Number of cruise lines using Istanbul as homeport rises
The number of cruise companies using Istanbul as a homeport increased by 50 percent between 2023 and 2025, according to Tolga Tuncay, port director at Galataport Istanbul.
Tuncay stated that the global cruise passenger market has been expanding by around 8 percent annually, reaching 37.5 million passengers in 2025. He noted that Türkiye has been securing a share of this growth comparable to other Eastern Mediterranean ports within its region, while adding that the suspension of operations in the Black Sea due to the war is a major drawback.
He explained that the opening of Galataport led cruise ships to shift their Eastern Mediterranean itineraries toward Istanbul, creating a network that also benefits other Turkish ports.
“Ships using Istanbul as a homeport or port of call have increasingly begun to include additional Turkish destinations in their routes,” he noted.
