Türkiye is featured in all of its itineraries. With its offer of drinks, excursions, and gratuities included, Celestyal Cruises is experiencing strong growth in the Spanish market.
Article from CruisesNews magazine, issue 47 – December 2018
Celestyal Cruises is ahead of the major cruise lines, deploying its ships in the Eastern Mediterranean. A combination of short and long cruises, visiting up to two destinations per day in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, is its formula for success, along with all-inclusive drinks, excursions, taxes, and gratuities. Assistance in Spanish is also available, and the onboard cuisine, distinctly Mediterranean, is perfect for all tastes.
The Greek cruise line ended its cruise season in mid-October 2018, but its plans for 2019 include an extended season. It will begin operations in early March, but one of its ships will finish the season at the end of November, while the other will continue sailing until January 2020.
Celestyal Cruises is the only cruise line that is committed to operating year-round with stops in Türkiye.
Celestyal Cruises will operate two ships in 2019: the Celestyal Crystal, at 25,611 gross tons, and the Celestyal Olympia, at 37,773 gross tons. Both are veteran ships, but Celestyal maintains them with great care. The crew provides professional yet friendly service, and the size and capacity of the ships make passengers feel right at home.
Celestyal Cruises is the only cruise line committed to year-round operations with stops in Turkey, primarily in Kusadasi, which both ships visit. This allows passengers to explore the phenomenal ruins of Ephesus, an ancient city and UNESCO World Heritage Site that endured for millennia. Its ruins include a grand theater, the magnificent facade of the Library of Celsus, an agora, a stadium, latrines, fountains, temples, and even a brothel, although excavation is still ongoing. Furthermore, starting in mid-October, Celestyal Cruises will also offer stops in Istanbul and Canakkale, thus getting ahead of most international cruise lines and creating truly attractive and original itineraries. Canakkale is the closest city to the ruins of Troy, and, in fact, the wooden horse used in the film Troy was gifted to the city by Brad Pitt and can currently be seen on its waterfront promenade next to the marina.
The Celestyal Crystal, the ship dedicated to 7-night cruises, will begin its Idyllic Aegean route on April 15th, sailing every Monday until mid-October. The Idyllic Aegean route departs from Piraeus (Athens) and calls at Mykonos, Milos, Santorini, Heraklion, and Kusadasi before returning to Piraeus. Following this, the extended season will begin, from late October through November, with the new Eclectic Aegean itinerary departing from Piraeus and calling at Istanbul, Canakkale, Volos, Heraklion, Santorini, and Mykonos, before returning to Piraeus.
2019 Itineraries (click on the image to enlarge it)
The 3 continents route at the end of 2019 is simply unbeatable: Greece, Egypt, Israel, Türkiye and Cyprus.
But starting in December, Celestyal raises the bar even higher with its 3 Continents itinerary, featuring stops in Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, and Egypt. A spectacular route for travelers eager for new destinations and without inhibitions. Specifically, the Celestyal Crystal will depart from Piraeus on Mondays and, after a day at sea, will arrive in Alexandria, Egypt, at 7:00 a.m., where passengers will disembark for a full-day excursion to Cairo, included in the price.
“Visiting the Parthenon, the Pyramids of Giza, the Holy Sepulchre and Ephesus on the same trip is a feat only available on Celestyal Cruises.”.
The ship will continue sailing to Port Said, where it will pick up passengers starting at 8:00 PM. This excursion includes a visit to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, lunch at a 5-star hotel, and then a visit to the famous Tahrir Square before entering the grand National Archaeological Museum, where you can immerse yourself in 50 centuries of Egyptian history and admire the Tutankhamun collection. Undoubtedly, an exciting day.
The following morning, the ship will stop in Ashdod, Israel, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, where you can book an excursion to visit Jaffa and Tel Aviv, or Jerusalem and Bethlehem, to see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Sorrowful Life, and the Western Wall, among other sites of immense historical and religious value, such as the Room of the Last Supper. Friday will bring the ship to Limassol, Cyprus, a less emotionally charged stop, but with wonderful places to visit, such as Paphos, an ancient city and UNESCO World Heritage Site with important archaeological remains. Two more important stops remain: Rhodes, with its imposing Palace of the Grand Master and the perfectly preserved walls; and Kusadasi, which includes an excursion to the ruins of Ephesus. Finally, the ship returns to Athens.
Meanwhile, the Celestyal Olympia will begin its 2019 season in March and end in mid-November, extending its operating hours by a month. This ship will offer short cruises of 3 and 4 nights, the perfect complement to stays in Athens or for quick getaways. Its routes make the most of the Greek Islands' potential; for example, on embarkation day in Piraeus (Athens), there is an afternoon stop in Mykonos, the following day a visit to Kusadasi (Ephesus) in the morning and Patmos in the afternoon, while the third day is dedicated to Heraklion and Santorini.
Their 3 and 4 night routes make the most of the potential of the Greek Islands, visiting two islands each day.
The 4-night route is the same, except it adds a long day stop in Rhodes. It departs on Mondays, so ideally you should fly to Athens on Sunday to spend the night, take the cruise, and then, after disembarking on Friday morning, stay until Sunday exploring the Greek capital.
Celestyal Cruises is undoubtedly the cruise line specializing in the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, and its itineraries are a breath of fresh air, clearly reminding us of the essence of cruising: visiting many places in a single trip.
