Aroya becomes a floating hotel in Taranto for the Mediterranean Games

Aroya Cruises reached Taranto on August 16th, transforming its 3,500-passenger ship into a floating hotel for the 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games. Aroya will remain berthed until early September at the Mar Grande Naval Station (Chiapparo) of the Italian Navy, welcoming over 4,000 athletes from 26 nations. Alongside Aroya is also Tallink’s cruise-ferry Romantika, which will host another 1,200 participants who will use the dining services and spaces of the Saudi ship.

The operation in Italy follows the conclusion of the ship’s second summer season in the Eastern Mediterranean, featuring weekly cruises between Turkey, Greece, and Egypt with departures from Istanbul. At the end of the sporting event in Taranto, the ship will undertake a two-stage repositioning journey towards the Red Sea (passing through Marmaris, Istanbul, Alexandria, Port Suez, and Sharm El Sheikh) to then be based in Jeddah for the winter season, before returning to the Mediterranean in the summer of 2027.