Norwegian Gateway, docked in the morning hours of November 17th at the Port of Heraklion. She was 110th cruise ship that called our port during the 2021 cruise season. Norwegian Getaway (built in 2015, with an overall length of 325.70 meters and a 4,600 passenger capacity), called for the first time the Port of Heraklion, en route from Limassol, carrying 1,721 passengers and 1,570 crew onboard. The CEO of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Minas Papadakis paid a ceremonial visit during the ship’s stay in Heraklion; he was welcomed onboard by the Greek master of the vessel Cpt. Konstantinos Gokas. Mr. Minas Papadakis, exchanged with Captain Gokas the traditional commemorative plaques, stating: “We are really excited to welcome in our port another Norwegian Cruise Lines vessel, this time Norwegian Gateway, that follows Norwegian Jade’ 18 consecutive calls during the 2021 cruise season. Norwegian Cruise Lines is considered being one of the pioneers in the cruise industry. We have worked closely with the NCL team to ensure the safe cruise resumption for travelers and crew and we are delighted to finally celebrate together, the come back of the cruise industry and especially NCL in the area. The continuous selection of Heraklion by Norwegian Cruise Lines confirms that our port is not only one of the most popular cruise ports in the East Med, but also one of the safest tourism destinations for travelers. Our continuous efforts for improving and upgrading our port services, is considered by cruise industry leaders the best proof that Heraklion will continue being an important cruise destination in the near future, offering cruise ship visitors a complete, experiential, personalized travel experience”.
The Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Greece, Mrs. Patrizia Falcinelli, paid on Monday, November 15, 2021, an official visit to the Port and the Port Authority of Heraklion, Crete. She was accompanied by the Military Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Greece Mr. Efrem Moioli, the First Secretary of the Italian Embassy, Mr. Alessandro Tutino and by the Honorary Deputy Consul of Italy in Heraklion Mr. Paolo Bartollozzi. On the occasion of the Italian Delegation visit in Heraklion, an official reception was held onboard the Italian Coast Guard vessel BRUNO GREGORETTI, which was moored alongside pier IV-V. The Greek Deputy Minister of Sports Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, the MP of Greek Parliament for Heraklion Mr. Georgios Logiadis, the Deputy Regional Governor of Heraklion Mr. Nikos Syrigonakis, the President of the Chamber of Heraklion Mr. Manolis Aliferakis, the CEO of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Minas Papadakis and its President Mr. Ioannis Vardavas, as well as representatives of the Authorities of Heraklion, boarded the ship, where according to the protocol, they were welcomed by Captain Claudio Manganello, the Ambassador of Italy Mr. Patrizia Falcinelli, the Admiral Giuseppe Aulicino, as well as the Honorary Consul of Italy in Heraklion Mr. Paolo Bartolozzi. Representatives of the two countries stressed during their short greetings the strong bonds between Greece and Italy, reconfirming the excellent cooperation between the two countries. During a short presentation of the Italian Coast Guard, attendees of this event had the opportunity to learn more about the Italian Coast Guard tasks and continuous efforts to fight against illegal fishing in the Mediterranean. This is essentially the first visit to Heraklion by an Italian Embassy delegation after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic; our esteemed high-ranked Italian guests confirmed that they have been visiting a safe holiday destination. This shared belief was reinforced during the official visit of the Italian Ambassador in the areas of Heraklion Cruise Passenger Terminal and the various port facilities. The CEO of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Minas Papadakis presented in the Headquarters of HPO to the delegation of the Italian Embassy the diverse activities of the Port of Heraklion, with special emphasis in the strong diplomatic relations between the two countries since 1861 and the strong ties of the Roman and the Greek civilizations (having strong reference points in the various Venetian Monuments of Heraklion). “The strong and successful relations between our two countries in the areas of tourism, business and trade, which are considered being the main rconomic pillars of each country, reflect cooperation possibilities, that will emerge in the near future in areas of common interest”, said Mr. Minas Papadakis. The discussion included very interesting topics related with the current discussion re. climate change, where Italy is considered being a trendsetter within EU, declaring as its primary target a 60% reduction of current CO2 emissions and the creation of a new Ministry, responsible for the transition in the Green Economy. The presentation was wrapped up with updated statistical data, concerning the contribution of Cruise, Coastal Shipping and Commercial activities in the business outlook of the Port of Heraklion. The Ambassador of Italy Mrs. Patrizia Falcinelli, thanked the Greek representatives for their great hospitality, repeating the strong commitment of both countries to environmental issues and the new energy era, while new opportunities for cooperation and investments open up for both Greek and Italian companies.
