Royal Caribbean Group will open an office in Cyprus which will serve as a center of its cruise activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. Deputy Maritime Affairs Minister Vasilis Dimitriadis said that the commitment and the trust the company has shown in the Cypriot flag "create conditions for further strengthening of cooperation, which will bring significant benefits both for Cyprus Shipping, but also more widely and in the consolidation of Cyprus as a center of world-class cruises, for further strengthening country;s tourism sector. 

“We have fostered an incredibly close relationship with the Cypriot authorities during the last few years and we are excited to continue our growth by opening an office in Limassol,” said Ruth Marshall, Vice President, International General Counsel & Managing Director, Royal Caribbean Group. “Cyprus continues to rank as one of the top shipping registries globally and has a well-established shipping and ship management center. The Government of Cyprus has provided invaluable assistance to us, and we are excited to grow our Mediterranean business from Cyprus.” 

Royal Caribbean's decision to open a Group office in Cyprus is a tangible example of how the Government is turning a crisis into an opportunity, Mr. Dimitriadis said in a statement, welcoming this decision. 

Mr. Dimitriadis, in his statement, welcomes the Royal Caribbean Group's announcement of the opening of an office in Cyprus, as well as the registration of a cruise ship in the Cypriot registry, "specifically the ship Spectrum of the Seas, which, since last Friday, has raised the flag of Cyprus." 

"The company's decision is a tangible example of how the Government turns a crisis into an opportunity," he said, noting that, "as is known," Cyprus during the pandemic was coordinated by the Deputy Ministry of Maritime Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministries of Transport and Health and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism , enabled the repatriation and change of crew for more than 65,000 sailors, while the "National Program we adopted to cover the vaccination of 40,000 sailors" was implemented with great success. "The above together with the service we offer put Cyprus on the world cruise map," he added.