In anticipation of some major strikes in Greece over the coming days, some cruise lines have chosen to alter their itineraries to avoid visiting the region. Striking taxi drivers have threatened to blockade the port in Athens, stopping passengers from getting on coaches either to go on organised excursions, or to make their own way around the various sights.
Celebrity is one cruise line which has abandoned it’s scheduled stop at Athens and we are waiting to see whether MSC will follow suit as they are also scheduled to call at port in Athens over the next few days.
The protests and strikes in Greece have been causing disruption to travel and tourism for months now and this strike is set to continue that trend. The taxi drivers are blocking the port in a protest against deregulation of their industry. Unfortunately for the cruise lines, this happens to coincide with the height of the cruise season in the region, with millions of people choosing to go on med cruises every summer.
At this time of year, three or more cruise ships will call at Piraeus port in Athens every single day. Each cruise ship which is unable to dock, or where passengers are stuck onboard the ship, means that thousands of euros which could have been spent in Greece will remain in cruise passengers pockets. With Greek economy relying so heavily on tourism, this will clearly be a big concern for the country as the financial situation remains so unstable.
