Before the armies of Alexander the Great made their famous thrusts east toward lands unconquered, their ships called into port at Cyprus to be readied and refitted. The same strategic location, at the crossroads of three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, that made Cyprus a crucial starting point for Alexander’s expanding empire makes the island a desirable centre today for a calmer kind of maritime activity: cruising. Whether for a cruise that originates there, as a port of call or a fly and cruise option, today Cyprus is among the premier cruising destinations in the Mediterranean.
 As the easternmost island in the Mediterranean, Cyprus is a natural point of departure for exploring this amazingly diverse region. Throughout the year locally based cruise lines help locals and tourist alike get a first hand perspective of the splendors of ancient Egypt, major attractions in Israel and Lebanon and, of course, the Greek Islands. Every year there are around 800 such “mini-cruises” leaving from the port of Limassol (Lemesos), one of the leading cruise ports in the Mediterranean, carrying around 250,000 passengers.

 
 Port of History and Civilisation
 Many international cruise ships utilize Cyprus as a major port of call on their international European and Mediterranean itineraries. Every year more than 30 of the finest international cruise ships make more than 80 calls at the ports of Limassol and Larnaka carrying in excess of 100,000 passengers to visit the major attractions of Cyprus.

Source: www.visitcyprus.org.cy