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Cruise tourism is on the rise in Antalya this year. The port has welcomed six ships since January, and thanks to a new agreement between two nearby terminals, larger vessels can now dock there.
Antalya, famous for its beaches, ancient ruins, and natural scenery, is now showing up more often on cruise itineraries. The latest ship to arrive was Aroya, a Malta-flagged vessel run by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. At 335.2 meters long, it is one of the largest ships to dock at the port so far.
Expanding the available berth space has made these arrivals possible. QTerminals Antalya and ASBAS, the founding operator of the Antalya Free Zone, signed a cooperation agreement. With approval from the port authority, piers 9 and 10 are now open for joint use. This change allows ships longer than 300 meters to dock at the port for the first time.
The Celebrity Infinity, another Malta-flagged ship measuring 294 meters, docked at the combined piers in March. Aroya arrived the following week, successfully docking at the same spot at 335.2 meters.
Huseyin Sipahioglu, general manager of QTerminals Antalya, expects cruise traffic to keep growing through summer and into autumn. He said Aroya is set to return to Antalya 10 more times this year, and 16 other ships are scheduled, bringing the total to 26 confirmed visits. By the end of the year, the total could reach up to 35 visits.
Port officials believe that more cruise ship visits will bring wider economic benefits to Antalya. Sipahioglu explained that visitors arriving by ship, who do not need to change hotels or carry luggage between stops, are likely to help local businesses, tourism operators, and city transport services.
Cruise sailings are already planned for July, October, and November, so the cruise season in Antalya will likely extend beyond the usual summer peak.
QTerminals Antalya has plans for new infrastructure investments to boost the port's capacity and attract major international shipping lines. These plans include buying ship-to-shore container cranes, increasing container handling capacity, dredging to accommodate larger ships, and working to add direct service routes.
Antalya has always been a popular destination in Türkiye, attracting tourists from Europe, the Middle East, and other regions. With more cruise ships visiting, the city is becoming even more appealing and is now joining other major Mediterranean cruise hubs.
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