Celestyal confirms its commitment to the Arabian Gulf with the deployment of its ships Celestyal Journey, with a capacity of 1,260 passengers, and Celestyal Discovery, with a capacity of 1,360 passengers, to the region starting in December of this year. This program builds upon the inaugural 2024/25 schedule and represents a 211% year-over-year increase in capacity.
As part of its renewed deployment plan, Celestyal has modified its two 14-night repositioning voyages for 2025, “From Ancient Athens to Amazing Abu Dhabi”, with departures on November 22, 2025 aboard the Celestyal Journey and November 28, 2025 aboard the Celestyal Discovery.
Now, two new seven-night itineraries from Athens to Jeddah will be operated, departing from Athens (Greece) on the same dates.
- The Celestyal Journey will stop in Marmaris (Türkiye) and in three ports in Egypt: Port Said, Sharm el Sheikh and Safaga, ending in Jeddah.
- The Celestyal Discovery will call at Kusadasi (Turkey) and two Egyptian ports: Sharm el Sheikh and Safaga, before concluding in Jeddah.
Six-night segments will also be offered from Turkish ports.
Most passengers already booked on the original segments from Athens to Sharm el Sheikh and Jeddah will not be affected. Some will experience port changes or be offered shorter crossings.
Following these departures, both ships will continue their journey from Jeddah to Abu Dhabi, allowing them to reach the Arabian Gulf in time to start the season as planned.
The Celestyal Journey will open the season on December 6, 2025, with a special Abu Dhabi Grand Prix celebration cruise, before operating for the remainder of the season the seven-night “Amazing Desert” itinerary, with round-trip departures from Doha and stops at Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, as well as two full days and one night in Dubai.
The Celestyal Discovery will join its sister ship in its inaugural season in the region, setting sail on December 12, 2025, on new three-, four-, and seven-night “Iconic Arabia” cruises, departing from and returning to its winter homeport in Abu Dhabi and calling at Doha (Qatar); Khasab (Oman); Dubai (UAE); Sir Bani Yas Island (UAE); and first-ever visits to Ras Al Khaimah (UAE).
Lee Haslett, Chief Commercial Officer, stated: “Our inaugural season in the Arabian Gulf has firmly established Celestyal in the region, with outstanding feedback from both our passengers and our business partners. Listening to that feedback, we enhanced our deployment with two new seven-night itineraries from Athens to Jeddah that further highlight the diversity of Egypt, with stops in Port Said, Sharm el Sheikh, and Safaga, as well as Marmaris or Kusadasi in Turkey, before concluding in Jeddah. The adjustments we have made to our program give us confidence to return to the Arabian Gulf even stronger in 2025/26, with two ships and significantly increased capacity to meet the growing demand for winter sun. Our multi-year agreements with Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah are central to this growth, and together, we are committed to showcasing the best the region has to offer to new and returning cruisers. With strong demand already underway, we are very optimistic about…” the opportunities that arise and we are confident that this will be one of our most successful seasons to date.”
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