The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, visited the port of Piraeus in the morning as part of the big exit of citizens for the Easter holidays.
“It is Holy Week, holy days, the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord. We are pleased to see heavy traffic and many travelers in the country’s major port and throughout Greece. We wish them a good journey with safety above all else. Please take great care both on the exit of the excursionists and on their return,” the minister said in a statement.
Kikilias, referring to the security issues that he has set as a top priority, said that fifty extra port officers will be at the port of Piraeus, while he asked the whole world to understand that the Coast Guard and all employees of the Ministry of Shipping are here to serve passengers with respect and appreciation.
He also stressed that safety rules will be observed by all “for the safety and order that must prevail here at the port of Piraeus and at the other ports of the country.”
Referring to the issue of port charges, Kikilias said that from May 1, a 50% reduction will be applied to all ports in the country and to concessionaires and that this will directly affect ferry tickets, with a moderation or even a reduction in prices, when the ferry market had already announced increases from May 1.
“I have the feeling that now this is not going to happen, after the important move made by the government and the drop in the price of oil by 8%,” he stressed, adding that during the coming weeks and months we have other things to be announced, such as, for example, in the high-speed boats, since the fuel is not changing and this is an important part of the market, we expect to see and we will see better prices and significant discounts to support the Greek family and Greek society.
He also stressed that during these Easter days for Greek families, there are discounts on ferry tickets of 20% and 30% for Greek families and 50% for teachers.
According to sources in the ferry market, bookings are at about the same level as last year. In fact, from today until Good Friday, the occupancy rate on most routes for the Cyclades is 100%, while for the North Aegean islands, Crete and the Dodecanese, it is around 60%.
From the port of Piraeus, 16 sailings are expected to take place today, while at least 16,568 passengers are expected to depart, according to booking data. From the port of Rafina, there will be 7 sailings with at least 5,800 passengers, while from the port of Lavrio, there will be 6 sailings with at least 1,280 passengers. The Coast Guard has taken all necessary measures to facilitate the passengers, while it is advisable for the Easter excursionists to be at the ship’s departure dock earlier for better service.
