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Once again it becomes clear that not only sectoral interests of a community are not indicative of the interests of the entire Greek society, but also act against them. This is about the notorious cruise ship Zenith, which unsuccessfully tried to dock at the port in Piraeus in order to unload on the Greek coast hundreds of tourists, ready to spend their money to promote the Greek economy. And yet they always fail to do that because angry Greek dockers strike and don’t allow them to go ashore. Do you understand? Greek dockers are currently harming a whole bunch of small and medium enterprises, also Greek. Not to mention the moral injury that caused to the country as an unreliable tourist destination.

Greek tourism is threatened to lose over 10 million euro revenue this year only because of constant strikes organized by workers at the port of Piraeus. They rebel against the possibility at the port to stop ships on which no Greek sailors are working. This is according to them in violation of their working rights as before the intervention of the IMF in Greece, the country was guaranteeing that only vessels with a certain percentage of Greek sailors on board may anchor in Greek ports. After signing the agreement with IMF however, this situation changed. So the Union of Greek sailors is indignant and announced another 24-hour strike on Monday 31 May, which will block the entry and exit of ships and ferries from the Greek port and thus once again it will prevent the boarding of the Maltese cruise ship Zenit.

"Closed professions are monopolistic market organizations that operate contrary to the principles of market economy," explained for GRReporter some time ago the head of the Institute for Economic Research and Industrial Studies in Athens Yannis Stournaras. "Shipments of goods and the cabotage in ferries are an example of two sectors from which the Greek economy loses billions of unassimilated income, taxes and fees" he explained.

Meanwhile, representatives of the chambers of commerce in Athens and Piraeus urged sailors’ unions to show common sense and put an end the constant strike protests. According to data from trade unions one of every five euro is a result of the tourist influx in the country. By blocking the port small traders in the city are deprived of the opportunity to benefit from the influx of cruises with foreign tourists. Souvenir shops, taverns and other small and large businesses that depend directly or indirectly from tourism in Greece suffer the most from the strikes of the marine workers.

Tourists from the cruise ships stop for several hours in Piraeus for these hours they want to do everything - to see the Acropolis, to walk around Plaka, buy souvenirs and eat in traditional Greek tavern. And for that purpose they open their wallets willingly. "Once again, the Greek tourism has become a victim of the strike action of a handful of people", said in a letter of protest against the strike the members of trade unions of tourism enterprises to the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and merchant marine.

Have you ever rested on a cruise ship? If the answer is yes, then you are aware of the long hours you spend in the same company around the ship's pools, its restaurants and bars or on the deck to gaze at the horizon. It sounds romantic, but it is in the most cases annoying. Even more often it is accompanied by sickness - vomiting, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite. And you are eagerly waiting for the next stop, where you can step on solid ground. To walk on it without having to proceed with feet apart for greater stability and to keep holdin on to the railing of ship corridors, because the vessel was hit by a strong wave. You look forward to the next stop, which will get you rid of the swinging ground, the annoying company or just the limited space of living. And some striking sailors take it away from you. Well, if this happens to you once, you will check off the destination ...

The cruise ship Zenith is owned by Pullmantur Cruises, which is a subsidiary of the tourism giant company in sea travel Royal Caribbean Cruises. It carries over fifteen hundred holidaymakers and by the end of the season it is expected to make at least 34 cruises in Greek waters. The Royal Caribbean Cruises Company has a another 11 cruise ships that cross the Aegean Sea and is expected to lay aboard 44 Greek ports. Every ship from Royal Caribbean chain carries almost two thousand tourists who want to enjoy the Greek beaches and spend their money in Greek tavernas, shops and restaurants. Strike action against cabotage in tourism seafaring hurt the already devastated picture of the Greek economy and prevent the entry of new investments in the country.

Kruazierniyat ship Zenith ultimately canceled its boarding in Piraeus and will sail directly to Malta. It will make a final attempt to lay aboard at the port of Piraeus on June 7 this year. If the port workers again block Piraeus, manager of Zenit will permanently change the course to more hospitable ports, such as that of Kusadasi in Turkey which is opposite to the Greek island of Samos.