Turkish Cruise Market Eyes 2026 Growth After 2 Million Passengers and 15% Ship-Visit Rise
Updated
Updated · Daily Sabah · Jun 10
Turkish Cruise Market Eyes 2026 Growth After 2 Million Passengers and 15% Ship-Visit Rise
1 articles · Updated · Daily Sabah · Jun 10
Summary
Strong 2026 bookings are pushing cruise operators to plan a busy summer and expand capacity and itineraries from Turkish ports, industry representatives said.
MSC Cruises said rising demand from European, Middle Eastern and U.S. travelers is supporting more operations from Istanbul, Izmir and Kuşadası, with Istanbul regaining importance as an embarkation hub.
Celestyal said about 120,000 international cruise passengers visit Turkish ports each year on its ships, and its Greek Islands sailings from Kuşadası will run through the end of October.
More than 2 million international cruise passengers reached Turkish ports in 2025 after a record year for ship calls, up 15% from 2024, and operators expect new entrants and larger vessels to lift 2026 traffic further.
Türkiye’s city-center ports, airline links and Eastern Mediterranean position are reinforcing its role in regional cruise networks, with industry executives casting Galataport and Aegean stops as key growth drivers.