Israeli Cruise Ship Receives False Bomb Threat Over VHF
The Israeli-owned cruise ship Crown Iris sometimes encounters confrontation when it calls in Greece, a product of differing views on the circumstances in the West Bank and Gaza. But the ship received a much more extreme and dangerous greeting when it arrived at the island of Syros last weekend: a fake bomb threat, called in via VHF radio.
The Crown Iris arrived at Ermoupoli, Syros on the morning of the 3rd. Leftist protesters had hoped to hold a demonstration on the pier during the ship's arrival, but the police prohibited it as a threat to public order. Without risk of altercations on the pier, passengers were able to disembark to visit local landmarks. One passenger described a "huge police presence" to ensure the peace while the cruise ship was in port, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Later in the day, prior to departure, the ship received a bomb threat over VHF. The Hellenic Coast Guard responded to assist with a thorough sweep. As a precaution, the crew interrupted dinner service and all 940 passengers were disembarked while the check proceeded. A canine unit helped with the search above the waterline, and a private diver assisted with a sweep of the hull. No anomalies were found, and the ship re-embarked its passengers and returned to Haifa.
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Crown Iris is no stranger to controversy in the Greek isles. In one call in Syros in July 2025, protests turned unruly and some of the passengers had water thrown at them while ashore. All personnel were recalled to the ship, and the operator decided to depart for the next port of call rather than risk any further unrest.
Later, in December 2025, the Athens-based World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) attempted to block a planned repair period for Crown Iris in Piraeus. WFTU and the Workers Militant Front (PAME) union blamed the management of Piraeus Port Authority/COSCO for allocating space for the repairs, and called on other trade unions to refuse to perform any work on board the 34-year-old ship.
