Celestyal Cruises is great for:
- Those seeking an intimate cruise experience
- Those looking for a top-notch cruise in Greece
Celestyal Cruises might not be ideal for:
- Travelers looking for a mega-resort on the high seas
Ever dreamed of embarking on a cozy ship and traveling to the Greek Islands? Enjoying sunny Mediterranean beaches, saying your prayers to the god Poseidon, and exploring one of the most culturally rich cities in the world? Now that I stop to think about that, everyone in the world would say yes to those questions!
I’m happy to say that Celestyal Cruises is perfect for travelers seeking an intimate vacation experience. They specialize exclusively in cruises to Greece and the Arabian Gulf, and do a great job taking you to some of the most amazing places in Europe.
Keep in mind, you can always contact us to help with your next Celestyal Cruises vacation. Just click the Request a Quote button and let’s chat! Reaching out is always free of charge.
Celestyal Cruises might just be the best choice for a cruise in Greece, and here are two reasons why. First, they are a Greek cruise line, which means you’ll be served by Greek staff, enjoy authentic Greek cuisine, and feel closer than ever to Mount Olympus. Second, over the years, they have received more than 50 awards for being the best cruise line for trips to Greece and the Aegean Islands. Not too shabby!
Celestyal Cruises is a smaller cruise line, operating just two ships that are nowhere near the size of the juggernauts from Royal Caribbean and Carnival. To put things in perspective, Celestyal’s ships carry around 1,200 passengers, while something like Icon of the Seas can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers. The smaller ships offer a more intimate experience, and their compact size allows Celestyal to plan unique itineraries and visit small villages that larger ships simply can’t access.
Their primary home port is Athens, but they also offer cruises departing from Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai. As you can see, they focus primarily on Greece and a few niche destinations that many of the larger European cruise lines tend to overlook. Ever wanted to visit Abu Dhabi on a cruise ship? Here’s your chance!
Celestyal Cruises also offers great value with their “Celestyal One” cruise fare. It includes complimentary Wi-Fi for basic tasks like browsing the web and messaging friends. If you ever feel like streaming Netflix near the Acropolis of Athens, you can upgrade to a premium Wi-Fi experience. The base fare also covers free dining, tea, coffee, and juice, with additional perks available depending on your cabin category.
As mentioned earlier, keep in mind that Celestyal Cruises is not a large cruise line, and its ships don’t offer as many entertainment options as the latest vessels from companies like Norwegian Cruise Line or Disney Cruise Line. You won’t find massive Broadway-style shows, and their ships feature either four or seven restaurants. The Kids Club also only operates if there are enough children onboard, and these ships don’t have as many specialty dining options as some of the larger cruise lines.
Would I recommend Celestyal Cruises? Absolutely, especially if you’re planning a trip to Greece. This is a cruise line that focuses more on the destination than on the onboard experience, so if your goal is to uncover all the secrets of the Mediterranean, you can’t go wrong with them.
That said, Celestyal Cruises might not be the best choice for those seeking extensive onboard entertainment options or for families traveling with children. However, if your main objective is to explore Greece and immerse yourself in its culture with the help of locals, Celestyal Cruises is an excellent choice.
Reviews of Celestyal Cruises
The Good Stuff
Intimate Experience: Celestyal Cruises is a small cruise line with just two ships, each accommodating around 1,200 passengers. They naturally appeal to an older crowd, primarily travelers visiting Europe to explore new cities and villages. If you’re looking for a cruise line that isn’t overly crowded and where you won’t find kids running around the pool from 6:00am to 11:00pm, you’ll probably love Celestyal Cruises.
Greece: Celestyal Cruises is a Greek cruise line with mostly Greek staff and a variety of itineraries across the Mediterranean and Greece. They’re an excellent choice for travelers who want to visit breathtaking destinations like Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. In fact, I’d bet this would be Zeus and Aphrodite’s favorite cruise line for exploring one of the most charming and culturally rich countries in the world!
Some Nice Perks: Celestyal Cruises includes some great perks in their base fare, such as juice for the whole family and even basic Wi-Fi! Honestly, I love cruise lines that offer free Wi-Fi. How did our ancestors survive without this amazing thing we call the internet? Depending on your cabin category, you can also enjoy additional perks like free laundry and an unlimited mini-bar.
Some Rare Destinations: Celestyal Cruises isn’t just about Greece, they’re also experts in the Arabian Gulf. Destinations like Qatar and Bahrain are some of their most unique offerings, and their smaller ships allow you to get closer than ever to stunning cities you may not have even known existed. They offer intimate and exciting itineraries that are perfect for anyone looking to explore underrated destinations.
The Bad Stuff
Not a Blockbuster Experience: Celestyal Cruises focuses more on the destinations than the onboard experience. That’s not to say the ships are lacking, they’re just not as packed with entertainment options as some of the world’s largest cruise ships. Don’t expect Broadway shows or access to dozens of different restaurants onboard.
Celestyal Cruises Fleet and Destinations
Celestyal Cruises isn’t a huge cruise line. In fact, they only have two operating ships:
- Celestyal Journey (2023)
- Celestyal Discovery (2024)
These are small ships with a capacity of about 1,200 guests. The Celestyal Journey is actually larger than the Discovery, with seven restaurants compared to the Discovery's four, and two swimming pools instead of just one. Both ships offer entertainment options like live shows, casinos, and gyms, but don’t expect any blockbuster spectacles.
As for destinations, they focus on:
- Mediterranean/Greece (Santorini, Venice, Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Milos)
- Arabian Gulf (Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Bahrain, Muscat)
Celestyal Cruises Prices
Prices for Celestyal Cruises can vary widely. The company offers itineraries ranging from 3-night cruises to 14-night voyages. Prices start at $270 per person for a short 3-night cruise, and can go up to $2,200 per person for a 14-night cruise. Here are some examples:
- Iconic Arabia - 3 Nights ($270 per person): 3-night inclusive cruise onboard Celestyal Discovery, featuring full days and longer stays in Doha & Sir Bani Yas.
- Iconic Greek Islands - 4 Nights ($370 per person): 4-night destination packed cruise onboard Celestyal Discovery sailing the jewels of the Greek islands & Ephesus.
- Iconic Arabia - 7 Nights ($740 per person): Embark on the Arabian Iconic Cruise, a luxurious 7-night journey through the splendor of the Arabian Gulf.
- Heavenly Greece, Italy & Croatia ($1,030 per person): 7-night cruise onboard Celestyal Journey featuring full day port visits, and a late-night stay in Dubrovnik.
- Summer Heavenly Adriatic & Idyllic Aegean -14 nights ($1,980 per person): 14-Nights cruise visiting some beautiful locations like Athens, Venice, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos.
Room Options onboard Celestyal Cruises
Even though the ships are considered small by today’s standards, there are still a variety of cabin options aboard the Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey. Both ships offer interior and exterior cabins, balcony cabins, and suites. Depending on your room category, you can enjoy some great perks, which is always a nice touch.
For example, Junior Suites offer priority embarkation, allowing you to spend less time during check-in and start enjoying the ship as soon as you arrive at the port. The Penthouse Suite on the Celestyal Journey gives you access to a bottomless mini-bar and complimentary laundry service.
You can check the table above for a complete list of perks based on your room category.
Activities onboard Celestyal Cruises
Let’s be upfront: there isn’t much to do onboard Celestyal Cruises, especially when you compare their two ships to vessels from Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, or Norwegian Cruise Line. These are smaller ships that offer what you’d expect, but not much more than that. You’ll find two swimming pools on the Celestyal Journey (one on the Celestyal Discovery), some live shows, a gym and spa on each ship, casinos, and that’s about it.
Don’t expect waterslides or splash areas aboard these ships. There is a Kids Club, but it only operates depending on the number of children onboard, and it isn’t as expansive as the Kids Clubs on some of the major cruise lines.
Dining options onboard Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal Cruises focuses on Mediterranean and Greek cuisine and offers a limited number of restaurants per ship. For example, the Celestyal Discovery has four restaurants, while the Celestyal Journey has seven. Both ships feature the Thalassa Restaurant, which serves as the main à la carte dining venue with table service, as well as The Taverna, the main self-serve buffet.
Each ship also offers specialty, paid dining options. The Celestyal Journey has the Chef’s Table, which many consider the best restaurant Celestyal Cruises offers. Here’s what Celestyal says about the Chef’s Table: “For a spectacular private dining experience, you can’t beat the four-, five-, or six-course menu at the Chef’s Table. You’ll be guided through each course and its companion wines for a night of pure indulgence.”
Again, don’t expect a wide variety of dining options onboard, whether free or paid, exclusive choices. And that’s perfectly fine. With Celestyal, you’ll be visiting many different cities during your trip, and one of the great things about their cruises is the opportunity to explore places like Athens, Mykonos, and other beautiful cities. You can leave the ship and dine at some of the best local restaurants there.
Celestyal Cruises Info List
Dress Code for Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal Cruises follows a "Cruise Casual" dress code, but there are formal nights where you should dress more sharply. Here’s what Celestyal Cruises says about that:
“For your safety and comfort onboard, we suggest sports or flat shoes with low heels. These types of footwear will make it easier to walk on the outside decks and stairwells.
On our seven-night cruises, we host Gala Night and the Captain’s Cocktail in honor of our guests, and we ask that you attend in formal attire: a cocktail dress or something smart for the ladies, and a jacket and tie for the men. For Greek Night, passengers are invited to wear blue and white attire.”
Drink Packages onboard Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal Cruises doesn’t offer a traditional drink package, but instead has what they call CelestialPay. This allows you to prepay for drinks, food, and save money. For example, if you prepay 200 euros, you receive a 35-euro bonus, and if you prepay 1000 euros, you get a 250-euro bonus.
Wi-Fi Onboard Celestyal Cruises
Complimentary Wi-Fi is available on Celestyal Cruises, offering enough bandwidth to browse the web, check emails, and send messages to family and friends. For those looking to stream videos, there’s an option to upgrade to a premium experience for an additional charge.
Smoking Onboard Celestyal Cruises
Smoking is prohibited in all interior spaces, including staterooms. Designated smoking areas are available on the open decks.
Kids Club Onboard Celestyal Cruises
There isn’t a formal Kids Club, but depending on the number of children and their ages, activities will be organized daily during navigation hours. Please review the daily program provided onboard.
Languages Spoken Onboard Celestyal Cruises
An average of eight languages are spoken onboard, including English.
Room Service Onboard Celestyal Cruises
Room service is available with a menu provided in your stateroom, but it comes at an additional charge.
Laundry Onboard Celestyal Cruises
Laundry and dry cleaning services are available onboard at an additional charge, which will be added to your personal account.
Book Your Dream Vacation with Celestyal Cruises!
Now that you know all about Celestyal Cruises, it’s time to pack your bags, head to Europe, and explore beautiful destinations across Greece, Italy, and Croatia!
Feel free to reach out anytime for the best deals, more details on room options, activities, or anything else you need. Celestyal Cruises is known for its classy, elegant atmosphere, and we like to think we share the same values here at Famvia. Truly, a match made in heaven.
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