Miray Cruises is planning to operate a series of itineraries in the Black Sea as part of its 2026 summer season onboard the Gemini.

According to the company’s website, eight sailings to the region will be operated by the vessel between July and September.

Sailing from Istanbul, the seven-night itineraries feature visits to destinations in Turkey, Russia and Georgia, including Sochi, Batumi, Trabzon and Amasra.

In addition to its new cruises to the Black Sea, Miray is also offering a series of short cruises to the Greek Islands departing from Kusadasi.

The three- and four-night sailings will be operated between late May and mid-July before being resumed in mid-September and continuing through late October.

Itineraries feature visits to a range of destinations, including Patmos, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Lavrion.

Miray is also planning five-night itineraries to Egypt and Turkey during the 2026-27 season, with the Gemini sailing from Kusadasi to Analya, Port Said and Alexandria.

Off limits for most of the cruise industry due to security concerns, the Black Sea is currently being visited by a single ship: the Astoria Grande.

Serving the Russian market, the 1,186-passenger ship offers a series of cruises to Turkey and Georgia departing from the Port of Sochi.

The vessel’s itineraries feature calls in ports including Trabzon, Sinop, Batumi, Amasra and Istanbul.

According to Astoria Grande’s website, over 100,000 guests have already sailed onboard the ship since it entered service in 2022.

In the past, Black Sea Cruises operated a series of seven-night cruises to the Black Sea onboard the Prince Vladimir.

The 1971-built vessel offered itineraries interporting in various ports in Russia and Crimea, including Sochi, Novorossiysk and Sevastopol.

Backed by state-owned Rosmorport, the company suspended operations in mid-2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the war in Ukraine, Black Sea announced intentions to resume service in 2022, but plans did not come to fruition.