Anex Tour’s Selectum Blu Cruises is planning to resume its cruise services in Turkey ahead of the upcoming summer season.

After cancelling most of its 2023 sailings and essentially ceasing its cruise operations, the company is expected to offer a season in the Eastern Mediterranean onboard the Blue Sapphire starting in late May.

The Blue Sapphire was acquired from Saga Cruises in 2019 and is currently being prepared for the service resumption at a shipyard in Turkey.

Following the work, the 1981-built vessel is set to offer a series of short cruises to the Greek Isles and the Aegean Sea.

Departing from the Turkish Port of Cesme, the three- and four-night itineraries feature visits to different ports of call, such as Rhodes, Kos, Leros and Samos.

A three-night sailing, the first cruise of the season is scheduled for May 30, 2024. The full summer program is already available for bookings on Selectum Blu’s website and extends through late October 2024.

The schedule also includes several themed sailings, featuring cruises with music concerts by local singers.

One of the oldest cruise ships currently in service, the Blue Sapphire was originally built in Germany for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

After sailing for other brands, including Star Cruises, Pullmantur, and Croisières de France, the 750-guest vessel debuted for Selectum Blu Cruises in 2021.

According to the company, the Blue Sapphire underwent a full refurbishment in 2022 and offers an array of features that includes two restaurants, a swimming pool, a show lounge, and a complete spa.

Part of Anex Tour, one of the largest tour operators in Turkey, the company sources guests from countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Turkey, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The company offered two seasons in the Eastern Mediterranean before scrapping its entire upcoming schedule in June 2023.