On July 16, the seaport resort city of Sochi launches regular international flights between Russia and Turkey.
According to Interfax, the cruise liner Astoria Grande will take its first guests on board and sail from Sochi to Istanbul. The ship will call at Cesme, Sinop, Trabzon, and before returning to Sochi to the Aegean Sea.
From July till October the cruise liner will make 15 two-week voyages. Astoria Grande seats 1382 persons. Organizers of the tour expect to attract over 20 thousand tourists.
According to general director of sea trade port Yuriy Vladimirov the cruise liner Astoria Grande went under German flag in Baltic sea and was called AIDAcara till June last year.
Now the liner is owned by the Aquilon company, and the organization of international voyages was taken over by the Turkish firm Miray Cruises.