Selectum Blu has 56 cruises on the books this year, sailing from Cesme from April to mid-October.

The cruises are short, three and four nights, and allow Turkish guests to visit Greece without traditional visas.

“Our ports of call are determined by a special agreement between Turkey and Greece, which facilitates the entry of Turkish guests with a port visa,” said Nilda Ture, general manager of the cruise operation for the company, which is owned by Anex Tour.

“This is specific to our ship and has been approved by the Greek authorities. In addition, ports such as Rhodes and Patmos, which we visit, are also very popular with our foreign guests.”

Ready for a Big Year

“Unfortunately, we entered the cruise market during the pandemic. Due to the pandemic, we spent our first two years in a waiting position,” said Ture.

“This will be a year in which we solidify our position in the market as a brand and expect to have more guests. We are seeing high demand, which shows that we have made the right assessments over the past three years. This will actually be the most important year for us in the industry.”

The company operates the 850-guest Blue Sapphire, which Anex acquired in 2020 and had previously sailed for Saga Cruises.

She originally launched in 1981 as the Europa for Hapag-Lloyd, offering an upscale product. As a result, cabin sizes are big and a competitive advantage, said Ture.

Package Opportunities

“Our company is part of a hotel chain. We operate in the service sector worldwide, with a focus on Turkey. As Selectum Blu, we decided to bring this service philosophy to the cruise industry,” Ture explained.

“For us, the most important thing is guest satisfaction and five-star service quality. Our strongest asset is our buffet. Guests can find five-star-level food and variety in the meals onboard.”

Departing from Cesme, the company can lean into Izmir’s airport, which has ample airlift, she said.

Ture said that while most guests come from Istanbul and Izmir and the surrounding areas, the company has a good amount of international sourcing, including passengers from Germany, Austria, Latin America and the Far East.

International guests are generally on a longer tour with a cruise packaged in.

Previous years have seen the Blue Sapphire call in Alexandria and Haifa, and sail from Antalya.

Ture said there may be potential in a Dubai program, but she was still evaluating it.