by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 12:05 PM ET, Tue January 9, 2024
Celestyal Cruises—the boutique line specializing in seasonal summer sailings in the Greek Islands—is expanding to new destinations and will begin offering cruises year-round.
This November, Celestyal Journey will begin sailing in the Persian Gulf as the company launches its new seven-night “Desert Days” itinerary. Homeporting out of Doja, the ship will visit Bahrain, Dubai, Oman, Sir Bani Yas and Khasab.
“It’s natural for us to grow outside of Greece as we move to a year-round operation,” said Lee Haslett, Celestyal’s chief commercial officer, during a media briefing on Tuesday.
A year later, in November 2025, the cruise line also plans to extend its popular seven-night “Three Continents” itinerary, which sails roundtrip from Greece and visits Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey.
Those itineraries will be offered on Celestyal Discovery, the company’s newest ship. That vessel previously sailed under the AIDA Cruise brand, but was purchased and refurbished by Celestyal in the fall of 2023.
Celestyal’s core offerings will run from April to October aboard Celestyal Journey, a former Holland America Line and P&O Australia vessel that Celestyal also purchased and retrofitted last year. They include the brand’s “Heavenly Adriatic,” “Summer Heavenly Adriatic” and “Idyllic Aegean” itineraries. Those cruises will visit several new ports, including Venice, Bari, Dubrovnik, Kefalonia, Corfu, Kotor and Katakolo.
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