Celestyal boosts capacity 30% with added Med, Arabian Gulf cruises

As earlier reported, 2024 begins year-round operations for Celestyal. 

Mediterranean expansion and second ship to the Gulf

With today's announcement, the line is expanding and adding new ports to its core summer Greek and Mediterranean cruises on both ships and deploying a second vessel in the Arabian Gulf, as presaged here. 

The sailings feature eight additional 'Heavenly Adriatic' cruises in 2025 and 13 in 2026. These visit Greece, Croatia (Split or Dubrovnik), Montenegro (Kotor) and Italy (Venice-Marghera or Bari).

Celestyal Journey will sail two seven-night itineraries during the Mediterranean and Aegean season, while Celestyal Discovery will continue to offer three-/four-night Aegean getaways.

Celestyal Journey's 'Heavenly Adriatic' cruise from Piraeus features a late stay in Dubrovnik and full day calls at Kefalonia, Kotor, Bari and Corfu, plus Katakolo. A variant, with Venice (Marghera) has full day calls at Kotor, Split, Marghera and Katakolo.

The ship's 'Idyllic Aegean' cruise in 2025 and 2026, also from Piraeus, includes full days in Kusadasi, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini and Milos plus a full day and late stay at Mykonos. This may be combined, on select dates, with the 'Heavenly Adriatic' for a 14-night cruise.

Celestyal Discovery's three-night 'Iconic Aegean' calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Crete and Santorini, with the four-night version adding Rhodes. Both are from Piraeus.

Celestyal Discovery's new Arabian cruises

Celestyal Discovery will spend the winter sailing the Arabian Gulf starting in 2025, joining Celestyal Journey, which will depart on the previously announced seven-night 'Desert Days' itinerary later this year from Doha, Qatar, in a three-year regional partnership.

Sailing from Abu Dhabi, Celestyal Discovery will offer three- and four-night itineraries from November to March. The three-night 'Iconic Arabia' calls at Doha along with Sir Bani Yas Island, UAE, while the four-night version goes to Fujairah, UAE, and Muscat and Khasab, Oman. These sailings may be combined into a seven-night 'Gulf Icons' cruise.

Aspirations for 'go-to' line in the Gulf

Chief Commercial Officer Lee Haslett said '86% of our guests tell us they want to come back to Celestyal, so we’re delivering on our commitment to broaden our programs. We’re renowned as the cruise specialists of the Greek islands and Mediterranean and, thanks to the commitment of the region and this overwhelming support from our customers and trusted partners, we are now confident in becoming the go-to cruise specialists of the Arabian Gulf.'

That's ambitious, with Costa, MSC Cruises and several others already operating there for years. 

'Three Continents' itinerary ends

This announcement means Celestyal Discovery will no longer sail the 'Three Continents' itinerary. Customers on the six affected departures at the end of 2025 have been contacted and either reimbursed or offered alternative cruises.