Aroya to Show 2026 World Cup Matches on Mediterranean Cruises

Aroya Cruises will add World Cup programming to the 3,400-guest Aroya during the ship’s 2026 Eastern Mediterranean season, with live 2026 FIFA World Cup matches available in public venues and guest cabins. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 in Mexico, Canada and the United States, overlapping with Aroya’s Istanbul-based seven-night cruises to Turkey, Egypt and Greece.

The season is Aroya’s second consecutive summer outside the Red Sea. The ship is the only vessel Cruise Saudi currently operates.

World Cup matches will be shown across the ship

Matches will be shown in Legends Lounge, Beats Lounge and Dallah, along with other selected onboard locations. Aroya said in-stateroom televisions will also carry the games.

The onboard program will include fan zones and tournament-themed activities, with children’s activities included in the schedule. The ship’s regular Eastern Mediterranean itineraries include calls at Bodrum, Kas, Alexandria, Mykonos, Rhodes and Piraeus, among other regional ports.

Istanbul season gives Aroya a Mediterranean base during the tournament

Aroya arrived at Galataport Istanbul in early June after an eight-night repositioning voyage from Jeddah via Sharm el-Sheikh, Port Sokhna, Port Suez, Antalya and Bodrum. The move included a full Suez Canal transit before the ship began its summer deployment from Istanbul.

Galataport Istanbul said Aroya’s 2026 operation includes 15 cruises from the terminal through Sept. 12.

Erdem Tavas, a member of Galataport Istanbul’s board of directors, said Aroya’s return and additional voyages show “Istanbul’s strategic position and increasing attractiveness in cruise tourism.”

Galataport also expects 35,000 Turkish citizens to board cruise ships in Istanbul this year, up 70 percent from 2025, and said the number of cruise lines using the city as a homeport has risen 50 percent over the past three years.

Red Sea return is scheduled for September

Aroya is scheduled to end its Mediterranean season with an eight-night repositioning cruise from Istanbul to Jeddah in mid-September, calling in Turkey and Egypt en route. After returning to Saudi Arabia, the ship will sail from Jeddah to Aqaba, Sharm El Sheikh, Yanbu and Cruise Saudi’s private island of Jabal Al-Sabaya.