The summer season is trending strongly with new ports and expanded passenger sourcing efforts, according to Ahmad Abou Merhi of Abou Merhi Cruises, which sails week-long cruises departing on Sundays from Beirut, Lebanon, on the 330-passenger Med Queen (Orient Queen II).

The week-long sailings call at Alanya, Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Kos, with deployment set until the end of September. Crete is a new destination for the 2017 season.

New shore excursions have been added to the cruise program, including paragliding in Turkey’s Alanya.

Merhi told Cruise Industry News the company is planning a winter season, but could not yet go into detail.

“We are still in negotiations with various operators across the glove to see what fits our model best,” he said.

In other key news, the world’s only Lebanese cruise line is now expanding its sourcing efforts to the entire Arab region, Merhi said.

The company is using chartered flights from Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia to offer fly-cruise packages. Passengers can look forward to a visa-free experience at all ports.

The 7,500-ton ship was built in 1989 and previously served as the Vistamar.