We want to celebrate Eid as a family somewhere special. Is a cruise possible?
Asked by Anonymous pilgrim · 2 Nov 2026
Written and checked by our team, with dated sources.
In short
Yes. Eid al-Fitr 2027 is expected on about 9 or 10 March. Booking sites list a 7-night AROYA sailing from Istanbul on 6 March, at sea over Eid, and another on 13 March for families who pray Eid at home first. Dates are set by the cruise line, so we confirm them for you.
As of 2 Nov 2026
Marhaba Editorial Desk
Two ways to do it
Plan early
Next step: read the Ramadan and Eid cruise guide.
Answered 2 Nov 2026 · Facts as of 2 Nov 2026
0 answers from people who have made the journey.
Shared by signed-in pilgrims who confirmed their e-mail and WhatsApp number. They describe personal experience and publish without Marhaba's review, so they are not official guidance or religious rulings. Report anything wrong or unsafe.
No answers from pilgrims yet.
Ask our team about your own dates and family — no obligation.
Yes. AROYA keeps running its 7-night Mediterranean cruises through Ramadan 2027, which is expected to begin around 8 February. Booking sites list departures from Istanbul on 27 February and 6 March, and from Alexandria on 2 March. No special Ramadan programme has been announced for 2027, so we check suhoor and iftar times for your sailing.
From October 2026 to about September 2027 the ship sails the Mediterranean, with 6- to 8-night cruises from Istanbul and Alexandria along the Turkish coast, and some longer summer voyages. Reports say it returns to the Red Sea, sailing from Jeddah, after that. Dates are set by the cruise line and can change.
Not from a UK port. The closest fully alcohol-free option is AROYA, which sails from Istanbul, about four hours' direct flight from London, Manchester or Birmingham, until about September 2027. British families usually fly to Istanbul, spend a night or two in the city, then board.
Yes. Until about September 2027, AROYA sails from Istanbul and Alexandria, so the cruise is its own leg: Umrah in Makkah and Madinah, then a flight to Istanbul for a week at sea, or the other way round. When AROYA is back in the Red Sea from Jeddah, the cruise fits between Makkah and Madinah without extra flights.
Yes. AROYA lists women-only hours at one of its pools, reported as mornings (9am to 1pm in some listings), plus ladies-only sessions in the spa and gym and a women-only beauty salon. Times vary by sailing, so we confirm the schedule for yours.