The cruise ship Explora I docked at the port of Kato Paphos on Friday morning, carrying more than 900 passengers of different nationalities. The vessel is part of the MSC group, a major operator of cruises in the Mediterranean.

According to the Paphos maritime port police, the ship arrived from Antalya, Turkey. It anchored at the Kato Paphos port to allow passengers a day-long visit to the area.

Passengers were expected to explore archaeological and ecclesiastical sites across the province. Plans also included visits to the harbour and the town of Paphos. Later in the day, the cruise ship was scheduled to set sail for Kusadasi, Turkey, to continue its journey.