Saudi cruise line AROYA Cruises resumes Red Sea service out of Jeddah

AROYA Cruises has resumed operations from Jeddah after Aroya returned to the Red Sea following nearly two months in the Arabian Gulf.

The 150,000-ton vessel transited the Strait of Hormuz in late April, joining several other cruise ships that had remained in the region after maritime traffic was heavily disrupted earlier this year.

The ship subsequently began its repositioning voyage to Jeddah, where it arrived earlier this month, and has now resumed service on May 7th.

The vessel is sailing its regular Red Sea programme with three- and four-night cruises departing from Jeddah and calling at destinations in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. Planned itineraries include visits to Yanbu and Aqaba, alongside overnight stays in Sharm El Sheikh.

The return to service marks a restart for AROYA Cruises’ regional operations after conflict-related disruption in late February effectively suspended cruise activity across parts of the Middle East.

At the time, the cruise line had only recently launched its maiden season in the Arabian Gulf.

With the Strait of Hormuz largely inaccessible to commercial maritime traffic for an extended period, Aroya remained docked in Dammam while operators across the region assessed options for redeployment and repositioning.

The vessel was one of six cruise ships delayed in the region during the disruption, alongside ships operated by Celestyal Cruises, MSC Cruises, and TUI Cruises. Earlier this week, Celestyal resumed Eastern Mediterranean operations with both of its vessels having exited the Gulf.

Following its spring Red Sea programme, Aroya is scheduled to reposition to Europe in late May for its second summer deployment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Operating from Istanbul’s Galataport Cruise Terminal, the ship will offer seven-night itineraries to ports in Turkey, Greece, and Egypt through mid-September.

Ports scheduled for the deployment include Bodrum, Marmaris, Kaş, Alexandria, Piraeus, Rhodes, and Mykonos.

Aroya entered service for AROYA Cruises in 2025 and has formed a central part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to expand domestic cruise tourism and establish the kingdom as a regional cruise hub.

After completing its Mediterranean season, the ship is scheduled to return to Jeddah for additional Red Sea sailings before repositioning once again to the Arabian Gulf for the 2026/27 winter season.

Planned itineraries for that deployment include calls in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain.