AROYA Cruises is operating its first Greek Islands itinerary of the 2026 Mediterranean season, with Aroya sailing roundtrip from Istanbul on a seven-night voyage calling in Turkey and Greece.
The June 20 departure was identified in published deployment reports as the first Greek Islands sailing in the ship’s 2026 programme. AROYA Cruises’ official itinerary page confirms that the route for “Turkish & Greek Delights: An Aegean Journey 2026” includes Bodrum, Rhodes, Mykonos and Piraeus, with selected departures offered between June and September 2026.
Seven-night voyage combines Turkey and Greece
Aroya departs Istanbul at 10pm on the first day of the itinerary, followed by a full day at sea before reaching Bodrum at 9am on day three.
The ship remains in the Turkish port until 11pm, giving guests a 14-hour scheduled visit before sailing to Greece. Aroya arrives in Rhodes at 8am the following morning and departs at 6pm.
Mykonos is the next destination, with the ship scheduled to arrive at 6am and remain in port until 11pm. The 17-hour call is the longest scheduled destination visit on the seven-night voyage.
Aroya then sails to Piraeus, the port serving Athens, arriving at 8am and departing at 10pm. Following another day at sea, the ship returns to Istanbul at 8am on the eighth day.
The itinerary therefore includes two sea days and four destination calls, alongside the embarkation and disembarkation port in Istanbul.
Extended calls scheduled across the itinerary
Longer stays form part of the published port schedule, with evening departures planned from three of the principal destinations.
The ship is due to leave Bodrum and Mykonos at 11pm, while its scheduled departure from Piraeus is at 10pm. Aroya’s call in Rhodes concludes earlier, with the vessel leaving the island at 6pm.
The current itinerary forms part of the ship’s summer programme in the Eastern Mediterranean. Aroya is scheduled to continue operating in the region until September, with departures for the Turkish and Greek route available throughout the season.
The ship is also operating a separate seven-night Eastern Mediterranean itinerary featuring destinations in Turkey and Egypt. That route includes Kas, Marmaris, Bodrum and Alexandria, avoiding calls within the Schengen Area.
Select sailings on the Turkey and Egypt programme also offer embarkation in Alexandria, allowing passengers to begin and end their voyage at the Egyptian port.
Aroya to return to the Red Sea after summer season
Following the completion of its Mediterranean deployment, Aroya is scheduled to reposition from Istanbul to Jeddah in September.
The eight-night repositioning voyage is planned to include calls in Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Published deployment details list Bodrum, Marmaris, Port Suez and Sharm El Sheikh among the scheduled destinations before the ship reaches Jeddah.
Aroya will then resume shorter Red Sea itineraries from Saudi Arabia. The programme includes voyages of between two and five nights to regional destinations.
Ports included in the planned Red Sea season include Aqaba in Jordan, Yanbu in Saudi Arabia and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. The itineraries are also scheduled to feature Jabal Al-Sabaya, Cruise Saudi’s private island destination.
The ship’s 2026 summer deployment follows its first Mediterranean season in 2025. Aroya is currently scheduled to return to the Mediterranean in June 2027 for a third consecutive summer season.
For the Middle East cruise industry, Aroya’s Greek Islands programme represents a further stage in the international deployment of a Saudi-owned cruise brand. Its movement between the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea places regional operations within a broader seasonal network while retaining Jeddah as the base for its subsequent winter programme.
