The Athens port of Piraeus welcomed the Daleela cruise and its 170 passengers on Monday evening, as the passenger ferry completed its maiden voyage on the newly inaugurated line between Cyprus and Greece.
The Daleela set sail from Limassol in Cyprus on Sunday after an official launch by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.
Anastasiades lauded the resumption of the Cyprus-Greece ferry link after 22 years as “historic.”
READ MORE: Ferry service from Cyprus to Greece to start after 22 years.
“At last, the umbilical cord through shipping that connected Cyprus with Greece, is being re-established in a more efficient way, with more modern ships, but also with the most important aspect, which was to offer this to the citizens who wanted this,” the Cypriot President said at the launch.
The fully renovated Daleela ferry is operated by Scandro Holding, established in 2022 with the ultimate purpose of connecting Cyprus and Greece by sea. The ship can carry 400 passengers and 100 vehicles. The trip takes nearly 30 hours each way.
Travelling to Greece on the inaugural voyage were Cyprus Deputy Minister, Kyriakos Kousios, and Deputy Shipping Minister, Vassilis Dimitriades, Deputy Tourism Ministers of Cyprus and Greece, Savvas Perdios and Sophia Zacharaki, MPs from Cyprus, and journalists.
Daleela will be sailing on two-way trips four times in June, another eight in July, seven in August, and three in September.
The last ferry voyage between Greece and Cyprus took place on October 8, 2001 with the ship Salamis Star.
