Greece’s Heraklion Port Authority today announced an extra 18 cruise ship calls scheduled, a result of Costa Cruises dropping Turkey as a destination due to security concerns.

The Costa neoClassica arrived on Saturday August 15 for its maiden call in the Greek port, with a plaque exchange ceremony taking place.

Passengers had the chance to enjoy a Cretan traditional dances show and tasted Cretan traditional products. The ship is expected five times before the end of the year.

The Chairman and Managing Director of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Brass stated: “The efforts of the Management and the close collaboration with all local authorities highlight once again the relative merits of Heraklion destination, the security offered in our port and our very simple goal: ‘Exceed guest expectations every time.’ This is realized via our 5-Sesnses model (an award-winning model -14 awards) a unique system that allows the Culture and Agriculture to be combined with Tourism.”