Which Kuşadası calls do we track this autumn?
We track 49 Kuşadası calls by 27 ships between 29 September and 23 November 2026; 47 include arrival and departure times. This is a list of calls we track, not the full port schedule. Ships change times, so confirm on your daily programme.
Autumn 2026 calls we track, updated 29 September 2026. We refresh these tables each season; after 23 November 2026, check your cruise line's itinerary for your own call.
Hours in port below are simply departure minus arrival. Your all-aboard time is earlier than departure, so the usable window is shorter.
| Line | Ships we track | Calls | Arrive | Depart | Hours in port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Odyssey of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas | 3 | 09:00 | 19:00 | 10 |
| Celebrity | Infinity, Ascent, Eclipse | 7 | 08:00–09:00 | 18:00–20:00 | 10–12 |
| Princess | Sun Princess, Enchanted Princess, Island Princess | 6 | 07:00–09:00 | 16:00–18:00 | 9–11 |
| MSC | MSC Fantasia | 5 | 07:00 | 15:00 | 8 |
Every tracked call with times lasts at least 8 hours from arrival to departure, so Ephesus is realistic on all of them, though the shortest leaves little slack. Our Kuşadası shore excursions page matches tours to call length.
Full route, pickup details and what is included: Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kuşadası (Group) — Virgin Mary & Artemis.
What does Royal Caribbean offer at Kuşadası?
Royal Caribbean's own Ephesus excursions cover the ancient city, the Virgin Mary sites, Şirince and longer day trips. We track Odyssey of the Seas (30 September and 7 October) and Brilliance of the Seas (3 October), all 09:00 to 19:00, a 10-hour call.
Its published Ephesus guide, updated 16 June 2025, describes six types of excursion:
- Ancient Ephesus on foot.
- Highlights of Ephesus With Lunch: House of the Virgin Mary, St John's Basilica ruins and lunch at a local hotel.
- Ephesus and Şirince, with fruit-wine tasting.
- Ephesus, Didyma and Miletus, a full-day trip.
- An "Exclusive" small-party excursion, which includes the Terrace Houses and ends with a carpet weaving demonstration in Kuşadası.
- Ephesus with Adaland Aquapark, for families.
Prices and durations were not visible on the pages we could load, so we quote none. Royal Caribbean says tours for a limited number of guests are marked in the excursion name.
What does Celebrity offer at Kuşadası?
Celebrity's excursion pages include Ancient Ephesus with the Archaeological Museum and a Biblical Ephesus tour with private Mass. We track seven Celebrity calls: Infinity four times (29 September, 11, 18 and 27 October), Ascent twice (2 and 22 October) and Eclipse on 13 October. Calls last 10 to 12 hours.
Celebrity's pages did not show prices or durations without JavaScript, so we give none.
What does Princess offer at Kuşadası?
We could not load Princess's Kuşadası excursion pages, so we describe none of its tours and quote no durations or prices. We track Sun Princess (1 and 22 October), Enchanted Princess (17 and 30 October, 14 November) and Island Princess (1 November).
Calls are 9 to 11 hours. Enchanted Princess leaves at 16:00 or 17:00, so on those days plan a full Ephesus day around all-aboard, not departure. Princess's booking-tips page, updated 8 June 2026, says the ship will wait for a delayed Princess-booked tour, and that Princess refunds shore excursions if a port call is cancelled.
What about MSC at Kuşadası?
MSC Fantasia has the shortest call in our data, 07:00 to 15:00 (8 hours), on 7, 16 and 25 October and 3 and 12 November. We could not load MSC's excursion pages, so we describe no MSC excursions or prices.
Those 8 hours run from arrival to departure. All-aboard comes earlier: if it is 14:30, the usable window from 07:00 is 7½ hours, exactly what our 5 to 6 hour Ephesus tours need, with no slack. Send us your all-aboard time before booking; if it is earlier than that, the private Ephesus-only tour, which needs a call of about 5 hours, is the safer shape.
Which other lines call, and for how long?
Smaller lines mostly stay longer, and several stay into the evening. Hours below come from the same tracked-calls file.
| Line | Ships we track | Calls | Hours in port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holland America | Oosterdam, Volendam | 4 | 9–13 |
| Regent Seven Seas | Navigator, Mariner, Grandeur, Voyager | 4 | 9–11 |
| Windstar | Wind Spirit, Wind Star, Star Legend | 7 | 13–16, plus one overnight stay |
| Silversea | Silver Nova | 3 | 15 |
| Azamara | Onward, Quest | 2 | 14 |
| Seabourn | Seabourn Quest | 1 | 15 |
| Marella | Discovery, Voyager | 3 | 9–10 |
| Carnival | Carnival Legend | 1 | 10 |
| Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | Evrima | 1 | 12 |
| P&O Cruises | Arcadia | 2 | times not in our data |
On a 14 to 16 hour call there is room for our longest private tour, such as Ephesus, Virgin Mary, St John and Artemis, with plenty of time left in town.
Ship excursion or independent tour?
Both work. The ship excursion gives you the line's promise that the ship waits. An independent tour can give you a group of up to 14 guests or a private guide, your own pace and the option to add sites. Neither is automatically better, and Ephesus is easy to do either way.
| Ship excursion | TurkeyVia tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Group size | Varies by tour; Royal Caribbean marks groups limited in size in the name | Group tour up to 14 guests; private tours only your party |
| Start and pace | Set by the line | Group tour has a set start; private starts as soon as you are off the ship |
| Terrace Houses | Depends on the excursion; Royal Caribbean's tour for a limited number of guests includes them | Optional add-on on the private tour; not on the group tour |
| If the tour runs late | Royal Caribbean and Princess say the ship waits | Back-to-ship guarantee: we return you at least 60 minutes before all-aboard and shorten the programme if needed; we do not hold the ship |
| Payment | Set by the line | Reserve now, pay cash on the day (USD, EUR or GBP); no card, no deposit |
| Cancellation | Royal Caribbean, ordinary excursions: up to 48 hours before port arrival without penalty; Princess refunds if the port call is cancelled | Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; full refund if the cruise line cancels or skips the port |
Our group tour and main private Ephesus tour include a carpet workshop stop, and the group tour adds a leather workshop; there is no obligation to buy. Entrance tickets are optional on our tours: add them when you book or pay at the gate.
Choose the ship excursion if the ship-wait promise matters most, or you would rather not carry cash. Choose an independent tour for a group of up to 14, a private pace, or the Terrace Houses on a private day. If you are comfortable with local transport and have a generous call, going entirely independent is fine too: our taxi, dolmuş or tour guide explains how, and the Ephesus timing guide shows the time budget. For advisory levels and port-day common sense, see is Kuşadası safe for cruise passengers.
How do I match a tour to my call length?
Count from docking to all-aboard, not departure. Our tours return you at least 60 minutes before all-aboard, and getting off the ship takes about 30 minutes.
- Under 5 hours: too tight for a guided Ephesus visit; message us your times.
- 5–6½ hours: the private Ephesus-only tour, 3–4 hours pier to pier.
- 6½–7½ hours: the private Ephesus, Virgin Mary and Artemis tour, 4–5 hours.
- 7½ hours or more: the group tour, a longer private tour, or keep time for town; see the Kuşadası cruise port guide and whether the Terrace Houses are worth it.
