AROYA Cruises has launched its first Greek Islands itinerary for the 2026 Mediterranean season.
This departure marks the expansion of the Saudi shipping company's program in the Eastern Mediterranean, following the arrival of its ship in Istanbul earlier this month.
Departing from Istanbul's Galataport cruise terminal last Saturday, the Aroya, the company's only ship, began a seven-night voyage with stops in both Greece and Turkey.
The itinerary includes visits to Bodrum, on the Turkish Aegean coast, as well as the Greek ports of Rhodes, Mykonos and Piraeus, the main gateway to Athens.
This cruise marks AROYA Cruises' first offering to the Greek Islands as part of its 2026 Eastern Mediterranean summer program. Since the ship was repositioned from the Red Sea in early June, the company had primarily focused its operations on itineraries to Turkey and Egypt.
One of the highlights of the new program is the extended time in ports of call. Departures from most destinations are scheduled between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., allowing passengers to enjoy more time ashore and explore the destinations once most of the day-trippers and other cruise ships have already left port.
The Greek Islands itinerary is one of AROYA Cruises' two major offerings for its summer season in the Mediterranean. In parallel, the company operates a second seven-night itinerary focused exclusively on ports in Turkey and Egypt.
This program has been designed to offer a visa-free alternative to the Schengen Area for travelers from various source markets. To achieve this, the itinerary avoids stopovers in Schengen countries and visits destinations such as Kaş, Marmaris, and Bodrum in Turkey, as well as Alexandria in Egypt.
The route through Egypt and Turkey also includes the option of embarking and disembarking in Alexandria on certain departures. This initiative is part of the Egyptian authorities' efforts to position the city not only as a port of call, but also as a home port for cruise traffic.
AROYA Cruises' Mediterranean season will continue until the end of September. Following this, the ship will return to the Red Sea on an eight-night repositioning cruise between Istanbul and Jeddah. During this voyage, it will call at Bodrum and Marmaris in Turkey before continuing on to Egyptian ports such as Port Suez and Sharm El Sheikh.
Once in Saudi Arabia, AROYA will begin its winter Red Sea program with cruises ranging from two to five nights. Itineraries will include destinations such as Aqaba, Jordan; Yanbu, Saudi Arabia; and Sharm El Sheikh, as well as visits to Jabal Al-Sabaya, the private island developed by Cruise Saudi.
AROYA Cruises' presence in the Mediterranean is part of the company's strategy to establish a seasonal operation beyond the Red Sea. The cruise line has already confirmed its return to the region in June 2027, marking its third consecutive summer season in the Mediterranean.
Launched by Cruise Saudi, AROYA Cruises has focused its development on creating itineraries tailored to Arab travelers, progressively expanding its presence in new markets and destinations in both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
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