- Viking Saturn docked in Souda on Saturday with 908 passengers, inaugurating winter cruise arrivals.
- By October 2025, 194 cruise ships had reached Chania, carrying over 391,000 travelers.
- Passenger traffic surged 44% year-on-year, confirming Chania’s rise as a year-round cruise hub.
- Eighteen more arrivals are expected before the end of the year; fourteen are already booked for early 2026.
The Viking Saturn, carrying 908 passengers, docked in Souda Bay early Saturday morning — an arrival that signals something new for Crete’s west coast: winter cruising is officially here.
With its sleek Nordic design and discreet luxury, the Saturn looked almost theatrical against the Cretan light, the kind of contrast that perfectly captures Chania’s new identity — elegant, historic, and increasingly global.
A Record-Breaking Year for Chania’s Ports
According to Chania Port Authority president Dimitris Virirakis, the first ten months of 2025 brought astonishing results.
From January 1 to October 31, Souda hosted 173 cruise ships carrying 382,389 passengers, while the Venetian Harbor welcomed 21 more vessels with 8,611 passengers.
In total, 194 vessels and 390,000 visitors passed through the city — an increase of 45.86% in arrivals and 44.15% in passengers compared to 2024.
“Chania now attracts over a thousand cruise travelers every single day of the year,” Virirakis told ERT News, adding that the growth reflects coordinated efforts between local authorities, tourism bodies, and the private sector.
Eighteen additional cruise calls are expected before the year ends, and another fourteen are already scheduled for January–April 2026.
For a city long associated with summer holidays, Chania’s ability to welcome travelers under cloudy skies and soft December light is proof of its transformation into a true year-round destination.
As Virirakis put it, “Chania has now established itself as a cruise destination for all seasons.”
The gentle hum of engines in Souda Bay might be the sound of Chania’s future — steady, international, and beautifully maritime.
