Cyprus’ cruise season kicks off as Marella Discovery II sets sail from Limassol

TUI's Marella Discovery II has set sail from Limassol port, officially kicking off Cyprus’ cruise season and marking the country’s first ‘Fly & Cruise’ service since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the port's cruise terminal operator DP World Limassol said in a press release, Limassol will serve as the cruise liner’s home port for the entire 2025 season.

Operated by Marella Cruises, a UK-based subsidiary of TUI Group, the Marella Discovery II boasts 11 passenger decks, 918 cabins and a range of onboard facilities including an outdoor cinema, a rock-climbing wall and mini-golf course. Throughout the season, DP World Limassol will host 26 port calls from April to November. The ship’s maiden voyage of 2025 has an 8-day itinerary, featuring stops at Kusadasi, Mykonos, Piraeus, Souda (Crete) and Rhodes before returning to Limassol port.

The selection of DP World Limassol’s cruise terminal as the home port is a major vote of confidence in the facilities available at the port, the company said. It is also an endorsement of Cyprus’ air connectivity and tourism infrastructure, as the island is the primary embarkation and disembarkation point for passengers, it added.

It also revealed that the voyage today, 2 April, is the first full ‘Fly & Cruise’ package to Cyprus since the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Fly and Cruise’ combines flight and cruise bookings into a seamless travel experience, with guests arriving at Larnaca and Paphos airports before transferring to Limassol’s cruise terminal.

Simon Pitout, CEO, DP World Limassol said: “The cruise industry is a crucial and vibrant part of Cyprus’ tourism sector, and it’s exciting to welcome the Marella Discovery II to DP World Limassol’s cruise terminal as its home port for the 2025 season. Limassol is becoming one of the key ports for cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, and we will keep investing to ensure that we continue to support our customers growth and success.”

Kris Adams, Executive Vice President for Eastern Europe, DP World said: “The cruise industry went through a volatile period, but we have continued to grow and evolve our services for our customers so that we would be well-placed to benefit when the industry started to recover. It was the right decision, and we are now starting to see the results.”