Aroya Cruises Launches Its First Mediterranean Winter Season

Aroya Cruises began its first Mediterranean winter season, with the ship departing from Galataport Istanbul on October 18 to offer voyages between Turkey and Egypt.

The season features cruises combining Turkish destinations such as Bodrum, Marmaris and Kuşadası with Alexandria, Egypt. According to Seatrade Cruise, the voyages range from six, seven or eight nights, while Cruise Industry News specifies that these are seven-night cruises between the two countries.

In Alexandria the ship makes its first overnight call, which according to Seatrade Cruise allows passengers to explore the historic port or take excursions to Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza. Cruise Industry News notes that the calls at that port last two days and that, as part of the line's interporting strategy, passengers can also embark and disembark in that Egyptian city.

Ala Tashkandi, Chief Commercial Officer of Aroya Cruises, stated that this first Mediterranean winter season is an important step toward building a year-round presence in the region, and highlighted that Turkey and Egypt offer appealing cultural experiences for a winter cruise, in addition to the fact that the selected departures from Alexandria make access easier for Egyptian passengers and allow for combination with longer stays for international travelers.

According to Cruise Industry News, the Aroya, a 3,400-passenger, 150,000-ton ship, arrived in Istanbul in early October following a brief fall season in the Red Sea. The winter season is part of a broader program by the line that runs through September 2027, and will include, according to Seatrade Cruise and Cruise Industry News, its first 14-night voyages in June and July of that year.

Cruise Industry News reports that, starting in May 2027, the ship will add a summer deployment with new ports in Turkey and Greece, including Bodrum, Antalya, Kas, Chania, Rhodes and Nafplion, and will mark Aroya Cruises' debut in the Western Mediterranean and the Adriatic with two-week cruises that will include calls at Catania, Salerno, Civitavecchia, Cagliari, La Goulette, Mykonos and Valletta, as well as a second itinerary through Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Italy and Croatia. The 11-month season in the region will conclude with a repositioning voyage to the Red Sea in early September 2027, when the ship will resume short cruises from Jeddah to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.