Antalya Port Opens Shared Piers to Larger Cruise Ships

Antalya has received six cruise ships since January and can now berth vessels longer than 300 meters after QTerminals Antalya and ASBAŞ opened piers 9 and 10 for joint use. Huseyin Sipahioglu, general manager of QTerminals Antalya, expects as many as 35 cruise visits this year, with the 335.2-meter, Malta-flagged Aroya already among the large ships to use the expanded berthing arrangement.

The change gives the Turkish port access to ships over 300 meters, a size range it had not previously been able to dock. The current cruise schedule also stretches beyond the summer tourism peak, with calls planned for July, October and November.

Joint use of piers opens space for larger ships

QTerminals Antalya and ASBAŞ, operator of the Antalya Free Zone, signed the cooperation agreement covering the two piers. With approval from the port authority, the berths are now available for joint use by larger cruise vessels.

Celebrity Infinity, a 294-meter Malta-flagged ship, used the combined piers in March. Aroya later used the same berthing position, giving Antalya a 300-meter-plus cruise call under the new arrangement. QTerminals Antalya’s cruise facilities include three cruise piers totaling 310 meters, a 1,830-square-meter passenger terminal and a 990-square-meter luggage area.

Aroya’s Mediterranean schedule includes Antalya

Sipahioglu said Aroya is expected to make 10 more Antalya calls this year, while 16 other ships are scheduled. That leaves 26 confirmed calls on the forward schedule.

Aroya recently sailed from Jeddah on an eight-night repositioning cruise to the Eastern Mediterranean, with Sharm el-Sheikh, Port Sokhna, Port Suez, Antalya and Bodrum listed before its scheduled arrival at Galataport Cruise Terminal in Istanbul on June 6. The ship is then scheduled for weeklong roundtrip Istanbul cruises to ports in Egypt, Turkey and Greece, including Alexandria, Marmaris, Mykonos, Piraeus and Rhodes.

With nearly 15 departures, Aroya’s Eastern Mediterranean season runs through mid-September, followed by an eight-night return voyage via the Suez Canal to Jeddah. Aroya Cruises operated a similar Eastern Mediterranean season in 2025.

City impact and infrastructure plans

Sipahioglu said cruise passengers can visit Antalya without changing hotels or moving luggage between stops, a travel pattern he expects to support local businesses, tourism operators and city transport providers. Antalya already attracts visitors from Europe, the Middle East and other regions for beaches, ancient sites and natural scenery.

QTerminals Antalya is also preparing further infrastructure investment at the port. Planned work includes dredging for larger ships.