Costa Cruises plans 28 sailings from Istanbul in 2027, aiming to host 7,400 Turkish passengers with cruises starting at 599 Euros.
Costa Cruises announced its 2027 season program at Galataport Istanbul.
The Italian cruise giant plans to host 7,400 Turkish passengers on 28 sailings departing from Istanbul next season. Burak Çalışkan, General Manager of Costa Turkey GSA, stated that they have opened reservations for their 7-night Istanbul departure cruise programs starting at 599 Euros, noting that with these prices, 'accessible luxury cruise travel' will be the most economical holiday next summer.
Mirco Vasallo, Director of International Markets at Costa, indicated that Turkey has transitioned from being a supportive market to a source market for the cruise sector, stating, 'Turkey is a very important destination for European guests. If there is Istanbul or Izmir on an itinerary, they prefer it and never tire of coming back. We are pleased with the increasing interest of Turkish guests in cruise travel. Turkish travelers are traveling abroad quite a lot, and we expect their interest in cruise tours to increase even more by 2027.'
The Italian cruise giant Costa concluded the 2026 summer season at Galataport Istanbul.
During a press conference held on the Costa Fortuna ship, which arrived at Galataport Istanbul for its final sailing of the season, Costa's Director of International Markets Mirco Vasallo and Turkey Manager Burak Çalışkan met with Turkish media representatives.
Burak Çalışkan, General Manager of Costa Turkey GSA, noted that the Costa Fortuna made 14 sailings to Istanbul during the 2026 summer season, with a total of 3,000 Turkish passengers participating in these programs.
He mentioned that despite visa difficulties, they reached a higher number than anticipated, and the interest of Turkish travelers in cruise travel has further increased this season. Burak Çalışkan also stated that the total number of Turkish guests participating in Costa Cruises' 2026 international programs reached 8,000, and he outlined their 2027 goals: 'We are bidding farewell to the Costa Fortuna for its last sailing this season from Istanbul to the Aegean. Starting from March 2027, Costa ships will begin arriving in Istanbul again.'
'We have opened reservations for our Greek Islands program departing from Istanbul starting at 599 Euros.'
For Turkish guests, this means a 7-night all-inclusive cruise holiday for approximately 35,000 Turkish Lira.
'We are bringing a journey in the comfort of Costa, in the Italian lifestyle, to Turkish holidaymakers with accessible luxury. With these advantages, I foresee that we will play a larger role in Turkish travelers' travel plans next season.'
Costa Pacifica will begin its programs departing from Istanbul on April 18. We also have good news for our Turkish guests; two ports from Turkey will be included in Pacifica's program, and passengers will also be able to embark from Izmir.
We aim to host a total of 7,400 Turkish passengers in our Aegean programs departing from Istanbul. As Costa Turkey, we plan to connect a total of 10,000 Turkish passengers with cruise travel across all our other programs.
Vasallo: 'Turkey is now a source market; we have planned 28 sailings to Istanbul in 2027, and Izmir is also on the route.'
Mirco Vasallo, Director of International Markets at Costa Cruises, noted that they have included more Turkish ports, especially Istanbul, in their programs due to demand from European guests, stating, 'Galataport is one of the most organized and modern terminals in the world. Istanbul is the destination that our European guests want to visit the most. If there is Istanbul and Izmir on an itinerary, they prefer that route and want to come back repeatedly. We determine our routes based on these demands. Istanbul and Izmir will be on our route in 2027.'
He also mentioned that they closed the 2026 summer season with better-than-expected results, expressing satisfaction with the rising interest from Turkish guests: 'There is significant growth in the Turkish market. In the 2027 season, we are expanding Costa's programs in Turkey and increasing the number of sailings to 28; a Costa ship will come to Istanbul every week in the new season. We have increased the number of cabins allocated to Turkey per sailing to 100, dedicating a total of 2,800 cabins to the Turkish market. Turkey has transitioned from being a supportive market to becoming a source market for us. It is gratifying to see this mutual interest from both the tourists we bring with our ships and Turkish passengers.'
Vasallo emphasized that cruise tourism is growing rapidly worldwide and that Turkey is increasingly strengthening its position within the global cruise network due to its passenger potential and port infrastructure.
'We will connect more Turkish travelers with the accessible luxury of cruise travel.'
Highlighting new investments aimed at the Turkish market, Burak Çalışkan stated that they will connect more Turkish citizens with the accessible luxury of Costa cruise travel through new technological infrastructure:
'We have updated our infrastructure with new investments, providing agencies with access and ease of use through end-to-end reservation management from a single platform. With our new B2B system, our agencies can access our system from anywhere and on any device, allowing them to present our cruise programs to their customers more quickly and efficiently. Thanks to our new integration structure, they will be able to integrate Costa Cruises products into the main Costa Cruises systems and digital channels, enabling them to manage availability, pricing, and cancellation processes in the most up-to-date manner through their platforms. This way, we will reach a wider audience from all over Turkey and connect cruise travel with more travelers.'
PASSENGERS CAN ALSO EMBARK FROM IZMIR
Discover the beautiful ports of the Aegean, departing from Istanbul and Izmir! Burak Çalışkan, General Manager of Costa Turkey GSA, announced that as a new feature in the 2027 Greek Islands program departing from Istanbul, passengers will also be able to embark from Izmir. The Costa Pacifica ship will depart from Galataport Istanbul, and the 7-night program will first stop in Izmir, then visit the ports of Mykonos, Santorini, Athens, and Volos before returning to Istanbul.
Starting from the end of May, the destinations of Crete and Rhodes will be added to this route instead of Izmir and Volos. This program, which starts in Istanbul and ends in Istanbul, offers guests the opportunity to explore the unique coves, historical riches, and world-famous beaches of the Aegean. The tours, starting at 599 Euros per person, also include all-inclusive accommodation and transfers.
The Aegean program departing from Istanbul will begin in April and will conduct a total of 28 sailings, arriving in Istanbul every week throughout the summer.
Costa Pacifica: The Costa Pacifica ship, which will come to Turkey in 2027, has a capacity of 3,780 passengers with 1,504 cabins, including 521 with balconies and 70 suites. Costa Pacifica also features 9 decks, 9 restaurants, 9 bars, 3 swimming pools, 5 jacuzzis, 1 multipurpose sports court, 1 jogging track, a sea view gym, a kids' club, a 1,280-seat theater, a casino, a shopping center, and a 6,000 square meter SPA.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
