tasting of the locally produced wines.

Omodus, a quaint hillside village in a picturesque setting, offers locally produced arts and crafts. The group also visited Agios Georgious fishing harbour and enjoyed sea kayaking.

Limassol old town

Next stop was Limassol old town, located next to the new marina.

A jewel in the crown was a stop at Kika’s Garden for a taste of speciality home-baked bread, olives, marmalade and a taste of home-cooked dishes, set amongst the backdrop of scenic views.

‘Our guests like to take active excursions. Kika’s Garden would be great for shore excursions because of the sustainability of the home-grown produce. This, in combination with perhaps some of the archaeological sites would be a good choice for our guests,' said AIDA Cruises' Katja Feierabend, supervisor, shore excursion program.

The group continued to House of Dionysos, a Roman villa with one of the largest and best preserved mosaic floors, and made a photo stop at Rock of Aphrodite.

Nicosia highlights

On the final day of the summit attendees travelled to the capital, Nicosia, to visit Cyprus Museum, the main archaeological museum. The tour continued to the old town within its Venetian walls before a walk through Ledra Street, a shopping area, to visit the traditional neighbourhood Laiki Geitonia, a pedestrian area that's been restored to its traditional character.