Crystal Symphony to homeport in Thessaloniki in 2025

[Stickman1990]

Thessaloniki will serve as a homeport for Crystal Symphony in 2025 as Crystal becomes the first high-end international cruise line to use the port for full turnarounds
 

From SeaTrade - https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ports-destinations/crystal-symphony-homeport-thessaloniki-2025?

[Stickman1990]

Before someone asks - here’s the nearest International airport 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki_Airport

[TER777]

1 minute ago, Stickman1990 said:

Before someone asks - here’s the nearest International airport 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki_Airport

You beat me to it. I was just about to ask!

[ctjon]

 

Sounds like an exciting city - wonder how easy it is to get there from US

 

Well, while I was typing someone answered part of it - Intl airport right there. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by ctjon

[Txcotn]

I'm wondering if this means ALL Symphony cruises will begin and end there. That could mean short segments instead of good long B2Bs. Any ideas? Same question about Serenity - what about WC segments? I guess we'll find out when the '25 itins are released but I'm curious today!

[Roland4]

1 hour ago, ctjon said:

 

Sounds like an exciting city - wonder how easy it is to get there from US

 

Well, while I was typing someone answered part of it - Intl airport right there. 

For fun, I checked one of our air consolidators, and it can be done with one or two connections on the outbound, but for some reason all the inbounds had two connections. This is from Toronto, but I suspect the same would be true from most major eastern US hubs.

[Txcotn]

That leaves us out, can’t handle 2 connections let alone the mental exertion wondering if luggage will show up. First world problems I know but we’re getting too old for schlepping through multiple airports. 

[ctjon]

Seemed strange to me when they announced the Serenity home port - why home port.  This one is stranger.  I'm not sure I'd do that travel to Symphony and how does that limit where it will go.

We really need to wait for itineraries to see what this really means but....

[TER777]

I found this airport info on a hotel website. 
 

How to Get to Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki International Airport Makedonia (SKG) Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki hotel is located near Thessaloniki International Airport – Makedonia (5 minutes by car). Many European airlines and charter companies fly direct from locations such as Paris, London, Berlin, Milan, Moscow, Cyprus, Amsterdam, Cologne, Frankfurt, Istanbul, and Budapest. All major airlines from the US, Asia, Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East fly directly to Athens, with a 40-minute connection to Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki is also connected with direct flights from major Greek destinations such as Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Rhodes, Santorini, and Mykonos.

[CruiseFan94]

There is an organised plan from the former minister of tourism and greek people in the cruise industry to promote Thessaloniki as much as they can to cruise companies.

Well the reviews from the visitors this season are not so good.

Even if the former minister is from there, they should first check how the port of Thessaloniki (an industrial city and second largest in Greece) can handle the cruise passengers, what it can offer and then decide to put it on the front of their plans for Eastern Med cruises.

Thessaloniki is like Athens without Akropolis.

[FlyerTalker]

There are roughly a dozen non-stops a day between ATH and SKG.  Plus, as noted, flights to hub cities in Central Europe, such as FRA, CDG and AMS.

 

 

[May B]

5 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

There are roughly a dozen non-stops a day between ATH and SKG.  Plus, as noted, flights to hub cities in Central Europe, such as FRA, CDG and AMS.

 

 

Are those non-stops on Star Alliance, etc.?

[FlyerTalker]

14 minutes ago, May B said:

Are those non-stops on Star Alliance, etc.?

 

Most are operated by Aegean, which is a member of Star.