Celestyal Cruises will successfully complete its summer itineraries. The “Legendary Archipelago” aboard the Celestyal Olympia and the “Idyllic Aegean” on the Celestyal Crystal, as scheduled, will conclude on August 30 and August 28, respectively. The 2021 summer season has proven to be an important first step in a gradual return to a more normalized operating environment following the pause in operations in 2020. The successful implementation of enhanced health, safety, and security protocols, in accordance with relevant health authorities and adopted by CLIA member lines, has been instrumental in delivering a positive and memorable experience for both guests and Celestyal crew after a very challenging period.
The cruise line typically relies on long-haul source markets in the fall and winter, which are the primary customers for Celestyal's popular three- and four-night shorter itineraries. With current travel restrictions in place, and the continued development of additional restrictions in most source markets that typically sail later in the season, travelers have been less willing to accept the measures required to travel this fall and winter, especially for shorter voyages, and have shown a clear preference for postponing their cruises to 2022. For this reason, the company has decided to postpone its 2021 fall and winter sailings and resume operations in March 2022, as scheduled. Individual paid bookings affected by this temporary suspension with departures between September and December 2021 will have the option of receiving a full refund or applying their deposits to sailings in 2022 or 2023, including a 20% bonus to be applied to their future cruise.
“I am incredibly proud of our employees, crew, business partners, and the communities we visit for coming together during this successful summer season to deliver an enjoyable experience for our guests while implementing our enhanced health and safety protocols. We are confident that our decision to postpone our fall and winter itineraries is the right one. Celestyal continues to attract a large portion of its clientele from a range of global source markets, each with its own specific preferred travel period, and it is clear that these markets are not currently interested in being disrupted by current and future travel restrictions, particularly for short-haul voyages in the fall and winter. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, we were one of the first cruise lines to pause operations in response to the realities of the time, and this is exactly what we will do in the face of the current situation,” said Celestyal Cruises CEO Chris Theophilides.
Celestyal has recently launched its itineraries for 2022 and 2023, demonstrating its continued growth as a leader in the region, as well as its commitment to offering year-round cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“In the coming months, we expect to announce new experiences for our passengers to enjoy both in 2022 and beyond. We will also be launching a new booking system for our travel agents this fall, with enhanced self-service functionality. We are seeing strong demand for bookings for next year as we prepare for the start of our operating season in March 2022, delighted to welcome our customers back on board and continue to offer Celestyal’s unique destination-focused experience in what we believe will be a more normalized situation,” Theophilides added.
