Aroya Cruises is seeing a positive market response for its itineraries in the Mediterranean, Executive Director of Marketing Turky Kari told Cruise Industry News.

After debuting in late 2024, the company’s first ship, the Aroya, repositioned to the region in late June.

The vessel is now offering a series of seven-night cruises that feature visits to destinations in Turkey, Greece, and Egypt.

“Sales are on the rise. We announced the season a bit late, but bookings are going very well,” he continued, noting that upcoming trips have between 50 and 65 percent of their berths already booked.

“We also have travel agents visiting the ship, and the numbers are now increasing much more than expectations,” Kari added.

Aroya’s itineraries in the Mediterranean were planned using Istanbul as a homeport due to its airlfit.

“There are around 12 flights per day from different airlines connecting Saudi Arabia to Istanbul, so it gives very easy access,” Kari explained.

“Plus, the Saudis are very familiar with Istanbul and Turkish culture.”

Aroya then came up with two main itineraries, including one that does not require visas for most of its core markets.

“That’s why we have the butterfly itineraries. We have one week for only Turkey plus Egypt, because they don’t require a visa. And the other one, which sails to Greece, is mainly focused on Europeans, as well as Saudis who have a Schengen visa,” Turki explained.

While the Mediterranean is a popular destination for Saudi guests, the move to the region was also related to weather concerns in the Middle East, he added.

“Because of the weather, we cannot sail in the Red Sea or the Arabian Gulf during this time of the year; the weather is a struggle. It’s very hot,” he said.

Current plans call for a return to the Mediterranean in 2026, with the Aroya offering similar itineraries departing from Istanbul.

“It will depend on the success of this first season. But we’ll soon start planning next year, and the plan so far is to offer the same itineraries between Turkey and Greece, and Turkey and Egypt,” Turki explained.

The Utopia of the Seas recently completed its first year of service for the Royal Caribbean International brand.

Built by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, the vessel was delivered to the company on June 14, 2024.

The ship then made technical calls in Spain and Puerto Rico before heading to Port Canaveral for its maiden season.

Upon arriving at its homeport a few days earlier, the LNG-powered vessel kicked off its first commercial cruise on July 19, 2024.

Before the maiden voyage, the Utopia of the Seas was also named during a special ceremony that included singer Meghan Trainor as godmother.

As the first Oasis-class ship entirely dedicated to short cruises, the ship then embarked on a series of three- and four-night itineraries to the Bahamas.

The voyages are highlighted by Royal Caribbean’s private island destination of Perfect Day at CocoCay, which is visited on every sailing.

In addition to sailing to the Bahamas, the Utopia of the Seas made a one-off cruise to the Western Caribbean during its first year of service.

After sailing from Port Canaveral in May 2025, the four-night itinerary featured a visit to Cozumel in Mexico, as well as a day at sea.

The ship is now scheduled to offer its first-ever weeklong cruise on Dec. 24, 2026, sailing from Port Canaveral for a seven-night itinerary to the Eastern Caribbean.

In addition to CocoCay, the cruise features Utopia’s maiden visits to Philipsburg in St. Maarten and Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas.

As the fourth ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis series to be constructed at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the Utopia of the Seas followed the 2016-built Harmony of the Seas, the 2018-built Symphony of the Seas and the 2022-built Wonder of the Seas.

Two vessels, the 2009-built Oasis of the Seas and the 2010-built Allure of the Seas, were previously built at the Aker Yards shipyard in Turku, Finland.

After the Utopia, Royal Caribbean is set to take delivery of an additional Oasis-class ship from Chantiers in 2028