AROYA Cruises has opened bookings for its inaugural season in the Red Sea out of Jeddah, with an early booking deal allowing 3rd and 4th guests to sail free.

AROYA Cruises will sail its first passenger voyage on December 16th, a 3-night roundtrip itinerary from Jeddah to a private island in the Sarrayn chain off the coast of Makkah, around 100 nautical miles south of Jeddah.

This voyage, and others like it during the inagural season, is available from around AED1,700 per person (US $460). A longer 4-night itinerary is also on offer, visiting Sharm-El Sheikh in Egypt, for around AED2,200 (US $600) per person.

These cruises take in the arts, culture and heritage of Jeddah itself, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed city, as well as the diverse landscapes of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, and the turquoise waters and vibrant coral reefs of its islands.

From January, 2025, 4-night roundtrip voyages to Aqaba in Jordan and the Lost City of Petra will also be on offer, as well as longer 6- and 7-night itineraries visiting Sharm el Sheikh, and Aqaba, or these ports and Ain Sokhna for Cairo, Egypt.

These longer cruises are available for AED4,000-4,400 (US $1,200).

“The launch of our cruise line to commercial markets is an important milestone for both AROYA Cruises and for the tourism landscape in Saudi Arabia,” said Joerg Rudolph, President, Aroya Cruises. ‘We are thrilled that the public can now book sailings with us as we strive to reinvent the meaning of holidays in Arabia.”

He added, ‘We have been steadfast in our mission to create a remarkably Arabian cruise line offering for guests at sea and onshore, commercially, and sustainably, and we look forward to sharing this with our passengers,” he added.

The first AROYA cruise ship

AROYA has purchased the former World Dream and sent her to Europe for a technical refit and bow-to-stern refurbishment. The 335-metre vessel will be able to accommodate 3,362 passengers across 18 decks, in 1,678 cabins. 

Passengers will be able to book a range of categories, including outside (sea view through window or porthole), balcony cabins, suites, and even ‘villas’ with sweeping balconies and separate sleeping, dining and lounge areas.

With all the bars that were previously available aboard the World Dream having been stripped out during the refurbishment, Manara will instead feature a plethora of entertainment venues, from cinemas and karaoke bars to shisha lounges and escape rooms.

The ship will also feature 1,018-seater Aroya Theatre, which will feature headline entertainment, movies and dedicated shows for children. When it comes to kids facilities, AROYA have gone all out, knowing that their target market (Middle Eastern travellers) like to holiday in large multi-generational groups.

Families can connect in the atrium area which will host gathering hubs and variety acts; the 1,858 sqm kids zone has a splash area equipped with water slides; and throughout the ship there will be dedicated games rooms and activity hubs for babies, toddlers, children, young adults, and teenagers.

Parent will be able to drop their children off in the safe and secure areas and go shopping in the onboard Souq AROYA, or enjoy a day at the Blossom by AROYA Spa, where facilities include a thermal suite, snow room, relaxation room and treatment room, as well as a beauty clinic, beauty salon, men’s barbers and gym.

In keeping with regional tastes and cultural preferences, the spa, like many public areas around the ship, will be gender segregated.

Manara will offer five complimentary restaurants, 11 specialty restaurants, and 12 cafés and lounges offering a wide variety of food and beverage options from across the globe, including Lebanese, Italian and Asian. Amongst these dining outlets is IRTH, the first Saudi restaurant at sea, featuring traditional Arabian dining.