Celestyal to expand in the Arabian Gulf with a second ship

Celestyal is seeking to become well known for cruises in the Arabian Gulf, as it expands beyond its core Adriatic and Aegean offerings.

Its two 1,260 passenger ships, Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey, will offer Arabian Gulf sailings from next year.

Celestyal Discovery will operate rotating three- and four-night itineraries departing from Abu Dhabi from November to March.

Fares for the three-night ‘Iconic Arabia’ cruise, to Doha (Qatar) and Sir Bani Yas Island (UAE) start at £249 per person with prices for the four-night ‘Iconic Arabia’ cruise, to Fujairah (UAE), Muscat and Khasab in Oman starting from £569 per person.

The two itineraries can be combined into a seven-night 'Gulf Icons' sailing. Fares for this week-long cruise are priced from £569 per person.

Celestyal Journey will homeport in Doha for the seven-day Desert Days itinerary, in a three-year partnership with the region. The ship will make maiden calls to Khasab, Dubai, Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

The itinerary launches on November 9, 2024, with special sailings also on offer including festive cruises plus Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix departures.

As well as the winter sun Arabian Gulf voyages, Celestyal’s core summer Greek and Mediterranean cruises are also on sale.

They feature eight additional seven-night Heavenly Adriatic cruises on Celestyal Journey in 2025 and 13 in 2026 due to the “overwhelming” demand for the new-to-2024 itinerary.

Celestyal Discovery will continue to offer three and four-night Iconic Aegean cruises during the summer season.

The announcement means that Celestyal Discovery will no longer sail its ‘Three Continents’ itinerary. Customers on the six affected departures have been contacted in advance and either reimbursed or offered alternative cruises.

Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: “We’re renowned as the cruise specialists of the Greek islands and Mediterranean.

“Thanks to the commitment of the region and this overwhelming support from our customers and trusted partners, we are now confident in becoming the go-to cruise specialists of the Arabian Gulf.

“Across our network we offer two types of cruising. Destination-intensive three- and four-night itineraries are perfect to combine with a land stay and as a bolt-on to a beach or touring holiday, while our classic seven-night cruises are ideal as a holiday in themselves.”