Instead of docking in Santorini as originally scheduled, the cruise ship Viking Star will call on the Katakolon (Olympia) cruise port today. The itinerary change comes as a result of recent earthquake activity near the popular Greek island.
The earthquakes have left some Santorini residents facing damaged homes and businesses, with many of the 16,000 residents choosing to evacuate the area.
Since February 1, over 800 earthquakes have been recorded near the coast of Santorini, each with a magnitude of 3 or higher. The region felt a 5.0 magnitude tremor Sunday night.
The series of earthquakes and tremors has triggered a decline in tourism, with cancellations piling up. Seismologists attribute the activity to a regional pattern, but its intensity concerns local authorities.
Government Response and Emergency Measures
On Friday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a $3 million funding package for the construction of an emergency evacuation route in the southern region of Santorini. The country’s state of emergency declaration is currently in effect until March 3.
Landslides have been reported in the region and the old port of Fira in Santorini is a major concern.
BBC News has reported school closure in the surrounding areas, including in Mykonos, another popular cruise port in Greece. Mykonos is about 94 miles from Santorini.
Impact on Tourism and Cruise Ship Schedules
Viking Star was the only ship scheduled to visit Santorini this month and is scheduled to visit the island again on February 15, although it’s very likely that port visit will also be cancelled and changed to Katakolon or another port in the area.
Experts cannot predict when the “seismic crisis” on Santorini will end or if a major volcanic eruption or tsunami will occur. Preparations are being made for more tremors to come. It should be noted that Santorini was formed by a volcanic eruption in 1600 BC.
The longer the earthquakes and tremors go on, the longer it will be before the port can reopen to cruise traffic.
In March, Viking Star is currently planning to visit the Greek island again on the 11th and 15th while Celestyal Discovery is scheduled to visit three times toward the end of the month.
April is a much busier cruise season for Santorini, with at least 26 scheduled visits to the island that represent 13 different cruise lines.
Cruise lines will be updating their passengers if any changes need to be made to itineraries in the near future. For now, only two cruise lines have planned visits to Santorini in the next few weeks, and it’s hoped that the tremors will die down soon.
