September is leaving behind impressive figures for Chania, confirming its position as one of the top cruise destinations in the Mediterranean. Today, two cruise ships stand out: the Sun Princess with 4,267 passengers and the Resilient Lady with 2,619, further increasing the destination’s momentum.
The figures for the first nine months of 2025 are impressive compared to last year:
- Souda: 150 ships with 331,808 passengers – a new all-time record (2024: 98 ships, 222,596 passengers)
- Venetian Port of Chania: 18 ships with 6,711 passengers (2024: 11 ships, 5,244 passengers)
The increase in passengers reaches 48.6% and in ships 54.1%, reflecting the rapid growth of the destination. The previous annual record for passenger arrivals in Chania was 279,754 in 2024 – a number that has already been surpassed, while more than 40 arrivals are expected by the end of the year.
As Dimitris Virrirakis, president of LTNH, states, “this achievement acquires even greater value if one considers that our entire staff consists of just 12 people, with limited resources at our disposal. The success shows that visitors like Chania and underlines the need for cooperation between all local bodies, so that the upward trend can be maintained and the economic benefits can be reaped by the entire region.”
