About our Company
“In the collective imagination, talking about cruises in Albania still sounds like an oxymoron”, says Arian Çyrbja, owner of Durres Intermed shipping agency, which, since 2005, served almost 100% of cruise ships visiting the Albanian coast. “Yet”, he underlines, “our country is regularly visited by an élite of rich and intellectual cruise tourists, who are curious to discover a country undoubtedly far from the classical tourist standards”. Intermed was founded in 1992 by Piro Kondo and Sabri Shtraza, who retired in 2005. Kondo's son-in-law, Çyrbja inherited his agency, differentiating it from competitors by specializing in the cruise market. In 2003-2004, Intermed was contacted by Oceania Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Lindblad Expeditions, showing interest in the port of Saranda. “A National Geographic partner, Lindblad was the first ship we served in 2005”, says Çyrbja, “and it still calls yearly with a 100 passengers vessel”. Intermed worked for four years in Saranda, serving Oceania Cruises' Insignia, Regatta and Riviera, touching Albania 8-10 times a year. “Being close to the archaeological park of Butrint, Saranda had a good potential”, Çyrbja explains, “but it was then betonized, spoiling its beauty and pushing tourism away”. From 2006 to 2013, Finnish company Kristina Cruises selected Durres as a port-of-call in its Mediterranean schedule, docking 4-5 times a year, until it went bankrupt at the end of 2013. Other companies, such as Holland America and Azamara Cruises, dock at Durres every two years, and are increasing their calls. “In 2014, Intermed served 5600 over 5800 cruise passengers disembarked in Durres”, says Çyrbja, “while in 2015 only 10 ships are scheduled. Lindblad apart, Holland America will dock twice, while British newcomer Thomson Cruises first called on May 28 and is scheduled three more times”.
According to Çyrbja, 2016 will be better, with 17 scheduled ships: “Oceania Cruises, Thomson Cruises, Louis Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Holland America, will call at Durres with 180-230 meters vessels. Oceania Cruises will enrich the Albanian market with brand-new MS Explorer, to be launched in July 2016 and calling at Durres in September”. Çyrbja feels positive about the future of cruise market in Durres – despite betonization affecting the waterfront and the city center – since Albania is inheriting the North African market, which faded together with the Arab Springs, while the UN World Tourism Organization is promoting Albania on the main-stream media. “But we have some gaps in port infrastructure”, Çyrbja complains, “as the lack of accurate figures on the channel and basin depth. The only reliable authority is the Royal Navy, while cruising lines fear grounding. We have to be careful with Oceania Cruises 230 meters ships, or Thomson Cruises, carrying 1,500 passengers”. The ship agent criticizes Durres Port Masterplan of 2009, placing the container terminal at the port main entrance, “a mistake affecting tourists' impact with the town, while the Masterplan of 2001 aimed at displacing commercial activities in the port's Eastern area”, says Çyrbja, who doesn't spare the port administration of 2005-2013. “Before 2005”, says the ship agent, “I was the Port Authority financial director. I left the port with a yearly surplus of 7-8 million euro, but after my departure the coffers were quickly emptied, and when, some years ago, I asked the AP to build a small berth for cruises, a 200,000 euro investment, they said they had no money”. Asked what he thinks of the Ministry of Transport project to build a yacht port in the Northern port of Shëngjin, Çyrbja answers that “if they really do it, it would end up as Marina Orikum, which failed as it lacks a lively town in its vicinity. Nautical tourism can only work in Durres and Saranda. Durres is close to Tirana and to the picturesque towns of Kruja and Berat. Therefore a yacht port in Durres has good chances to succeed, but only if the project is managed by foreign investors”, says Çyrbja.
