Piraeus-Athens (Greece)

Piraeus is the biggest seaport in Greece and among the largest in the Mediterranean. The port also serves the country's capital - Athens City. Greece's second-largest seaport is Thessaloniki.

Piraeus-Athens cruise port is both homeport (turnaround port for roundtrip itineraries) and call port (on various Eastern Mediterranean itineraries to ports in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt). In the Aegean Sea are operated roundtrips to the largest Greek Isles - Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Lesbos, Chíos, Cephalonia/Kefalonia, Samos, Naxos, Zakynthos, Mykonos. Most routes are one-ways between Athens and Istanbul Turkey and Venice Italy.

Athens is also among the destinations included in Holy Land Cruises (to Israel, Egypt, Greece, Turkey), mainly with departures from Civitavecchia-Rome.

To the south of Port Piraeus is Eleusis Bay - dubbed "the graveyard of old cruise vessels". Some ships are laid up there for years, waiting to be sold or scrapped.

Piraeus Port

Port Piraeus (locode GRPIR) in 2014 was ranked Europe's busiest passenger port - handling 18,6+ million passengers (including on ferries and cruise vessels). Port's container cargo handling is also growing rapidly.

In 2016, the seaport handled ~3,67 million TEU-containers (compared to 2015's 3,32 million TEUs). By containership capacity, in 2016 the cargo port is ranked the world's 39th largest, Europe's 8th largest, Mediterranean's third-largest and Greece's largest and busiest. For growth comparison, in 2007 the port handled a total of 1,373 million TEUs.

In 2002 was signed an agreement for concession, Piraeus Port Authority leased from the government of Greece all seaport's lands, facilities and buildings for a period of 40 years (until 2042). In 2008, the concession was extended to 2052.

• Following the country's debt crisis (2009) the government was forced to privatize state-owned assets (estimated worth around EUR 50 billion), among which was port Piraeus. In October 2009, half of the container port was leased to the Chinese largest container shipping company COSCO for a period of 35 years (until 2044). By the 2009 contract, COSCO pays the port (Greek government) EUR 100 million per year. being the port's largest shareholder, COSCO owns 51%. The other major shareholders are "Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund" (23,14%) and 25,86% are the shares of other investors.
• In 2016, COSCO Shipping (the world's 4th-largest containership fleet) bought the 51% stake for EUR 280 million (USD 315 million). Immediately, COSCO started planning port extension projects to allow berthing of larger cruise vessels. In 2015, the cruise port was served around 5 million passengers, accounting for approx 12% of the port's total revenues for 2015 of EUR 100 million.
• Under COSCO's privatization deal with Greece, the Chinese corporation will invest ~EUR 300 million in a 5-year period (through 2021) before buying an additional 16% stake in Port Piraeus. COSCO announced that additional investments would be used for upgrading seaport's ship repair, logistics and cruise shipping operations.

The arrival of China's largest shipping company was met with protests organized by Greek trade unionists, as COSCO started its port operations with significant reductions in staff and salaries, exclusion of trade union members, increased time and performance pressures. However, since 2009, the port's container handling performance was hugely improved - from ~1,5 million TEUs (2009) to about 3,58 million TEUs (2014).

In 2023, the cruise port reported a record year with handled ~1,5 million tourists (~40% increase over 2022's ~880,000) received via 760 ship calls.

Piraeus port terminals

Port Piraeus' facilities include 3 containership terminals, 1 cargo terminal, 3 car terminals and 1 passenger (ferry and cruise) terminal.

Container Terminal 1 (operated by ) has annual capacity of around 1 million TEUs (containers).

Container Terminal 2 '(operated by COSCO's subsidiary company "Piraeus Container Terminal PCT") has annual capacity ~3 million TEUs.

In 2013 was opened Container Terminal 3 (also operated by COSCO) with annual capacity around 2,7 million TEUs.

Piraeus Port's combined container cargo capacity is 6,7 million TEUs (containers) annually.

• Cargo terminal (storage area of approx 0,18 km2 (0,07 mi2) with annual capacity around 25 million tons of cargo.
• Three car terminals - total length 1,4 km (0,9 mi), land area 0,18 km2 (0,07 mi2), car storage / parking area (capacity 12,000 cars). Port's statistics for 2007 show the terminal handled over 260,000 trucks, over 612,000 cars and nearly 10,000 buses.
• Passenger terminal - Piraeus port is ranked Europe's largest passenger shipping port and one of the world's largest. In 2007, the number of handled passengers was over 21,522 million, of which domestic (11,572 million), ferry (8,395 million) and international (1,554 million).

In 2017, during the "Seatrade Cruise Global" conference in Fort Lauderdale (Florida USA), major cruise shipping companies (including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and MSC) expressed their interests in re-development Piraeus cruise port's infrastructures and upgrading the cruise services offered by Piraeus Port Authority. Talks also centered on reception facilities, upgrading of passenger terminals and COSCO's planned LNG cruise ship refueling facility.

In 2017, the cruise port started an expansion project for building 2 new berths plus 4 mooring slots for very large-sized vessels and for upgrading the existing 9 berths (including the new one near Aghios Nikolaos). The new docking points are at the Port's southern side and will allow handling vessels with LOA length up to 390 m (1280 ft). In this new "terminal" area will also be built a luxury hotel, shopping mall, entertainment and dining venues.

The new COSCO management plans to make Piraeus a major Mediterranean cruise port serving the booming Chinese market.

Next to the seaport is located Piraeus Train Station, which has two buildings - one is the terminus of Athens Metro Line 1, the other - the terminus for standard trains. Inside Port Piraeus run complimentary bus shuttles - from Metro Line 1 Station to the passenger terminal serving ships going to Crete Island, and the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea. A 24-7 direct Port-Airport Express bus operates between Port Piraeus and Athens Airport.

Port Piraeus cruise shipping traffic statistics showed handled 625 ship calls with 1,09 million passengers (2016), 576 calls with 1,05 million pax (2017), 524 calls with 961,000 pax (2018) and 622 calls with 1,1 million pax (2019, of which 410,512 cruisers).

On February 25, 2020, was held the opening ceremony for the "Piraeus Cruise Terminal Expansion" project. The port development project (Pier 3 Cruise Terminal) is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (through ROP Attica 2014-2020 program). By this project (budgeted ~EUR 120 million / ~USD 132 million) is planned the construction of a 2-berth pier with capacity to handle two vessels simultaneously (each with max LOA length 400 m / 1312 ft). The project is scheduled for completion in December 2022 (within 32 months).

In mid-July 2020, the European Commission approved a new cruiseferry service Piraeus-Cyprus, state-funded annually with EUR 6,7 million (~USD 7,6 M). The new (passenger and car ferryboat) service will include either Limassol or Larnaca, with a possible intermediate Greek Island stop along the route.

Piraeus-Athens cruise terminal

Piraeus-Athens tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

You can visit either Athens or Piraeus.

Athens

• The Acropolis: the most famous place to see. The place dates since 400 BC and it combines beautiful ancient monuments. Here you can see the stunning Parthenon. It is located at the top of the Acropolis and can be seen almost everywhere in Athens. In the Acropolis you will also find the Erechtheion.
• Syntagma Square: here is located the Greek parliament. At the front of it you can watch the ceremony of guards’ changing. They are dressed is skirts, which are very distinctive, and tights in white.
• Plaka: situated down from the world-famous Acropolis. This district is very beautiful, with narrow streets for pedestrians. You can find variety of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.
• Roman Forum: situated at the west part of Plaka district. Horologion of Andronikos is located here.

Piraeus

• Marina Zea (aka Pasalimani): You can go to the the Saronic Gulf by a Flying Dolphin. You can see breathtaking yachts at the marina. Also along the shore are located cafes, shops, tavernas and restaurants.
• Hellenic Maritime Museum: naval and nautical exhibition. You can see ancient and modern Greek vessels, ship models, paintings, ship paraphernalia, maps and flags, including items from the yacht of Aristotle Onassis.
• Archaeological Museum: ancient times exhibition. You can see statues dated from 400 BC, grave markers, large funeral monument, Piraeus treasures, Classical and Roman sculptures. Here are the bronze statues of Artemis, Apollo and Athena.