On June 22, a 26-year-old man was arrested near a NATO base in Souda Bay on the popular vacation island of Crete, Greece.
He had booked a hotel room overlooking the port and paid in cash. His possessions included a digital camera, a tripod, a foreign-issued bank card used to withdraw money from local ATMs, and more than 5,000 images of port activities stored on his electronic devices.
“I stayed in Crete to enjoy the island, take walks, and eat ice cream,” he reportedly told authorities upon his detention.
But over a 4-day period while the man was being watched by authorities, he reportedly only left his room twice to buy food.
Following a joint investigation by Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) and local police, officials also found encryption software on the man’s laptop, which he is believed to have used to transmit thousands of photographs of U.S. and Greek military assets, as well as many detailed photographs of passenger cruise ships that call on Port Souda.
The man refused to provide biometric data, and the encryption software precluded investigators from immediately determining who, if anyone, received transmission of the images.
Just a few days before, another man was arrested following similar behavior patterns on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Spy network feared
Both men were Azerbaijani nationals, and both used identical types of digital camera, tripod, memory card, and encrypted messaging platforms. Those similarities have led investigators to assume a connection between the two incidents.
“This raises the possibility of a wider espionage and sabotage network operating in NATO territory,” said one Greek defense analyst. “The fact that civilian cruise ships appear among the targets only amplifies the threat level.”
Investigators are now working to unravel the potential motives, connections, and backers of the arrested men—and to determine whether a network of agents is now operating in the eastern Mediterranean region.
Government officials in Israel have said the incidents are proof of an Iran-backed plot to harm Israeli citizens.
Is the eastern Mediterranean safe for cruises?
While no specific advisories have been issued to cruise operators, several cruise lines that operate in the eastern Mediterranean are reportedly working with Greek police to improve security protocols.
The U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory for Greece is currently as its lowest possible level, advising travelers to merely “exercise normal precautions” for safety.
However, the United Kingdom is currently warning citizens considering travel that “terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Greece.”
Terrorism doesn’t happen often aboard cruises, but it can occur.
Forty years ago this October, the passenger ship Achille Lauro was hijacked in the eastern Mediterranean as part of the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, resulting in the murder of one Jewish passenger and the murder of one Palestinian American activist who opined about the situation in the press.
The Achille Lauro was carrying 748 passengers. Major cruise ships that ply the Mediterranean today, such as Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas and MSC Fantasia, can carry around 4,000 passengers at a time.
The potential for loss of life is much greater than in the 1980s. If there’s one thing cruise lines—and the world in general—don’t need, it’s the treat of terrorist attacks on passenger ships.
New port taxes in the Greek islands
Amid this tension—but not because of it—Greece has introduced additional charges for cruise passengers who visit Greek ports.
As of July 21, cruise passengers will be assessed with additional per-person fees for the following ports and dates:
June–September:
€20 (US$23.34) in Mykonos and Santorini
€5 ($5.83) in all other Greek ports
April, May, and October:
€12 ($14) in Mykonos and Santorini
€3 ($3.50) in all other Greek ports
November–March:
€4 ($4.67) in Mykonos and Santorini
€1 ($1.17) in all other Greek ports
The law authorizing the extra charges was passed in 2024. The fees have been dubbed a “sustainable tourism fee” to combat overtourism and have not been specifically earmarked for improving port security.
The fees are paid by the cruise companies, which are expected to pass the charges on to customers.
