AROYA Cruises is repositioning its only cruise ship, Aroya, to the Mediterranean for the summer season, offering 7-night roundtrip cruises out of Istanbul visiting destinations in Greece and Turkey.
AROYA is the Arab world’s first domestic cruise line, catering to the tastes and preferences of the local market in the Middle East. Since launching operations in December last year, it has homeported in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
However, with the hot summer months between July and August making cruising in the Red Sea unfeasible, the cruise line will reposition to more temperate climates in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Aroya at sea
According to published deployment on its website, AROYA will kick off its summer programme in Europe in late June. The ship will homeport in Istanbul through mid-September, offering 12 sailings in the region.
Ports of call set to be visited by the 3,400-guest former World Dream include Mykonos, Chania, Piraeus, Rhodes, Kusadasi and Antalya.
AROYA acquired the vessel from Dream Cruises in 2023 and sent it to Bremerhaven for a major bow to stern refit and refurbishment. The cruise ship now features an array of shisha lounges, prayer rooms, and the world’s first Saudi Arabian restaurant at sea.
One of the new features that debuted aboard the ship is a souq-inspired shopping district that is said to be the largest retail area at sea, covering 1,585 square meters.
IRTH Saudi restaurant
After completing its season in the Mediterranean in late September, Aroya is scheduled to return to the Red Sea via a repositioning voyage to Jeddah. The 12-night voyage will visit destinations in Turkey, as well as Port Suez and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.
Aroya is currently homeporting in Saudi Arabia, sailing from Jeddah, the itineraries feature visits to destinations in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, including Aqaba, Port Sokhna and Jabal Al-Sabaya Island.
AROYA Cruises has also confirmed plans to offer itineraries to the Arabian Gulf in the future, with cruises sailings to Damman in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Bahrain and more.
During a press conference ahead of the cruise line’s launch in December, 2024, AROYA also outlined plans to order several newbuild vessels.
No further details have been provided, but given Saudi Arabia’s growing strategic partnership with Fincantieri, the vessels will likely be ordered from the Italian shipyard.
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Appeared first on: Cruisearabiaonline.com
