Three Cruise Ships Forced to Cancel Call to Popular Greek Port Due to Local Bus Strike

If you’ve ever cruised to Santorini, Greece you know how important bus transportation is for the port. In fact, it’s so vital for the cruise industry that one bus strike is causing all kinds of problems for cruise ships that want to stop there.

Ships have to anchor off the coast when calling on Santorini, but even after passengers make it to land, another trip is necessary to see the iconic views the Greek port is known for.

Thanks to a bus strike in the area, three cruise ships from three different cruise lines have had to cancel or postpone their visits that were originally scheduled for Monday June 22, 2026.

Why the Ships Canceled Their Calls

The cancellations happened after Santorini’s tourist bus association called a one-day strike. They completely refused to transport cruise passengers for the day.

Cruise lines rely entirely on these local buses to run their shore excursions. They need them to safely move thousands of people away from the water.

Because of the strike, cruise lines had no choice but to adjust on the fly. Here are the three cruise ships impacted so far:

• MSC Sinfonia: Canceled its Monday stop completely.
• Norwegian Pearl: Canceled its Monday stop completely.
• Celebrity Ascent: Postponed its arrival by 24 hours. It shifted its port visit to Tuesday, June 23.

Cruisers on the NCL and MSC ships faced a tough break. There were no nearby alternate ports available on such short notice.

Instead of visiting Santorini, these ships will enjoy a day at sea.

The “70-30 Rule” at the Center of it All

The issue at the heart of the canceled visits is a controversial new passenger plan. It was introduced by Santorini’s port authority and is known as the “70-30” rule.

This new policy explains exactly why the bus operators walked out.

Under the new rule, 70 percent of passengers must get off at the Old Port of Fira. This port drops you at the very bottom of a sheer cliff.

To get up to town, you have to climb 588 steep steps, ride a donkey, or wait for the single cable car.

That cable car can only handle about 1,200 people an hour.

The remaining 30 percent of passengers are sent to Athinios Port, also known as the New Port. This is the only port with an actual road. It is the only place where full-sized tour buses can safely park, load up, and drive guests up the mountain.

The bus association called the new setup “dysfunctional”. They argued that local officials forced the plan through without parking facilities or organized meeting points.

Drivers also warned that forcing most cruise visitors to the Old Port creates a massive bottleneck.

Multiple ships can drop 8,000 people at the cliff base at the same time. Travelers then face hours waiting for the cable car in the scorching summer heat with zero shade or water.

Greece Still Battling Overtourism

This local bus strike is the latest in a pretty big summer crackdown on overtourism. The issue is hitting the Greek Isles hard this month.

On June 1st, Greece launched a strict €20 peak-season tax. The tax applies to every single cruise passenger stepping onto Santorini. The island also has a rigid new 8,000-passenger daily limit.

Because of these changes, the relationship between international cruise lines and local authorities is not exactly rainbows and unicorns. But cruisers are hoping the two sides can find a peaceful resolution to avoid cancellations like this again in the future.

Local shop owners and restaurants are in a tough spot. They are losing the income of thousands of tourists in a single day. Still, the bus operators insist they won’t drive until local authorities sit down for real solutions.

Between the three ships that are no longer visiting Santorini on Monday, it totals about 8,500 passengers, with Celebrity Ascent being the largest ship which accommodates around 3,260 at double capacity.

That’s a lot of missed revenue for local operators.