Celestyal Journey Scheduled to Debut in September

On 2nd September, the newest ship in the fleet of the cruise company Celestyal, which specializes in Greek islands and the eastern Mediterranean, will depart.

Celestyal Journey is replacing Celestyal Crystal’s program, initially on the seven-night “Idyllic Aegean” itinerary, after undergoing a €20 million renovation and technical maintenance upgrade.

From 2nd September forward, Celestyal will get in touch with passengers who currently have bookings on Celestyal Crystal and reaccommodate them on sailings with Celestyal Journey.

The mid-sized vessel, which can accommodate 1,260 passengers, has 630 cabins, 149 of which have balconies. A large Penthouse Concept Suite is one of the 149 balcony cabins, which include 120 Junior Suites, 28 Grand Suites, and 120 Junior Suites.

There are seven dining establishments offering Mediterranean, European, and Asian cuisine, in addition to a kitchen demonstration area and a private Chef’s Table location.

Eight bars and lounges, two pools and two Jacuzzis on the sundecks, as well as the outdoor Beach Club, will be available for Grand Suite and Junior Suite passengers only.

Further amenities include conference rooms, a multi-purpose amphitheatre with a movie, a spa, a fitness center, and a wellness area.

Chief executive of Celestyal Cruises, Chris Theophilides, stated: “It has always been our mission to renew and rejuvenate our fleet, and we’re thrilled to see this come to fruition with the arrival of the Celestyal Journey.

“She is already undergoing her extensive refurbishment programme and will be deployed in a matter of just a few months.

“The Celestyal Journey will offer our guests more in the way of premium accommodation with balconies, a greater choice of dining and bar venues, public areas and open decks creating a greater sense of space.

“At the same time, the newest member of the Celestyal family continues our tradition of operating intimate, mid-sized vessels, allowing us to take our guests to destinations that larger ships cannot, reinforcing our in-depth regional destination knowledge and genuine, warm Greek hospitality, both of which have consistently been recognized as second to none.”

Following the first Idyllic Aegean sailings, Celestyal Journey will continue in October with the “Steps of Paul” itinerary before traveling to Greece, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, and Turkey on the “Three Continents” schedule.

The 11-night Christmas cruise, which includes stops in Thessaloniki, Izmir, Crete, Antalya, and Limassol, as well as two days in Alexandria and an overnight visit to Haifa, Israel, where passengers can spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Holy Land, will come next.

This can be combined with the eight-night trip that departs on January 1 and stops in Heraklion, Rhodes, Kusadasi, and Istanbul before calling Volos.

The cruise line’s fleet also includes Celestyal Olympia in addition to Celestyal Crystal and Celestyal Journey. Lee Haslett, a former vice president of global sales for Virgin Atlantic, was recently named the line’s worldwide chief commercial officer.