Astoria Grande Shifts Homeport to Antalya With Credit Options

Astoria Grande will now start and end its cruises in Antalya, Turkey, instead of Sochi, Russia, after the shipowner shifted the homeport for passenger and crew safety. Guests already booked face a clear choice: keep the Antalya program with charter support and a cabin upgrade, or exit with a full refund or a 120 percent future cruise credit.

The change is permanent for future sailings under the company statements summarized by Cruise Industry News and Russian business reporting. Most published cruise dates remain, while the map expands into additional Greece, Italy, and Egypt calls.

What changed for Astoria Grande sailings

According to Cruise Industry News, Astoria Grande said all future cruises are now scheduled to depart from Antalya. The shipowner framed the move as a safety decision for passengers and crew rather than a one-sailing weather diversion.

Russian business outlet RBC reported that sales agent Akvilon opened booking for March 3 through August 28, 2027, sailings that continue the Antalya-based program. Earlier summer notices had already moved August departures after Russian maritime authorities warned that sailing in the eastern Black Sea was temporarily unsafe.

The practical traveler result is a new door. Antalya becomes the embarkation and disembarkation city, with charter flights from Russian airports and land transfers organized in advance for guests who still want the Russian-market product.

Astoria Grande also said it will keep offering a full Russian cruise product from the Turkish hub. That means the brand, language, and sales channel stay familiar even though the pier changed countries.

Compensation and support for booked guests

Guests who keep their reservations for sailings that now leave from Antalya receive a cabin upgrade as a keep-rate incentive. Even guests who skip the company’s charter flights still get a dedicated team at Antalya Airport and the port for transfers between the two.

Guests who do not want the new homeport can take a future cruise credit worth 120 percent of the original cruise fare for use in 2026 and 2027. They can also request a full refund.

Documented expenses tied to the departure and arrival port change are eligible for support under the company’s statement. Keep boarding documents, airline change receipts, and hotel nights that were forced by the homeport shift if you plan to claim that category.

Russian passengers also get Schengen visa processing handled by the company at no charge for itineraries that need it. That reduces one friction of a Greece or Italy add-on, but travelers should still confirm passport validity and any remaining national entry rules.

Where the ship will sail from Antalya

While most published cruise dates remain, Astoria Grande said the Antalya base lets it add destinations in Greece, Italy, and Egypt. Named targets include Piraeus, Heraklion, Corfu, Thessaloniki, and Port Said.

Regular calls also continue across Turkey and nearby waters, including Bodrum, Marmaris, Kusadasi, Izmir, Çeşme, Bozcaada Island, and Alexandria. The company said the revised schedule increases time at visa-free destinations in Turkey and Egypt.

For a cruise day in the new homeport city, Deep Arrival’s Antalya cruise-day guide helps with Kaleici timing before or after embarkation. Guests calling Bodrum can use the Bodrum things to do page for a short port plan.

The ship itself remains the former AIDAcara hull, a mid-size vessel marketed heavily to Russian travelers since 2022. Capacity and onboard product did not change with the homeport move; the pier and air bridge did.

Three checks before you keep or cancel

First, confirm whether your sailing now lists Antalya as both embarkation and return. Do not rely on an older Sochi confirmation email once the company has published the homeport change.

Second, price the full door-to-door path. A free Schengen process and a cabin upgrade can still lose to a longer flight day if Antalya connections are awkward for your city pair.

Third, decide on the exit package before the next payment deadline. A 120 percent future cruise credit is stronger than a plain refund only if you still want this product in 2026 or 2027.

One decision rule covers most booked guests: keep Antalya only if the charter air bridge and upgrade make the trip workable, and otherwise take the refund or 120 percent credit before another deposit posts.

What remains uncertain

Exact charter flight cities, frequencies, and baggage rules will arrive in guest messaging rather than in the first press summaries. Confirm those details in writing before you decline a personal air ticket.

It is also unclear how quickly every third-party booking system will rewrite Sochi embarkation fields. If your confirmation still shows Sochi, ask the sales agent for an updated document with Antalya and the compensation election.

Black Sea safety conditions can change again. The company presented Antalya as the stable forward base, but travelers should watch for later notices if eastern Black Sea warnings are lifted or tightened.

Independent reporting has tracked the shift from the July warnings through the August decision that all further Astoria Grande cruises begin and end in Antalya.

Use the company message and your booking agent as authority for your cabin, not social speculation about whether Sochi might return next week.

If you are comparing Antalya embarkation days, leave margin for charter delays and for the transfer between the airport and the cruise pier. A cabin upgrade does not buy more time if the air bridge runs late on embarkation morning.

Write down the election you make, the date you make it, and the agent name who confirms Antalya embarkation on your revised documents. That paper trail matters if a later system still shows Sochi by mistake.

Astoria Grande’s Antalya shift is a named-ship homeport change with dated guest options, not a vague Mediterranean reshuffle. Confirm the Antalya air bridge, then keep the upgraded cabin or take the refund and credit package while the offer is still on the table.