Celestyal Cruises is set to increase its fleet to three ships with their brand-new ship Celestyal Journey entering service on the 2nd of September 2023. Celestyal Journey will be starting her first season with Celestyal’s popular seven-night Idyllic Aegean itinerary.
About Celestyal Journey
Celestyal Cruises have acquired the 1,200-passenger vessel, Celestyal Journey. The ship was originally built in 1993 at the popular Italian shipyard Fincantieri and sailed for Holland America Line as Ryndam one of the line’s S-class ships.
Celestyal Cruises have acquired the 1,260-passenger mid-sized vessel, Celestyal Journey. The ship was originally built in 1993 at the popular Italian shipyard Fincantieri and sailed for Holland America Line as Ryndam one of the line’s S-class ships.
From 2015, the ship operated as Pacific Aria for P&O Cruises Australia. Although in 2019, P&O announced the sale of the ship to Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) who renamed her Ida Pfeiffer, however, the line collapsed during the pandemic.
When Celestyal Cruises acquired the ship, it underwent a $20 million repair and technical maintenance overhaul in Piraeus, Greece, before moving on to its second phase of operation as Celestyal Journey.
Together with Celestyal Crystal and Celestyal Olympia, it will travel around the Greek and Eastern Mediterranean islands. Celestyal Cruises are specialists in their extensive itineraries around the Greek Isles and Mediterranean.
“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.”
Chris Theophilides, Celestyal Cruises’ chief executive
Celestyal Journey Specs
The ship is 55,877 gross tons and carries 1,200 passengers at full capacity with 597 crew. Celestyal Journey will be offering 630 cabins, 149 of these cabins will feature balconies 120 are Junior Suites, 28 are Grand Suites and one is the spacious Penthouse Concept Suite. There will also be 52 Oceanview & balcony cabins which can be inter-connecting for families and groups of friends.
In comparison to Celestyal Olympia & Celestyal Crystal, Celestyal Journey will be the youngest and most modern ship in the Celestyal fleet after the refurbishment and will therefore offer 120 more balcony cabins and more premium staterooms available to book than the others do.
The cabins, which are distributed throughout five passenger decks of the ship, ranging in size from 182 square feet to a 937 square foot penthouse suite with a 189 square foot balcony. The ship has nine passenger decks overall.
Onboard Explora Journeys you can find 7 spectacular new restaurants including Mediterranean, European, and Asian menus as well as a cooking demonstration area and an exclusive Chef’s Table venue. When it comes to bars and lounges onboard Celestyal Journey, they won’t be short in supply as there are eight elegant new bars and lounges to enjoy a refreshing signature cocktail at.
There are also two swimming pools including one with a retractable roof and two Jacuzzis on the sundecks plus the outdoor Beach Club which will be available for Grand Suite and Junior Suite passengers only.
Other facilities onboard include a spa, fitness and wellness area, conference rooms and a multi-purpose amphitheatre with a cinema. and much more to soon be announced.
What itineraries will Celestyal Journey Offer?
Celestyal Journey‘s maiden voyage will be the 7-night Idyllic Aegean round-trip from Athens on the 2nd of September 2023 up until October 2023.
Following the maiden voyage, the ship will copy the cruise schedules of Celestyal Crystal & Celestyal Olympia with year-round destination-intensive itineraries including the Greek Isles & Mediterranean ranging from 3-night to 14-night sailings.
The Following voyages are where Celestyal Journey will be sailing to after her maiden voyage:
- 7-night Steps of Paul in October 2023 & 2024 – Round trip from Athens, Ports of call include Thessaloniki, Kavala, Istanbul, Dikili, Kusadasi and Patmos
- 7-night Three Continents in October, November, December 2023 & March, November, and December 2024 – Round trip from Athens, ports of call in Cairo, Ashdod, Limassol, Rhodes and Kusadasi
- 19-night Christmas & New Year December 2023 – Round trip from Athens, including ports of call in Thessaloniki, Ismir, Crete, Antalya, Limassol, Alexandria (overnight stay), Haifa (overnight stay on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day), Athens, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Istanbul (overnight stay) and lastly Volos before returning to Athens.
- 5-night Legendary Aegean March & October 2024 – Departing from Athens, including ports of call in Santorini, Rhodes, Samos, and Istanbul (overnight stay) where you will disembark.
- 7-night Eclectic Aegean November 2024 – Round trip from Athens, ports of call include Istanbul (overnight stay), Kavala, Thessaloniki, Volos, and Santorini.
