Astoria Grande Makes First Cruise Call at Ismailia Marina
During its 24-hour stay, 335 tourists will visit Ismailia sites including the Suez Canal Museum, while 327 are assigned to a Cairo tour and Nile cruise.
The Suez Canal Yacht Marina in Ismailia received cruise tourists for the first time on November 10, 2026, when Astoria Grande, the former AIDAcara, made its inaugural call at the Egyptian city, Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie announced. The ship is scheduled to stay for 24 hours.
The call brings the marina on Lake Timsah into use as a tourist berth. Passenger reception and arrival formalities were handled in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The excursion program assigns 335 tourists to visits within Ismailia, including the Suez Canal Museum, Ismailia Gardens, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque and the Evangelical Church, among other local attractions. Another 327 are assigned to an organized Cairo tour taking in the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Giza Pyramids, Khan el-Khalili bazaar and Al-Muizz Street, along with a Nile cruise.
Rabie said the authority is developing its yacht marinas, preparing waiting areas and adding infrastructure to accommodate cruise ships as part of efforts to expand maritime tourism and logistics services. Coordination with other authorities to facilitate procedures is also part of that work. The marina’s services, he said, support both local sightseeing programs and excursions to other Egyptian governorates.
Astoria Grande passed through the Suez Canal in the northbound convoy early on the day of its arrival. Rabie said the voyage includes calls at several Egyptian ports. The next scheduled destination is Sharm El Sheikh, followed by Aqaba in Jordan and then Hurghada, before another Suez Canal transit on the return journey.
