Istanbul's Galataport cruise terminal on the Bosphorus is operating through the winter for a second consecutive year, with Aroya Cruises scheduling 25 winter itineraries that start from the city between Oct. 10, 2026 and April 24, 2027, Cruise Industry News reported.
The ship, Aroya, calls at Bodrum, Marmaris and Kuşadası on the Turkish coast, as well as Alexandria in Egypt, during the winter programme. According to a port update cited by the trade publication, the season is planned with 143% more sailings and 188% more passengers than the previous winter, with a target of 150,000 passengers.
Istanbul's first-ever winter cruise season began in 2024, when 25 voyages carried 55,000 passengers. Aroya returned to Galataport in early June 2026 for its second homeporting season, offering 15 summer cruises through Sept. 12, including seven-night trips to Turkish, Greek and Egyptian ports.
Port targets a million passengers
The winter programme fits Galataport's longer-term ambitions. Port operations director Tolga Tuncay told Türkiye Today in August that the terminal expects around 520,000 visitors and 200 ship calls by the end of 2026, with 750,000 passengers as its next milestone and 1 million as the long-term goal. The terminal can handle three large ships and up to 15,000 passengers a day.
It has not been a smooth year for the industry. Tuncay said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the US/Israel–Iran war led to cancelled voyages for ships stranded in the Gulf, while Black Sea itineraries that typically start and end in Istanbul remain suspended because of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Who is sailing
In the first half of 2026, Turkish ports received 488 cruise ships carrying 756,455 passengers, according to maritime authorities. Istanbul ranked second after Kuşadası, with 93 calls and 182,621 passengers. Americans make up the largest share of cruise arrivals in Istanbul at 25%, followed by visitors from Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain.
Luxury brands are also on the way: Aman at Sea and Orient Express are due to begin calling at Istanbul in 2027. For independent travellers, Galataport's waterfront in Karaköy is open to the public, with shops, restaurants and Istanbul Modern next door, whether or not a ship is in port.
Sources
- Galataport Goes Year-Round with Aroya's Winter Sailings – Cruise Industry News
- Galataport Istanbul sets long-term 1M cruise passengers target – Türkiye Today
Photo: Dosseman / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
