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Eastern Mediterranean cruise specialist Celestyal has released its 2025 cruise schedule featuring five itineraries across 113 departures. Along with Greece cruises, it offers calls in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro. Departures range between three and fourteen nights, from April to October 2025. Mediterranean and Greece cruises are on the 1,266-guest Celestyal Discovery and 1,260-guest Celestyal Journey. Celetsyal expects to open bookings on more sailings later this year. The schedule includes two variations of the newly launched seven-night Heavenly Adriatic sailing, on Celestyal Journey. The route debuts on March 2, 2024, and will now be a permanent deployment feature. In March, April and October 2025, the Heavenly Adriatic itinerary spans Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, and Italy, with maiden calls at Kefalonia, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Bari and Katakolo. The July and August 2025 sailings also feature a maiden call to Venice. Celestyal’s current winter promotion offers savings with prices for a three-night cruise to Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Heraklion, and Santorini starting from £209pp. A seven-night cruise to Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion, and Santorini is from £319pp. Celestyal has renamed its onboard package offerings with a choice of two options: The Celestyal Experience – this was previously known as the Inclusive cruise fare. It includes all onboard dining, select drinks with meals and all onboard entertainment. The Celestyal Plus+ Experience – was previously known as the Enhanced cruise fare. The package includes all onboard meals, with a 25% discount in either of the two speciality restaurants, premium drinks with meals, all onboard entertainment, a £130 shore excursion discount, and onboard WI-FI. As part of the winter promotion, Celestyal is offering 50% off all Celestyal Plus+ Experience packages, along with reduced single supplements of just 30% and low child fares.

Newly-launched Celestyal Journey will visit three new countries and six new ports as part of its maiden 2024 itinerary. The new 1,260-guest Celestyal ship just entered service in September this year. It will call for the first time at Croatia, Montenegro and Italy from Greece. Its maiden Adriatic cruise calls are to Kefalonia, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Bari and Katakolo. The new seven-night 'Heavenly Adriatic' will set sail on March 2 and feature full days in each destination, as well as a late-night stay in Dubrovnik. The Adriatic cruise itinerary will appear again in 2025, with details to be confirmed. The cruise line also confirmed that Celestyal Journey will sail its seven-night 'Idyllic Aegean' itinerary on March 9 and March 16. Departing roundtrip from Athens, the ship will call at Thessaloniki, Kusadasi, Heraklion, Mykonos, Santorini and Milos. Celestyal Journey will then embark on a series of Aegean voyages up to December. The updated itineraries replace the previous 'Three Continents' route the ship was due to sail on. Celestyal is switching pre-booked guests to the new voyages at current promotional rates, and giving them a free 'Three Continents' cruise. The Celestyal trade team is liaising with agents who have customers set to travel with the updated information. Lee Haslett, CCO at Celestyal, said: "Italy, Croatia and Montenegro are consistently popular with the trade and our guests.” “These itineraries are ideal for anyone looking to discover new horizons with history and culture.” Last week Celestyal announced a complete Celestyal fleet refresh, with the addition of the upcoming Celestyal Discovery. The updated cruises are available as part of Celestyal's Black Friday promotions. The 'Heavenly Adriatic' is on sale from £449pp and the 'Idyllic Aegean' from £529pp.

Multiple cruise lines have now adjusted itineraries to avoid Israel cruise calls. Cruise line Celestyal just suspended Israel port calls on its Three Continents cruise itinerary until the end of November 2023. The cruise line will monitor the situation and make relevant adjustments for itineraries departing after this date. It joins the Celebrity Apex which skipped calls in Haifa and Ashdod this week. Holland America Line's Nieuw Statendam also missed out Ashdod yesterday. Two MSC Cruises ships will also adjust itineraries. MSC Musica's October 12 call to Haifa has been replaced by a stop in Limassol, Cyprus. The ship’s Haifa calls over the next two weeks are also scrapped. Also, MSC Sinfona's port call at Haifa next week is replaced by a call to Bodrum, Turkey. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is dropping Haifa and Ashdod calls this week and next, aboard Seven Seas Voyager. Other itinerary adjustments to avoid Israel affect sailings of Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade, Oceania Nautica, Sirena, Rhapsody of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas. Both Israel cruise ports were expecting busy cruise seasons. Haifa was targeting 700,000 cruise passengers this year.

Cruise line Celestyal has temporarily suspended all port calls in Israel on the Three Continents cruise, until the end of November 2023. The cruise will monitor the situation and make any necessary adjustments for any itineraries departing after this date. Celestyal says it maintains constant communication with the Israeli authorities, prioritising the health, safety, and comfort of guests. CEO of Celestyal, Chris Theophilides, said “Our thoughts are with those touched by the events in Israel. We wish for the safety of everyone affected and a rapid return of peace.” “On the advice of relevant authorities, we have decided to temporarily remove Israel port calls. Our teams will be working alongside our travel agent partners to contact affected customers.” It will contact all impacted customers and agents in the coming days. It affects Israel port calls on the seven-night Three Continents cruise with departures on October 21 and 28, and November 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023.

Celestyal has unveiled details of its new ship, Celestyal Journey, after a major refurbishment and technical overhaul.  Celestyal Journey has over 280% more balcony suites, seven dining venues and eight bars and lounges. There are two pools and an entire deck dedicated to wellness. Celestyal Journey houses 630 Dream Suites and Cosmos Cabins plus the cruise line’s first ever penthouse with private terrace, the Stargazer Suite. The Sozo Experience is an entire deck for wellness with a fitness area, jogging track and sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. It also features several expansive sundecks and a pool with a retractable roof meaning that guests can swim and relax anytime. Celestyal Journey has various activities to keep younger guests entertained from a Kids Club to arcade games. The ship also features two fully equipped conference rooms for meetings and incentives. Lee Haslett, Celestyal CCO said: "We are looking forward to working closely with our trade partners to highlight our much-elevated onboard product.” “Our goal is to immerse our agent and operator partners in the Celestyal Journey via in-person ship visits, fam trips and training." Celestyal's newest ship will launch on 2 September 2023, taking over the Celestyal Crystal's program. It will initially sail on its popular seven-night "Idyllic Aegean" itinerary visiting Athens, Thessaloniki, Kusadasi, Heraklion (Crete), Santorini. Mykonos and Milos. Guests currently holding reservations on the Celestyal Crystal from 2 September 2023 onwards will be contacted by Celestyal and re-accommodated on the Celestyal Journey.

 

- Tobias Klitsch Named VP of Global Market Development, Beth Hulett Named Global Market Development Manager -

  Celestyal, the award-winning, number one choice for travellers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, is continuing to invest substantially in growing key markets with the appointment of two senior members to its commercial team. Tobias Klitsch joins as VP of Global Market Development while Beth Hulett has been named Global Market Development Manager.   Tobias Klitsch has a wealth of experience and has held senior positions within the travel industry for 15 years. He joins Celestyal from PA Consulting, where he worked with organisations across the Aviation and Travel verticals to deliver structural change, with a view to driving long-term growth and commercial success, in his role as Director. Prior to that, Tobias worked at Virgin Atlantic as Director of Sales Strategy & Development, designing and executing the airline’s Global Sales and Account Management strategy. Before joining Virgin Atlantic, Tobias has held senior leadership roles at British Airways across Revenue Management and Sales, as well as delivering the airline’s Ancillaries strategy. As Celestyal’s VP of Global Market Development, Tobias will work cross-functionally to design and execute the commercial strategy that will deliver our vision of being brilliant to do business with. He will also provide analytical insight and partner with Sales leaders to devise the market-appropriate strategies to drive Celestyal’s growth plans. Tobias joined on 17th April and report directly to Celestyal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Lee Haslett.   Beth Hulett comes with over eight years’ experience in the cruise industry. She joins Celestyal from Virgin Voyages where she worked with key UK partners to help drive sales in her role as Sales Manager. Previously, Beth worked at Iglu.com as Senior Global Supply Manager where she helped strengthen relationships with Trade Partners and had an impressive track record of delivering commercial value, implementing change and improving performance.  As Global Market Development Manager, Beth will support Tobias in delivering the commercial strategy to deliver value for both Celestyal and its Trade Partners globally. She will also support the field-based account team across all channels in identifying opportunities. Beth joined Celestyal on 21st April and will report directly into Tobias.   Lee Haslett, Celestyal’s Chief Commercial Officer, comments: “I am delighted to welcome Tobias and Beth to Celestyal. They join at an exciting time, with the recent launch of Celestyal Holidays, our dedicated trade packaging solution in partnership with Aviate, and the highly-anticipated debut of our new ship, Celestyal Journey, in September.  Both Tobias and Bethanie have a strong track record of delivering commercial value and strategic growth which will prove invaluable as we intensify our efforts and invest in substantially broadening Celestyal’s presence in key markets, and strengthening our position as the leading provider of the award-winning, multi-destination holiday experiences in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Celestyal, announced the launch of a dedicated trade packaging solution, Celestyal Holidays. The new division is in partnership with Aviate, offering flight-inclusive packages with generous commissions. Exclusively for the UK trade, Celestyal Holidays allows travel agents to create tailor-made packages with regional flights, pre- and post-cruise stays paired with any Celestyal itinerary. Agents are encouraged to sign up at Celestyal Holidays. Sample packages include a seven-night Idyllic Aegean cruise with flights from Heathrow, a one-night pre-cruise stay and private transfers. This package costs from £1,400 per person, based on 7^th July 2023 departure. Lee Haslett, Celestyal's CCO, said: "Agents want to the ability to book Celestyal packages complete with flights and pre- and post-hotel stays.” “It offers our agent partners exactly what they have been asking for - tailor-made packages that are simple to book.” To celebrate the launch, agents will earn a £20 The Real Greek restaurant voucher for every Celestyal Holidays package booked before the end of April 2023. Every booking will be entered into a draw to win two tickets to Mamma Mia! The Party at the O2 with an overnight hotel stay in London or a fam trip. Agents just need to send their qualifying booking reference along with their details to tradesupport@celestyal.com

 

- Features Include 24% Balcony Staterooms, Seven Dining Venues, Eight Bars & Lounges, Expansive Sun Decks and Wellness Area -

  Celestyal, the award-winning, number one choice for travellers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, announces the arrival of the Celestyal Journey. Following an extensive, $22 million (approximately £17.6 million) refurbishment and technical maintenance overhaul, Celestyal’s newest ship will set sail on 2^nd September 2023, taking over the Celestyal Crystal’s programme, initially on its popular seven-night “Idyllic Aegean” itinerary. The ship’s name symbolizes exploration, discovery and progress. The Journey embodies a spirit of ambition and adventure and a desire to take her guests further and get closer to the destinations she visits.   The Celestyal Journey is characterised by her abundant number of premium staterooms as well as their spaciousness. The 1,260-guest mid-sized vessel offers 630 staterooms, 149 of which feature balconies – three times that of the previously available balcony staterooms on Celestyal’s seven-night offering.  Of the 149 balcony staterooms, 120 are Junior Suites, 28 are Grand Suites and one is the spacious Penthouse Concept Suite.  In addition, the vessel boasts 80% outside staterooms as well as a high guest to space ratio.   The Celestyal Journey offers guests a larger range of dining options as well, with seven one-of-a-kind venues including specialty and themed restaurants appealing to a wide array of tastes and cuisines from Mediterranean to European and Asian dishes. In addition, the Celestyal Journey will have a cooking demonstration area and an exclusive Chef’s Table venue, ideal for celebrating special occasions with friends or for private group functions. Eight bars and lounges round out the food and beverage offerings, each with its own distinctive character, providing the ideal setting to indulge in Celestyal’s signature cocktails.   The Celestyal Journey features many open deck areas, creating an overall greater sense of light and space. Expansive sundecks with two pools and two Jacuzzis offer spectacular views and connectivity with the sea, while a secluded and tranquil outdoor space, the Beach Club, will be created for exclusive use by all Grand Suite and Junior Suite guests. Guests booked in Grand Suites will also have access to Celestyal’s Concierge Service, which features a dedicated priority check-in counter, expedited embarkation and express luggage delivery service including assistance with unpacking. A dedicated Celestyal Concierge will be available in the exclusive-use Poseidon Lounge to assist Grand Suite guests with tailored service requests.   There is also a large, comprehensive spa and fitness and wellness area offering ocean views and two, fully-equipped conference rooms as well as a multi-purpose amphitheatre complete with a cinema, making The Celestyal Journey perfect for meetings and incentives.   “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,” said Celestyal Cruises’ CEO, Chris Theophilides.  “The Celestyal Journey will offer our guests more in the way of premium accommodations 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 recognised as second to none.”   Following the inaugural Idyllic Aegean sailings commencing 2^nd September, the Celestyal Journey will continue in October with the unique “Steps of Paul” itinerary followed by the award-winning seven-night “Three Continents” itinerary visiting Greece, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and. Turkey. This will be followed by two exclusive holiday sailings, the 11-night special Christmas voyage calling on Thessaloniki, Izmir, Crete, Antalya, Limassol, with two days in Alexandria and an overnight visit in Haifa (Israel) to spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Holy Land. This can be combined with the New Year’s eight-night departure visiting Heraklion, Rhodes, Kusadasi and overnighting in Istanbul before calling Volos.   Detailed information regarding the Celestyal Journey’s itineraries can be found on Celestyal.com   Special launch offers will be announced shortly, along with more insight behind the branding evolution and how the Celestyal Journey comes alive for guests both onboard and onshore. Guests currently holding reservations on the Celestyal Crystal from 2^nd September 2023, onwards will be contacted by Celestyal and re-accommodated on sailings on the Celestyal Journey.

Greece and Eastern Mediterranean specialist line Celestyal has made a cruise ship acquisition. The newly renamed 1,260-guest Celestyal Journey was most recently sailing for P&O Australia. It was originally the Ryndam for Holland America Line. The cruise ship will now undergo an extensive €20 million refurbishment and maintenance overhaul before entering service. "The positive industry outlook provides Celestyal with the opportunity to recommence fleet renewal," said Chris Theophilides, CEO. It currently operates Celestyal Crystal and Celestyal Olympia. Details regarding the onboard experience and itineraries for Celestyal Journey will be announced in due course.

Greek Island cruise line Celestyal Cruises has joined TIPTO It takes the supplier member numbers to 20. Celestyal visits iconic destinations such as Mykonos and Santorini as part of its Greek Island-hopping cruises. Celestyal Cruises offers short breaks, seven nights and up to 14 nights or more. Jo Reid, Celestyal Country Manager said: “We are delighted to join TIPTO and look forward to attending the first Face2Face events of 2023.” “TIPTO is one of the most trusted industry resources in the UK.”

  Celestyal, the award-winning, number one choice for travellers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, has been named one of the top cruise lines at the annual Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards, the industry’s most comprehensive awards that recognise the best cruise lines of the year for UK cruisers, as chosen by the site’s international team of cruise experts.   Celestyal was recognised as one of this year’s best cruise lines, winning Best Service (Ocean Category) with judges stating:  “Celestyal’s approach to service is the same as its approach to cruising – authentic, personalised and warm. From wait staff to cabin stewards, bar staff to officers, nothing is too much trouble and the line goes out of its way to ensure each passenger feels special and happy to be onboard. It’s a well-deserved win for this small-ship line.”   Commenting on the award, Celestyal Cruises’ CEO, Chris Theophilides, said: “We are delighted to have won this award which recognises what is undoubtedly a successful team effort from all our crew, officers and team ashore. The heart of our philosophy and approach is the legendary Greek hospitality that our guests enjoy onboard our vessels, each of which is intimate enough to provide genuine and highly personalised service along with the multi-destination, immersive experience that truly distinguishes Celestyal.”   Guided by the Cruise Critic editorial team’s impartial cruise expertise, based on first-hand experiences and industry knowledge, the awards name the best-in-industry while also helping travellers select the best cruise for their specific interests and needs.   “These awards showcase the most standout cruise lines – and ports – of the year, based on our editorial team’s personal experience and extensive industry expertise,” shares Adam Coulter, Executive Editor of Cruise Critic UK. “The list of winners is evidence of the incredible strides of the industry over the past year, not just in returning to full service but in providing travellers with truly remarkable experiences.”   For more information about Celestyal visit https://celestyal.com/gb/, contact your local travel agent or call 0800 411 8038.