It pays to be first. Just weeks ago, Greece was way out in front of most of the European Union in opening its borders to foreign—including U.S.—travelers. Now Holland America Line has jump-started Euro-cruising by opening up summer bookings. Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Holland America Line, is based in Miami.

Working in close coordination with the government of Greece, Holland America Line has received approval to restart cruising from Piraeus (Athens) in August with four departures aboard Eurodam.  Bookings for these cruises opened May 6.

“I am excited and we are all motivated that we will sail again, and the light at the end of the tunnel shines bright for our industry,” Rudi Sodamin tells SFBW. The Miami-based culinary expert and cookbook author serves as consultant master chef at Holland America Line.

Departing Aug. 15 and 29, the “Idyllic Greek Isles” itinerary features Kotor, Montenegro, plus the Greek isles of Kékira (Corfu), Thíra (Santorini) and Mykonos. “Ancient Wonders” departs Aug. 22 to explore Haifa, Israel, as well as Náfplion, Mykonos and Rhodes in Greece. Both options can be combined to form a longer, back-to-back 14-day Collectors’ Voyage.

A seven-day “Adriatic Allure” itinerary departing Sept. 5 will sail from Piraeus to Venice, Italy, with calls at Mykonos, Katakolon (Olympia) and Crete (Chania), Greece, and Sarandë, Albania. Additional Mediterranean cruises aboard Eurodam through the fall will be announced in the coming weeks and include ports in Italy and Greece. Eurodam returns to the United States to begin sailing its published Caribbean cruises in mid-November.

“Everyone at Holland America Line has been preparing for our return to service, and we are grateful to the government of Greece for allowing us to show that we can safely operate our cruises,” says Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “The beautiful islands of Greece have been a highlight of our Mediterranean itineraries for decades, and we are honored to be able to restart out of Athens and give our guests a memorable vacation after all this time without cruise travel.”

“The Greek Islands have been welcoming Holland America Line ships for many years, and we are proud to work together to welcome the cruise line back this summer,” says Harry Theoharis, Minister of Tourism of Greece. “We are sure that all visitors to Greece will once again have unique experiences to our beautiful destinations and fully enjoy the rich history, culture and gastronomy of our nation.”

Photo of Panathenaic Stadium in Athens by Drew Limsky