Santorini Cruise Update: Celestyal, MSC & More Return to Greek Islands After the Earthquake Swarm

After months of uncertainty due to seismic activity, cruise lines are returning to Santorini and the Greek Isles.

In February, Santorini was evacuated due to earthquakes. The Greek island declared a state of emergency due to the high level of seismic activity, and the Greek Maritime Ministry imposed a temporary ban on cruise ship traffic in the port.

In total, the Interdisciplinary Committee for Risk and Crisis Management at the University of Athens detected more than 20,000 earthquakes of magnitude 1 or higher between Jan. 26 and Feb. 22 (AP News).

With seismic activity in decline, Santorini is now preparing to welcome back travelers for the tourism season.

According to gtp, Greek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni announced on March 17 a tourism campaign and the establishment of a Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) to support the island’s recovery.

Kefalogianni is pledging 500,000 euros to a Santorini tourism campaign to promote the destination, as well as 1,000,000 euros for a Recovery and Resilience Fund, to be managed by the new DMMO.

Cruise Lines Resume Ports of Calls in Santorini

Representatives from Celestyal and MSC have confirmed with TMR that the cruise lines will be returning to Santorini for the upcoming season.

Following the temporary cruise ship ban, Viking canceled two calls in Santorini scheduled for March, instead adjusting the itineraries to include Kusadasi (Ephesus) and Nafplion.

Celestyal Discovery will now be the first cruise ship heading to the Greek island on Sunday, March 23.

“We continuously monitor our global operations, and in line with recent Greek government advice, we can confirm that we will be returning to the island of Santorini from March 23, 2025,” Celestyal told TMR via a statement.

“This includes all our ‘Iconic Greek Islands’ sailings with departures in March 2025 onwards and all our ‘Idyllic Greece’ sailings with departures from May 2025 onwards. As per Greek government advice, we will be landing our guests at the port of Athinios in Santorini, which is a short 20-minute drive to the main town of Fira until further notice.”

Celestyal is the only cruise line with Santorini calls in March. Princess, Windstar, Regent Seven Seas, MSC, Celebrity, Crystal, Viking, P&O, TUI and Marella all have stops scheduled for April.

Despite the dramatic seismic activity in February, Santorini appears well-positioned for a quick recovery ahead of the 2025 tourism season.

“The safety and enjoyment of our guests and crew will always be our utmost priority, so we are delighted to be the first cruise line to return to Santorini, now that the Greek authorities have lifted the temporary restrictions that were in place,” said Celestyal.