Greece's Santorini welcomes first cruise ship after quakes
SANTORINI, Greece, March 24 (Reuters) - Greece's tourism jewel, Santorini, welcomed its first cruise ship of the year on Sunday after thousands of small earthquakes in February created a state of emergency, forced thousands to flee and had locals fearing the season would be lost.
Millions of tourists flock to Santorini every year, squeezing along its whitewashed cobbled streets to view its famous cliff-top sunset. The increased seismic activity - unprecedented even in a country as quake-prone as Greece - had prompted authorities to shut schools, halt construction and dispatch rescuers to the island.
On Sunday morning, the Celestyal Discovery docked in the sparkling Aegean waters off Santorini with around 1,700 mostly American tourists on board. Celestyal Cruises had taken Santorini off its list earlier this month.
"It's exciting to know that the island's open again and we get to visit first," said 67-year-old Deborah Terry.
Another passenger, Julie Eberly, said she was confident the island was out of danger.
"We trust the tourism board here, so if they said it was safe to come, we came with open arms."
An island of around 20,000 residents, Santorini took its current shape following one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history around 1600 BC. It welcomes around 2.5 million tourists every year and its economy depends almost exclusively on tourism.
Locals said they were pinning their hopes on visitors returning to the island.
"We all hope that things will return to normal, that people will come back," said Tassos Kontos, a shop owner. "The cloud seems to be lifting."
No major damage has been reported on the island following the quakes, but authorities have said they will set up an evacuation port to facilitate the safe escape of people in case a bigger quake hits.
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NBC News
2 hours ago
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Trump travel ban hits immigrant family coming to U.S. amid bloody civil war in Myanmar
A Burmese American woman was eager to bring her siblings over to the U.S. from Myanmar amid a more than 15-year wait for visas. She'd been hoping to reunite with them since the 1990s, during military rule in her home country, so her brother's family could start a life in the U.S. But a day after she bought the plane tickets, President Donald Trump ordered a travel ban that included Myanmar. The woman, 51, and her husband, who were granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, had sponsored her brother and sister-in-law to immigrate to the U.S. The siblings were then were hoping to bring their own adult kids, too, so that they wouldn't have to fulfill mandatory military service in the country's active civil war. With the travel ban in effect Monday, they said the policy has a heightened impact on people from war-torn countries like Myanmar who had hopes of finding sanctuary in the U.S. 'It's really frustrating because we were on the cusp of securing their safety to leave that situation,' said her husband, 57, adding he felt like a 'rug got pulled out from under us in an instant.' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump's policy is in the 'best interest of the American people and their safety.' 'His commonsense, country-specific travel restrictions include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information,' Jackson said. 'The restrictions fulfill the President's day one promise to protect American citizens from dangerous foreign actors who may come to the United States and cause us harm.' The travel restrictions, announced on Wednesday, completely bar entry to the U.S. for people from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in addition to those from Afghanistan, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Other countries, including Cuba, Laos and Venezuela, are under partial travel restrictions. According to Trump's proclamation, several of the countries on the list had declined to accept the repatriation of their nationals while others had visa overstay rates that the administration deemed 'unacceptable.' A few countries lacked 'the competence of the central authority' for issuing passports, the proclamation said. Jackson also pointed out a section in the proclamation that allows for applications for refugee status. 'Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the [international Convention Against Torture], consistent with the laws of the United States,' the proclamation said. However, after he took office, Trump limited refugee admissions for almost all countries including Myanmar. And in May, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to revoke the temporary legal status of more than 500,000 immigrants that was granted by the Biden administration. Those immigrants came from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and are now subject to deportation. Myanmar was among the nine countries in the latest proclamation that Trump also targeted during his first term. In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. issued 13,284 visas to the country, with business and tourism permits making up the most common types of visas. 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Daily Record
8 hours ago
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The 'most unsung' Scottish city named 'worst for city break'
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Hundreds of sit-ups later, it's punishing, but the Sea Front Circuits have been my favourite activity so far. It feels like a warped school sports day for adults. At this point, I need some inspiration and ask Dame Jessica if she can share some wisdom. 'I'm more of a speed-based athlete, so the endurance side can be quite challenging,' she reassures me. 'Some people play a 5k down, but actually it's a hard distance. The key is just to build it up naturally. 'Be kind to yourself. Recovery and listening to your body are important.' With her words of encouragement, I'm all pumped up to attempt boxercise for the first time, undeterred from overhearing JE Thrive on day one. I give it my best shot and surprise myself with my strength as I channel Rocky Balboa. Sore from boxing, dancing, running and circuit-training, I dedicate the rest of the day to recovery, taking on board Dame Jessica's advice with the gorgeous surroundings of Anda Barut my playground — a grilled sea bream fillet at the Fish Camp is coming right up. It's my final day at Anda Barut, so I take it easy with one last yoga class and finally enjoy the highly-recommended spa while reflecting on all I've experienced over the past few days. I never thought I could enjoy working out as much as I have in Turkey, but perhaps the most shocking part is how welcoming everyone has been at the retreat. I've stumbled across the most supportive community. Is four days of training enough to change your whole outlook? In my case, yes, because it was a total shock to the system. It was humbling to meet these greats of sports, and their words of encouragement and golden tips will stay with me forever. More Trending Yes, it was exhausting and daunting. At times, it was painful. But it has changed my attitude towards healthy eating and keeping fit. Now, I want to exercise, rather than feeling like I have to. You never know if a holiday romance is legit until you leave the resort bubble and get back home. Well, I think this one is the real deal because, not long after I land, I sign up for my local Parkrun. Wellness Week has certainly changed my perspective on fitness, and I'm not mad at it at all. The closest airport to Anda Barut is Bodrum. Direct flights run from the UK, from London, Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester, with prices starting from £89 return in July. Alicia Adejobi was a guest of Anda Barut Collection and the Bayou Villas. For more information on Wellness Week 2026, visit their website. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. 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