Bodrum Cruise Port has welcomed its first ship of the season, the Emerald Azzurra, according to a press release.

The Emerald Azzura arrived at Bodrum Cruise Port, operated by Global Ports Holding, from Rhodes on Tuesday, March 21, departing for Ege Port Kusadasi in the evening. The ship arrived carrying 75 passengers and 74 crew members onboard, mainly from Australia, America and Canada.

The passengers who disembarked the ship were greeted with gifts and flowers as Bodrum Cruise Port celebrated its 15th year of service.

In 2023, the port expects to welcome a record number of passengers and ships. Some of the cruise lines that will visit the port include Norwegian Cruise Line, TUI Cruises, Emerald Cruises, Seabourn Cruises and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. 

Additionally, Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady has chosen Bodrum Cruise Port as its first and only Turkish Port when it makes its debut in 2023.

Aziz Güngör, director of East Med for Global Ports Holding, said: “As Bodrum Cruise Port, our goal is to host the world’s largest cruise ships during the new season, as we did last season. There is a great interest in Türkiye and specifically in Bodrum. We host cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers from all over the world in our port. We expect this number to increase even more in the new season. It is a great source of excitement for us to host the first passengers of the season in Bodrum.”