AROYA Cruises makes historic maiden call to Istanbul ahead of Mediterranean season

AROYA Cruises, Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown cruise line, made its inaugural call to Galataport Istanbul on June 20th, marking the start of its first Mediterranean season and a major milestone in the company’s regional expansion.

The ship’s arrival follows its debut in the Red Sea late last year, where it operated a limited series of hugely successful itineraries aimed at introducing the brand to Saudi Arabian travellers and the broader GCC market. 

Now, AROYA is setting its sights on the Eastern Mediterranean, with Istanbul serving as its official homeport for the summer.

Weekly cruises are scheduled to depart every Saturday through mid-September, offering a mix of Turkish and Greek destinations designed to appeal to both regional and international guests. Aroya  will undergo routine maintenance while in port ahead of her first commercial voyage from Istanbul on June 28th.

“This is a historic moment,” said Turky Kari, Executive Director of Marketing at Cruise Saudi. “We couldn’t have found a better place to start our Mediterranean journey than Istanbul. We’re working hard to grow tourism links between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with the goal of bringing 90,000 passengers to the city this year.”

The deployment underscores Cruise Saudi’s ambitions to extend the reach of the Saudi cruise sector and position AROYA as a competitive brand in the regional market. In April, the company announced a summer programme of 7-night Eastern Mediterranean cruises featuring calls in Athens, Bodrum, Mykonos, and Thessaloniki.

AROYA Cruises is operated by Cruise Saudi, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and represents a key pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 tourism strategy. 

The cruise line is distinct in its positioning as an Arabian cruise experience tailored to regional cultural preferences, from its onboard entertainment to its cuisine and service ethos, offering an experience that is unique in the global cruise fleet.

While Aroya’s Red Sea debut was aimed at introducing cruise travel to Saudi holidaymakers—many of whom are new to the concept—the brand’s Mediterranean expansion signals a bolder move into mainstream cruise markets, using Istanbul as a high-profile bridge between Europe and the Middle East.

The move has been welcomed by Galataport Istanbul, which continues to grow as a marquee turnaround port in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

For AROYA Cruises, it is both a strategic and symbolic step toward building a modern cruise culture rooted in regional identity, but with international ambition.