Leading cruise operator MSC Cruises announced on Wednesday in Athens a first for the Swiss-based operator: the launch of a new route across the Aegean and the East Mediterranean that will have Piraeus as its homeport, ekathimerini reports.

The Greek port of Piraeus has seen its homeporting cruise traffic rise by 14 percent in the first half of the year thanks in large part to major cruise companies like Celestyal Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line using the port as a turnaround point.