48 AROYA Cruises’ brand presence while offering our guests an authentically Arabian cruise experience across globally recognised destinations.” “One of our strategic goals was to unite the Red Sea and Mediterranean under a single, cohesive cruising ecosystem as it provides us with a diversified and complementary footprint,” says Clasen. “Our near-term focus is to deepen performance across these core regions by strengthening load factors, guest satisfaction and destination partnerships. We continuously assess additional deployment opportunities, but expansion will be disciplined, demandled and aligned with both commercial performance and operational readiness.” Clasen expects the Saudi Arabian cruise market to mature quickly as awareness increases and repeat travel grows. “As familiarity builds, demand patterns will become more defined, with clearer preferences across duration, price point and experience type,” he predicts. “We’ll adapt by doing what we do best: listening intently to our guests and leveraging our agile operational model. This will allow us to continuously refine our product and introduce new itineraries and concepts, such as themed cruises, to ensure we’re not just keeping pace with the market, but also actively shaping its direction.” AROYA Cruises is also working with local partners to extend the socioeconomic benefits of growing Saudi Arabia’s cruise industry to local communities. “This is a fundamental responsibility and a core part of AROYA Cruises’ mission; we are creating a virtuous cycle of economic benefit in the communities we touch,” says Clasen. “Preparing young Saudi nationals for careers in the cruise industry is a key part of our contribution to Saudi Vision 2030.” The cruise line has created AROYA Ambassador Program, an intense twomonth training programme hosted onboard its ship. “The specialised course provides trainees with handson experience in various departments, allowing them to understand the full guest journey,” says Clasen. “It enables them to discover the various career opportunities and specialisms they may wish to pursue in the cruise industry, particularly within ship operations.” AROYA Cruises has also partnered with the Transport General Authority and the Maritime Studies College of the King Abdullah University to develop a sustainable maritime talent pipeline for Saudi nationals. “Cadets will come onboard to undergo a comprehensive six-month training programme across deck and engine disciplines, which supports international certification pathways and strengthens workforce readiness in line with global maritime standards,” says Clasen. “Ultimately, we’re not just building a cruise line; we’re building careers and a national maritime workforce.” “ Ultimately, we’re not just building a cruise line; we’re building careers and a national maritime workforce” COVER STORY The Presidential Suite is the most luxurious accommodation category onboard AROYA
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