THE world’s biggest cruise companies are set to return to Turkey.
The declaration was made by Yusuf Öztürk, board chairman of the İzmir branch of the Istanbul, Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea Regions (İMEAK) Chamber of Marine Trade.
“We met with executives from large cruise operators at the Seatrade Cruise Global Fair, held in Fort Lauderdale-Florida between March 5 and March 8. We had fruitful and promising discussions,” Yusuf Öztürk stated.
“The strong interest in Turkey seen at the fair is yet another sign that our tourism industry has put the worst behind it,” Öztürk said, adding that prospects are bright for the cruise sector in the coming period.
New for 2019 and 2020
Cruise ships operated by Norwegian Cruise Line will dock twice at Kuşadası in 2018 and the company will organize five trips to the same town in 2019, according to Öztürk.
MSC, another major player in the industry, has added İzmir and Antalya to its plans for 2019. Holland America Line has plans for Turkey in 2020.
The deputy board chairman of the chamber and MSC Turkey coordinator, Savaş Ercan, said the cruise industry will see a rebound in activity and “return to the good old days in 2020.”
The number of cruise ships visiting Turkey’s ports was 307 in 2017, down from 538 in 2016, marking a 43-percent decline. That came on top of a 50-percent annual decline recorded in 2016.
In 2015, a total of 1,296 cruise ships visited Turkey versus 1,096 visits in the previous year.
According to the marine authority, no cruise ships docked at the country’s ports in the first two months of 2018.
A total of 2,240,000 passengers came to Turkish ports in 2013. This figure fell to 628,000 in 2016 and to 306,000 in 2017. Moreover, the number of cruise ships coming to Turkish ports plummeted to 590 in 2016 and to 311 in 2017 from 1,542 in 2013
Celestyal Cruises returning
In 2019 Celestyal Cruises will extend its season and return to Istanbul for the first time since 2016 with its new 7-Day Eclectic Aegean itinerary, which sails six departures from October 21 through November 25, 2019.
The Eclectic Aegean itinerary includes an overnight stay in Istanbul and calls at Volos, Greece, for excursions to the stunning mountains of Meteora, and to Canakkale, Turkey, for excursions to Troy and Gallipoli.
Celestyal Cruises will launch its 7-day 3 Continents itinerary, with five sailings in December 2019. The 3 Continents itinerary calls at Alexandria and Port Said, Egypt, at Ashdod, Israel, at Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey, at Limassol, Cyprus, and at Rhodes.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Istanbul, and to give our passengers the opportunity to visit Ephesus, Troy and Gallipoli, as well as Volos, Greece, the gateway to the fabled mountain landscapes of Meteora,” said a spokesman.