Saudi-backed Aroya Cruises has closed out its second straight summer sailing the Eastern Mediterranean, and the ship is now on the move. The Aroya left Istanbul on September 12, 2026 for an eight-night repositioning cruise that takes it via Bodrum, Marmaris, Port Suez and Sharm el-Sheikh before reaching its Saudi homeport of Jeddah.
The 3,500-passenger, 150,000-ton ship spent most of the summer running seven-night itineraries across Greece, Turkey and Egypt, calling at familiar favourites like Mykonos, Rhodes, Piraeus and Souda Bay alongside Turkish stops in Bodrum and Antalya. Once it reaches Jeddah, a short Red Sea season follows, with two- to five-night sailings linking Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt — a format that suits travellers after a quick, budget-friendly break rather than a full week at sea.
The summer had an unusual side gig, too. In late August and early September the ship was chartered as a floating hotel in Taranto, Italy, housing more than 4,000 athletes and participants from 26 nations during the 20th Mediterranean Games.
The bigger news for anyone eyeing a Mediterranean cruise is what comes next. Aroya returns to Istanbul's Galataport in October for its first-ever winter season in the region, running through to April. The core product is a series of seven-night cruises to Turkey and Egypt, with overnight stays in Alexandria — a real plus, since overnight calls give you an evening and a full extra morning in a city with as much to see as Alexandria. Kusadasi and Marmaris are also on the rotation. Under a new interporting approach, passengers can join the ship in Alexandria rather than only in Istanbul, which halves the sailing for anyone already in Egypt.
And if winter goes well, there's more: a third Mediterranean summer is already planned for 2027, again sailing from Istanbul.
Why should this matter to you? Aroya is one of the few cruise lines positioning itself around Gulf travellers while repeatedly committing to the Med, and its mix of short Red Sea getaways, overnight Egyptian calls and departures from Istanbul gives holidaymakers options most mainstream lines don't offer. If you've been priced out of Western Med itineraries or want a cruise that blends Greek islands, Turkish coastline and Egyptian culture in one trip, the 2026-27 winter season is worth a look — the Istanbul departures also pair neatly with a city break in one of Europe's most atmospheric cities.