MSC Sinfonia, a ship belonging to MSC Cruises, one of the world's leading cruise companies, arrived in Istanbul for its first winter season voyages in Turkey. The ship anchored in Istanbul Port within the scope of the Aegean & Adriatic program, which appeals to the increasing interest of Turkish cruise passengers with its affordable price options and rich discovery routes.

A special launch was held for MSC Sinfonia at Galataport Istanbul on Wednesday, November 20, with the participation of important figures from the tourism and cruise worlds, as well as sector and media representatives. The traditional welcoming ceremony, held to celebrate the ship's first visit to the port, was attended by MSC Cruises Managing Director Norbert Stiekema and MSC Cruises Türkiye Country Manager Işın Hekimoğlu and her team introduced the ship and the winter season tour options. The event highlighted the extraordinary experiences that MSC Sinfonia offers, and detailed the affordable luxury and comfort options that await guests on board.

Enjoy a Cruise with MSC Sinfonia

MSC Cruises, the only cruise company with an office in Turkey, continues to offer unique experiences to thousands of passengers every year with its fleet of 22 ships offering high standards of service and destinations covering all corners of the world. Operating in Turkey during the summer season, the group will now provide year-round service to Turkish guests with the addition of MSC Sinfonia to the winter season, and will also be the only ship operating in Turkey during the winter season, offering cruise travel opportunities to Turkish guests.

Offering unique experiences to its guests, MSC Sinfonia promises unforgettable journeys with areas designed to meet every need and a rich range of activities. Throughout their comfortable journey, guests can benefit from many opportunities, from suites with sea views to cabins with balconies, from special restaurants offering selections from world cuisine to entertainment, shows and animations, from spa services to play areas for children.

An Unforgettable Journey of Discovery Departing from Turkey 

MSC Sinfonia's weekly voyages between November and April, from the ports of Istanbul and Izmir, which are easily accessible to Turkish cruise passengers, consist of a 7-night, 8-day program. The affordable voyages, starting at €379 per person, offer full-board accommodation with a wide range of entertainment options from concept restaurants and bars. The tour programs, where you will meet the wonders of the ancient world in the winter season, offer unique discovery experiences in interesting destinations without the hassle of carrying luggage.

MSC Sinfonia is visiting the extraordinary regions of the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the Aegean & Adriatic itinerary, departing from the ports of Istanbul and Izmir. The ship sets sail from the ports of Turkey into the Aegean Sea, and first stops at the Greek island of Corfu, known for its lush green landscapes, lively tavernas and rich cultural experiences. Other stops on the route include Bari, a port city on the Adriatic Sea in southeastern Italy, and the ancient port of Piraeus, the gateway to Athens, the birthplace of democracy. After the tour is complete, MSC Sinfonia returns to the ports of Istanbul and Izmir to disembark her passengers.

As part of the program, cruise passengers have the chance to experience the landmarks and local culture of the ports they arrive at after comfortable ship journeys equipped with many facilities. Guests who visit many historical structures such as Achilleion Palace, Palaiokastritsa Monastery and Corfu Castle in the blue paradise of the Adriatic, Corfu, can also enjoy delicious souvlaki, fresh seafood and olive oil appetizers. After a relaxing day at sea, passengers can visit many historical structures in Bari such as St. Nicholas Basilica, San Sabino Cathedral, Petruzzelli Theatre and Norman Castle. Guests also have the opportunity to taste and buy local, handmade pasta on the city's famous pasta street, Strada delle Orecchiette.

Next on the journey, the port city of Piraeus, which blends the ancient culture of Greece with modern city life, awaits curious travelers. In Piraeus, cruise passengers can visit impressive locations such as the City Theater, Themictoclean Walls, Megalo Port, as well as delightful museums. While visiting Piraeus, guests can also see famous landmarks of Athens such as the Acropolis, Hadrian's Arch and Panathenaic Stadium, which are very close by. The city also offers unique options for shopping or having a delicious snack. After this unique journey that will make passengers feel special, they return to the ports of Istanbul and Izmir with unforgettable memories.

This winter, discover the best of the Eastern Mediterranean, its historical buildings, magnificent flavors and incredible landscapes in the elegant comfort of MSC Sinfonia!

About MSC Sinfonia 

Blending the symphonies of great composers with the serenity of classical cruises, MSC Sinfonia makes its guests feel the comfort of home from the first step. Combining modern comfort with traditional elegance, this floating hotel opens the doors to a comfortable and elegant world.

One of the first members of the MSC Cruises fleet, MSC Sinfonia promises to revitalize and rejuvenate from start to finish, providing guests of all ages with a relaxing and enjoyable journey. The ship offers accommodation options to suit every need, from interior cabins to ocean view options, from balcony cabins to spacious suites and even connecting cabins for families. However, the luxury and comfort offered by MSC Sinfonia to its guests does not end with its accommodation options. Cruise passengers can enjoy the inviting waters of the pools on board, savour first-class cuisine, relax at the MSC Aurea Spa or pamper a new generation of cruise lovers in the kids’ clubs.

MSC Sinfonia offers first-class entertainment to keep everyone happy, as well as a variety of sports areas, delicious restaurants serving world cuisine and carefully designed comfortable spaces. From Teatro San Carlo, where Broadway-style shows are performed every evening, to themed bars and lounges; from boutiques to games rooms and golf simulators, the ship promises an endless variety of experiences for you to live your travels to the fullest. Moreover, MSC Aurea SPA, which offers personal care facilities such as spa, solarium and sauna, basketball and volleyball courts, tennis courts, walking track, shuffle board and a gym with a wide range of equipment overlooking the ocean are offered for the use of guests to have a pleasant time on board. In addition, children's clubs divided according to different age groups, which will double the pleasure of the trip for families, have the chance to have fun and learn with their peers, while parents have the chance to enjoy their holiday.

In addition to all the facilities it offers, MSC Sinfonia can easily access all ports thanks to its size. Therefore, the ship, which offers intimate experiences with its relatively small size, takes the cruise experience to the next level with the interesting destinations on its route.

Technical Specifications of MSC Sinfonia

Ship name: MSC Sinfonia

Gross tonnage: 65.542 ton

Maximum passenger capacity: 2.646

Crew: About 742

Number of cabins: 980 (Including 5 cabins suitable for disabled people)

Length/Width/Height: 274,9m / 28,8m / 54m

Maximum speed: 20,9 knots

Number of decks: 13 (9 of which are for guest use)

Source: HORECA TREND and MSC Cruises

Turkey stands out as a tourism paradise with its natural and cultural riches, and is known as the “chimneyless industry” thanks to the contribution of tourism to the economy. The country’s historical sites, cities, forests and seas make a significant contribution to the economy. Cruise tourism, which is a rapidly growing branch of sea and port tourism in particular, draws attention with the potential it offers. In 2024, cruise tourism gained great momentum in the Black Sea as well as the Mediterranean and Aegean ports. Black Sea cruise tourism, which had almost come to a standstill due to the negative effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, was revived this year thanks to the Astoria Grande cruise ship operated by Camelot Maritime. Cruise tourism in the region has become increasingly popular with trips organized to the ports of Samsun, Sinop and especially Trabzon.

Tourism in Black Sea Cities Revived Even More with Our Cruise Trips

With the revival of cruise tourism, there has been a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists coming to cities on the Black Sea coast by cruise ships. Camelot Maritime Chairman of the Board Emrah Yilmaz Cavusoglu“We organize cruise voyages between the Black Sea ports and Russia, and thanks to this, the number of foreign tourists coming to the cities in the region is increasing rapidly. This mobility both increases the tourism income in the port cities and revives cruise tourism in the Black Sea. There is a high demand for cruise tourism in the region, and we are responding to this demand with our Astoria Grande ship. In the first 9 months of the year, we organized 12 voyages between Russia and Trabzon, and as a result, there was a record 154% increase in the number of foreign tourists coming to Trabzon compared to the previous year.” he said.

New Route in Regional Tourism: Black Sea

The resumption of cruise voyages in the Black Sea has significantly increased the number of tourists in the region. Stating that they aim to ensure that cruise tourism develops in the Black Sea as it does in the Mediterranean and Aegean, Emrah Yılmaz Çavuşoğlu said, “Our country has a great sea and port tourism potential. However, this potential has been used less in the Black Sea compared to other regions. The war in the north of the Black Sea weakened tourism in the region. Now, we aim to contribute to our country's tourism income by organizing voyages between our cities in the Black Sea and the cities of other countries bordering the Black Sea with our cruise ship. We plan to increase our voyages next year and evaluate a cruise tourism potential in the Black Sea that will be as good as the Mediterranean and Aegean.”

The Region's Potential is Being Discovered with New Expeditions

Stating that they aim to carry the tourism success on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts to the Black Sea, Çavuşoğlu said, “Our country has a great potential in sea tourism and we are working to realize this potential in the Black Sea. “The Black Sea has a great treasure in terms of tourism with its natural beauties, historical riches and cultural heritage. However, this potential has not yet been fully discovered. Cruise tourism offers an important opportunity that will increase tourism revenues in the region as well as contribute to local economies. With the voyages we carry out with our Astoria Grande ship, we aim to make the touristic appeal of the Black Sea more accessible to both local and foreign tourists.”

Source: HORECA TREND and Camelot Maritime

This year, a total of 98 cruise ships were hosted Bodrum Cruise Port, hosted 118.083 passengers. In addition, the port became a stopover point for 722 ferry passengers with 138 ferry services. The port, which hosted 851 ships that had not visited Bodrum before throughout the year, opened the season with the Silver Spirit cruise ship on April 10, 7 and completed it with the visit of the same ship on November 2024, 8.

Aziz Güngör, Global Ports Holding Eastern Mediterranean Ports Director, said, “2025 Cruise Ship Departures Have Already Been Planned for 121. We Expect It to Be Another Record Year.”

Bodrum Cruise Port, which is part of the portfolio of Global Ports Holding, the world's largest cruise port operator, hosted a total of 2024 cruise ships and 98 cruise passengers in the 118.083 season. In ferry services between Bodrum and Kos, the season was closed with the Silver Spirit Cruise Ship on November 722, 138.851, serving 8 passengers with 2024 ferry services. Thus, the port hosted more than 256 thousand passengers in total. Bodrum opened the 2024 season on April 7 by hosting the Silver Spirit Cruise Ship again.

10 Ships Came to Bodrum for the First Time This Season

Bodrum, one of Turkey’s favorite tourism destinations, also hosted ships that arrived at the port for the first time. Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony, Marella Cruises’ Marella Discovery, Regent Seven, Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Grandeur, Costa Crociere’s Costa Fortuna, Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Getaway, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper, Silver Ray, MSC Explora Journeys’ MSC Explora I, Royal Carribbean Cruises’ Explorer of the Seas, and Aquilion Shiping’s Astoria Grande were the ships that anchored at Bodrum Cruise Port for the first time this season. These ships, arriving at the port for the first time, were welcomed with the Bodrum Band and sent off with a violin recital.

Record Expected in 2025 Season

Stating that they have started preparing for the 2025 season today, Aziz Güngör, Director of Eastern Mediterranean Ports of Global Ports Holding, said, “As Bodrum Cruise Port, we stand out with our high-standard infrastructure and operational know-how in cruise tourism, the rising star of the tourism sector. 2025 cruise voyages have already been planned for 121. We expect it to be another record year. Next year, we will have ships that will call at Bodrum Cruise Port for the first time. We are very pleased to see that Bodrum is becoming an increasingly popular cruise destination.”

Source: HORECA TREND and Global Ports Holding