By Antonis Tsiblakis
Carnival, the world’s largest cruise ship operator, has designated Piraeus as a home port for the coming summer season for its “Carnival Vista” vessel, a move seen as a chance for Greece’s largest, and recently privatized port authority, to host a second Carnival vessel in 2017 and to further increase its appeal for other operators.
Carnival executive Leon Sutcliffe said this season’s performance would determine whether the company bases another ship in Piraeus next summer, speaking during an event to present the “Carnival Vista” on Tuesday at the port.
The development confirms previous reports by “N” that Cosco, the new majority owner and manager of the Piraeus Port Authority, has been in negotiations with Carnival to achieve a greater presence by the cruise ship operator in Greek waters — seen as part of a wider agreement between the Chinese multinational and the US-based company for a greater development of the sector in China.
Other reports cite a Carnival interest in managing a new cruise ship terminal slated for construction at the Cosco-owned Piraeus Port Authority.
The state-of-the-art “Carnival Vista” is 324 meters long and can host 3,700 guests and a crew of 1,500. It began its maiden voyage from Trieste and will use Piraeus as a home port for the summer of 2016. It is estimated that 50,000 tourists will pass through Piraeus to begin or end their cruise ship holidays aboard the vessel.
