Key Aspects:
- Crown Iris had a six-hour port call planned at Syros, Greece, about 80 miles south of Athens.
- Cruise guests were told to remain inside the ship while the protests were held.
- The cruise ship ultimately left Syros and called at Cyprus instead.
A few hundred protesters demonstrating at the port of Syros, Greece, caused an Israeli-owned cruise line to cancel its ship’s port call on July 22, 2025, disappointing the 1,600 passengers onboard the vessel.
Crown Iris is sailing a 4-night Greece cruise roundtrip from Haifa, Israel, and had called at Rhodes, Greece, on July 21, 2025. The ship arrived as scheduled in Syros for a port call that was to begin at noon on July 22, 2025.
However, a pro-Palestinian rally at the port of Ermoupoli ultimately prompted the ship to depart and sail to Cyprus instead.
Local media reports indicate that cruise ship officials initially told guests there would be a delay in debarking at Syros, a pristine island located about 80 miles southeast of Athens and known for its Greek architecture and culture.
Cruise ship officials expected the demonstration to end, but the delay soon turned into a cancellation, and the planned six-hour port call was nixed.
The time spent at the Syros port was challenging for guests, who were told by onboard security to remain inside the ship and avoid the outdoor decks while the protest was happening.
“We felt safe inside the ship, but the children are a little stressed,” one passenger onboard Crown Iris told local media.
Protesters carried signs reading “Stop the Genocide” and Free, Free Palestine!,” among other messages referring to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war.
Local police and members of the Syros Port Authority were called to the scene, and government officials, including the foreign ministers of Greece and Israel, got involved in trying to resolve the port stand-off.
Media reports pointed to ship officials deciding to leave Syros and instead visit Cyprus, fearing there could be violence if cruise passengers attempted to disembark Crown Iris.
Crown Iris is owned by Israel-based Mano Maritime, which is mainly a cargo operator. It bought Crown Iris — its sole cruise ship, in 2018. The ship entered service in 1992 and previously sailed for multiple cruise lines.
The 40,876-gross-ton ship was built for Birka Line but was first operated by Majesty Cruise Line. In 1997, she was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line and sailed as Norwegian Majesty.
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Louis Cruises bought the ship and changed her name to Louis Majesty. In 2012, the ship was chartered to Thomson Cruises and then returned to Louis Cruises before her sale to Mano Maritime.
Crown Iris Earlier Evacuated Youth Group From Israel
Crown Iris was in the news recently when the ship was used to evacuate a group of US-based young adults from an Israeli port following Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites on June 13, 2025.
About 1,500 Jewish people visiting Israel as part of a heritage trip organized by the non-profit Birthright Israel were picked up by Crown Iris at the Port of Ashdod, located south of Tel Aviv. The ship, under escort by the Israeli Navy, evacuated the youth group to Cyprus.
The Israel-Hamas war has disrupted cruising in the region since October 2023. At least eight cruise lines immediately suspended calls to Israel, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Azamara, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania, and Holland America.
As conflict spread across the Middle East into 2024, additional regions were impacted by cruise ship reroutings and port call cancellations.
