Celestyal has rebranded its travel agent learning management system to better support its trade partners.   The ‘Celestyal Stars’ platform - formerly known as ‘Celestyal Campus’ - will relaunch on December 1, ahead of the upcoming wave season.   ‘Celestyal Stars’ will include 16 training modules, covering topics such as brand identity; information about the two-ship fleet; destination knowledge; and tips on how agents can grow their Celestyal business.   The refreshed programme will feature tailored learning paths, in which training modules are unlocked as agents advance through Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum certifications.   As each section is completed, agents will progress through the Navigator levels (1 to 4 Stars), earning certificates and digital badges that can be shared on their own channels. Each level will feature incentives such as exclusive agent rates, discounts and giveaways, to reward engagement and achievement.   It can be accessed via the trade portal, Celestyal Compass, and clicking on the ‘Celestyal Stars’ link.   Janet Parton, VP of business development at Celestyal, said: “Celestyal Stars is designed to empower and inspire our valued travel partners. By making learning more engaging and rewarding, we’re giving agents the tools and confidence to showcase the very best of Celestyal to their travellers - from our smaller ships and more personal service to our destination immersion and port-intensive itineraries that bring our heartfelt journeys to life.   “The new tiered certification journey recognises their expertise and commitment, while our enhanced incentives celebrate their success. The trade is central to our growth, and this investment reflects our dedication to strengthening those partnerships.”

  Celestyal Travel has unveiled a new one-off tailormade travel package that features the opportunity to attend the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.   In addition to tickets to watch the action, Formula 1 driver, entrepreneur, author and broadcaster David Coulthard will be onboard as a guest speaker to discuss the race weekend. He will be joined by sports broadcaster and commentator, Laura Winter.   Departing December 4, 2025, sailing on the 1,260-guest Celestyal Journey, the new ‘Desert Days & Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sail and Stay’ package - which signals the launch of the ship’s second season in the Arabian Gulf - includes:   * Return flights from the UK and all overseas transfers * Two nights in a four-star hotel in Abu Dhabi Marina * Tickets to all practice sessions, qualifying and race day * A five-night cruise. With two nights positioned in Mina Sayed, Abu Dhabi to take advantage of the season finale Formual 1 Grand Prix race weekend, and then sailing from Abu Dhabi and calling at Dubai (overnight) and Sir Bani Yas Island.   All fares include scheduled track transfers, a cocktail reception on embarkation day, a private beachside party at Sir Bani Yas Island, all meals, soft drinks, WiFi, port fees and gratuities, plus a complimentary bonus of €50 of onboard food and beverage spend in the form of a CelestyalPay preloaded onboard tab for each travelling adult. Prices start from £2,375pp.   Janet Parton, vice president of business development at Celestyal and MD of Celestyal Travel, said: “We’re thrilled to have David and Laura returning to Celestyal to help us deliver another unmissable experience in the Arabian Gulf.   “This new package is a once-in-a-lifetime holiday combining the high-octane thrills and prestige of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with an immersive cruise experience. It’s the ideal curtain raiser to our Arabian Gulf season, and perfect for guests who crave adventure and cultural immersion. And with Celestyal Travel taking care of all the details, guests can enjoy a seamless holiday – all provided at out-of-this-world value.”   David Coulthard competed in Formula One from 1994 to 2008, winning 13 Grands Prix across 15 seasons, racing for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. His subsequent TV commentating career has seen him work for the BBC and Channel 4.

  A new specialist cruise and travel social media agency, Social42, has launched - and already secured its first client.   Social42 is led by Rachel Poultney and David Sanders, the directors of sister company PR42. They have brought social media consultants Sarah Ardell and Lauren Tenner onboard to help drive the new venture.   Celestyal has appointed the start-up to oversee its global social media strategy, including content development across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook; community management; and support for social partnerships and influencer collaborations alongside its in-house marketing team.   Social42 will work with Blue Juice, a Brighton-based visual production agency, to deliver high-quality content across Celestyal’s social platforms.   PR42 has delivered Celestyal’s PR activity for the past two years in the UK, North America, Australia and United Arab Emirates. The line operates year-round cruises to the Greek Islands, Adriatic and Arabian Gulf, with a fleet of two ships welcoming 140,000 guests annually from more than 130 nationalities.   Rachel Poultney said: “Social42 was launched to meet the rising demand for expert social media management and content creation in the cruise and travel sectors, and we're absolutely thrilled to start our journey with Celestyal. PR42 has built a reputation for securing headline-grabbing coverage and driving results - including for the fantastic team at Celestyal - and we'll apply the same strategic thinking to the fast-moving world of social platforms.   “We’re excited to work alongside Celestyal’s international marketing, sales and trade teams to deliver dynamic campaigns that engage audiences, strengthen brand presence and ultimately drive bookings.”   Anna Gregori, vice president, brand, marketing, PR & customer experience, said: "We have taken the time to evaluate the market and the teams at Social42 and BlueJuice provide a winning combination of expertise, continued alignment to our top of funnel activities, as well as real industry experience. This exciting partnership means Celestyal is in safe hands."

  Celestyal has announced the successful completion of a major refinancing initiative, replacing its original vessel acquisition funding with a more efficient financing model.   This milestone marks a significant step forward in Celestyal’s growth plans, substantially lowering the company’s cost of capital and unlocking additional flexibility to reinvest in its fleet, product and commercial operations.   Marios Theodosiou, chief financial officer at Celestyal, said: “This refinancing marks a powerful endorsement of the progress we’ve made to evolve and fuel Celestyal’s ambitious development strategy. From a full fleet renewal and more sustainable operations, to expanding our commercial footprint, launching year-round operations, and announcing our sailing programme further ahead than ever before, we’ve demonstrated our ability to transform at pace.   “It also signals growing confidence in Celestyal’s long-term business model, underpinned by improved profitability, enhanced financial resilience and consistent operational delivery.   “We are well-positioned to continue delivering on our strategic ambitions with a strong financial foundation, including diversifying source markets and expanding into new regions, accelerating the next stage of our growth.”

  Celestyal has announced the appointment of John Diorio as vice president & managing director, North America, effective immediately.   John will be responsible for developing and executing Celestyal’s strategic business plan for the North American market. His focus will be on positioning the cruise line as a leader in multi-destination, immersive cruise itineraries. This includes launching Celestyal’s travel agent engagement strategy – working closely with the trade to build a best in partnering approach and expanding agent channels across the region.   John was most recently vice president, North American sales, at Virgin Voyages, spending seven years at the company. Previous roles include Director of Sales at The Mark Travel Corporation and Vice President, Affiliate Marketing for Hotels.com (Expedia Group).   Based in Central Florida, John will report directly to Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal.   Lee Haslett said: “We are thrilled to welcome John to the Celestyal team. He brings a wealth of experience in the North American cruise market and a proven track record of working closely with the trade to drive growth. His appointment reflects our continued investment in key international markets and our commitment to strengthening relationships with travel advisor partners across the globe.”   John Diorio said: “I'm incredibly excited to join Celestyal at this pivotal time of growth and partnership expansion. I look forward to collaborating with such a dynamic and talented team as we work together to achieve our shared goals and build on the company's remarkable success with the travel advisor community in North America."   Celestyal has experienced a 25% growth in guests from North America over the past year.

  Celestyal has reported a significant rise in trade bookings following the line’s appearance on the latest episode of Channel 5’s hit travel show, ‘Cruising with Susan Calman’.   The episode, which aired on May 16, was watched live by almost 500,000 viewers. Its consolidated number, which also comprises viewers who watched it on catch-up over the following seven days, reached nearly 600,000, and was ranked in Channel 5’s top 10 most watched programmes of the week.   The hour-long episode, part of the show’s fourth series, followed the Scottish presenter as she joined a seven-night Idyllic Greece itinerary onboard Celestyal Journey. Departing from Athens, the 1,260-guest ship called at Thessaloniki, Kusadasi, Heraklion, Santorini, Mykonos and Milos.   During the broadcast, viewers were treated to Susan’s experiences both onboard and ashore, from sampling local delicacies and diving into regional history, to spending time with crew and fellow guests.   Travel agents benefited from the exposure with trade bookings rising by 169%, versus the week before the programme aired.   In addition, Celestyal saw a 1,000% uplift in website visits versus the previous day.   Celestyal is currently marking the episode via a limited-time offer on Idyllic Greece cruises, with prices starting from £399pp. The offer includes port fees, gratuities, meals, soft drinks, Wi-Fi and onboard entertainment, and is valid for 17 departures between June and November 2025, when booked before May 31, 2025.   In addition, Celestyal is rewarding agents with a £50 Love2Shop voucher for every Idyllic Greece cruise booked within the offer period. Agents can claim by emailing their booking confirmation to [email protected].   Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: “We’ve seen fantastic engagement following the airing of Cruising with Susan Calman, with a clear uplift in interest across both our agent partner and online channels. It’s been wonderful to see such a positive response from viewers who were inspired by Susan’s journey onboard Celestyal Journey.   “She really captured the spirit of what makes Celestyal special – from our warm, welcoming crew to the immersive experiences in each port. The Idyllic Greece itinerary blends iconic destinations and lesser-known gems, with full days and late departures that allow guests to explore each place in depth.”

  Celestyal has signed a three-year agreement with The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).   The multi-year partnership, agreed at Seatrade Global in Miami, will promote Abu Dhabi as a key destination among Celestyal’s guests and help further establish the cruise line’s affiliations to the region.   Celestyal will return to the region with two ships in December this year, featuring three times weekly calls to Abu Dhabi across the winter season until March 2026.   Last year, Celestyal launched a seven-day ‘Desert Days’ itinerary onboard the 1260-guest Celestyal Journey, sailing roundtrip from Doha and calling at Bahrain, Dubai, Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi. The successful inaugural season ran from November until March 2025, and will feature for a minimum of three seasons.   The recently refurbished 1360-guest Celestyal Discovery will join her fleet mate in the region, homeporting from Abu Dhabi from December 12, 2025, and sailing the three-, four- and seven-night ‘Iconic Arabia’ cruises. The three-night long weekend sailings will operate roundtrip from Abu Dhabi, visiting Dubai and Sir Bani Yas Island for a combination of beach and wildlife safari experiences. The four-night midweek itineraries will sail roundtrip from Abu Dhabi, calling at Doha, Ras Al Khaimah and the coastal port of Khasab in Oman. Prices start from £558 for two people on a three-night voyage, and £698 for two people on a four-night cruise, with all meals, soft drinks and Wi-Fi included.   Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: "It’s a privilege to sign this three-year agreement with DCT Abu Dhabi, and we’re grateful for their support in bringing this partnership to life. Abu Dhabi is a diverse and stunning destination, which is why we’re excited to not only homeport there but also include three weekly calls to the city throughout the winter season for the next three years.   “Abu Dhabi is an ideal fit for our guests who are looking for immersive and culturally rich experiences. We look forward to working closely with our agent partners to showcase everything it has to offer. The cruise industry in the Arabian Gulf is on track to welcome record passenger numbers in the coming years, and after a strong first season in the region, we’re excited to bring the very best of this special part of the world to our guests for many years to come."   Celestyal’s shore excursion programme includes nine Abu Dhabi excursions that will transport guests to the heart of the emirate, including half day tours taking in the best of Abu Dhabi, food and culture explorations, theme park visits, VIP beach days, as well as the classic desert safaris and attractions.

Citing overwhelming demand, Celestyal is extending its Arabian Gulf cruise season with an additional ‘Desert Days’ sailing. This new voyage – departing from Dubai on March 3, 2025 – will add 10% more availability to the remaining season. The cruise, available to book now, will sail onboard Celestyal Journey, which is currently undergoing a planned refit in Dubai. The 1260-guest ship is receiving a new livery, to match fleet mate Celestyal Discovery, and enhanced onboard spaces. It returns to service on February 15, 2025. The ‘Desert Days’ itinerary departs from either Doha or Dubai and includes visits to Bahrain, Dubai (overnight), Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi. The remaining programme and additional sailing benefit from Celestyal’s current promotional offer, ‘Live Your Vacation Dream’, which includes up to 50% off the Celestyal Experience fare. Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: "We’re thrilled by the response. This extended programme reflects our continued commitment to the region." The new sailing starts from £469pp and include all meals, a shore excursion voucher, complimentary wines and beers with meals, all port fees and gratuities.

  Celestyal is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion the specialist Greece and Arabian Gulf cruise line is giving away a range of unmissable agent prizes and rewards.   Over 1000 experiences will be on offer to agents across the year, such as cash prizes, cruises and sold-out concert tickets and sporting events. From March 13, Celestyal's 10th brand anniversary, agents can join the first in a series of hosted monthly ‘Celestyal Live’ webinars to hear updates from the line's senior team leaders including brand news and giveaways of the latest incentives to those in attendance.   The experiences will be won each month though booking incentives, as well as being gifted to those who complete training modules on the new travel agent portal, ‘Celestyal Compass’.   Janet Parton, VP Business Development at Celestyal, said: “After a ground-breaking 10 years we want to say a sincere thanks to agents for all their support. We are known for delivering unmissable experiences and to reflect that we are offering 1000 special giveaways and incentives to show our appreciation to our valued trade agents, and launching the monthly ‘Celestyal Live’ sessions with our regional senior leaders across the year.   "We have a history to be proud of and an incredibly exciting future ahead of us. After record trade booking numbers last year, the total refresh of our fleet, a new brand identity, new website and trade portal and the launch of a new region and year-round operations, there has never been a better time to get onboard with us."   The first four-night Celestyal sailing was on the 1,600-guest Celestyal Olympia in 2015, departing from Athens on March 13, 2015, and called round trip to Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Heraklion and Santorini.   Celestyal’s next Greece and Mediterranean season starts in March and comprises three-, four- and seven-night voyages, sailing roundtrip from Athens and calling at destinations including Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Thessaloniki and Kusadasi (Turkey). Itineraries will be served by both of the line’s ships, Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery.   Celestyal’s current campaign, called ‘Live Your Vacation Dream’, is available on new bookings made until February 28, 2025. The campaign features savings of up to 50% across the line’s 2025, 2026 and early 2027 programmes, while select sailings include a bonus credit of up to €100 per person pre-loaded on each guest’s CelestyalPay. Ranging from three to seven nights, destinations include the Greek Isles, Adriatic and Arabian Gulf.   An additional promotion has been made available exclusively to UK trade agents on all bookings made between January 10, and January 31, 2025, whereby for every booking made on the Heavenly Greece, Italy and Croatia cruises, and Arabian Gulf sailings departing in 2025, the agents will receive a £25 Love2Shop voucher*.

  Celestyal has confirmed its flagship, Celestyal Journey, has arrived in Doha, Qatar, to start the line’s maiden Arabian Gulf season. The season begins with two specially themed F1 voyages, which will take in the Qatar and Abu Dhabi grand prix events.   32 global agents are being hosted on a five-day F1 themed ‘super fam’ to mark the launch. The fam comprises a three-night land stay, with various local excursions including to the Arabian Travel Market, and two days on Celestyal Journey while she is docked at Doha’s Grand Cruise Terminal. The attendees also had the option to attend the Qatar Grand Prix races and join a speaking session with Formula 1 driver and presenter David Coulthard, and Formula 1 presenter Laura Winter. During the event all of the global agents in attendance were gifted a free ‘Desert Days’ cruise credit so that they could return to experience the full voyage.   In addition, Celestyal hosted an onboard event in partnership with Visit Qatar, Qatar Tourism, Qatar Airways and Mwani Port Authority for local dignitaries, while the ship was docked in port on November 30. They joined for a series of presentations, a ship tour, the traditional plaque exchange ceremony and a celebratory lunch.   Subsequent Celestyal Journey departures will comprise a series of seven-night ‘Desert Days’ itineraries, sailing roundtrip from Doha, up to March 2025. Each cruise features calls to the iconic destinations of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, an overnight stay in Dubai Marina, as well as visits to the lesser-known destinations of Khasab and Sir Bani Yas Island.   Celestyal Journey will sail from Doha for three consecutive years throughout the winter seasons, following a collaboration between Celestyal and Visit Qatar.   The ship features 630 suites and staterooms, seven restaurants, eight bars and lounges, two pools and Jacuzzis, and a deck dedicated to wellness including a spa and fitness area. It underwent a multi-million Euro refurbishment in September 2023, prior to entering the Celestyal fleet. Additional refurbishments were made enroute to Doha, including adding a Café Nation coffee bar, which was introduced on fleet mate Celestyal Discovery in March 2024.   Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: “We’re incredibly excited to see our first ever Arabian Gulf season get under way. I would like to thank our partners at Visit Qatar, Mwani port authority and Qatar Airways for their continued support and warm welcome to the region. We are confident that our special FI themed cruises will ensure we have a roaring start to the season, while the Desert Days itinerary offers the very best of the local region. Whether guests are familiar with the destinations we visit or are sampling them for the first time, there will be a wealth of authentic experiences available to everyone.”   Celestyal Discovery will join Celestyal Journey in the region at the end of 2025. She will sail three-night ‘Iconic Arabia’ cruises roundtrip from Abu Dhabi, calling at Doha, Khalifa Bin Salman (Bahrain) and Dubai Marina, as well as four-night departures calling at Fujairah, Muscat and Kasab.   Chris Theophilides, CEO at Celestyal, said: “We’re delighted to be commencing our season in the Arabian Gulf, with this momentous arrival into Doha. I want to thank our teams and partners who have made this a reality. It marks the significant start of Celestyal’s next chapter, operating a fully refreshed fleet across year-round operations and two regions. We listened to our guests; 86% tell us they want to return after they have spent time with us, and with our new Desert Days itinerary, as well as our additional Iconic Arabia itineraries on Celestyal Discovery from next year, we are expanding the many reasons to try or come back to Celestyal.”   The Desert Days itinerary prices start from £319 per person, representing a 67% saving, and the Iconic Arabia cruises start from £219 per person representing a 57% saving, in the cruise line’s Black Friday sale available until December 3.

  Celestyal has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Visit Qatar. The MOU, signed at World Travel Market in London, signifies a three-year commitment to the region, promoting Qatar as a key destination among Celestyal’s guests and agent partners.   Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: "It's a privilege to sign this agreement with Visit Qatar and we would like to thank them for all their support in bringing this partnership to life. Qatar is an extraordinary destination and an ideal fit for our guests who are seeking immersive, culturally rich experiences. We look forward to working together with our agent partners to showcase everything this unique region offers.”   The event coincided with the announcement of Celestyal and Visit Qatar hosting agents on a super fam in the Arabian Gulf. As well as experiencing Celestyal Journey, agent partners will attend the Qatar Grand Prix and be invited to a speaker event with David Coulthard, who competed in Formula One from 1994 to 2008, winning 13 Grands Prix across 15 seasons.   Celestyal’s inaugural Arabian Gulf season sails from November 2024 until March 2025, and will feature for three years. The 1,260-guest Celestyal Journey is currently on her way to the region ready to launch the seven-day ‘Desert Days’ itinerary sailing roundtrip from Doha, calling at Bahrain, Dubai, Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi. Prices start at £399.   Celestyal Discovery will join her fleet mate in the region at the end of 2025, sailing three-night long weekend ‘Iconic Arabia’ cruises round-trip from Abu Dhabi, calling at Doha Port, Khalifa Bin Salman port (Bahrain) and Dubai Marina port, and a four-night mid-week ‘Iconic Arabia’ cruise sailing round-trip from Abu Dhabi, calling at Fujairah, Muscat and Kasab. Prices start at £249.

With a still tense situation in the Red Sea region, small ship line Celestyal has cancelled its 14-night repositioning cruises, ‘Ancient Athens to Dazzling Doha’ and the return sailing ‘Dazzling Doha to Ancient Athens’. The sailings were scheduled for October 26, 2024, and March 8, 2025, respectively, on Celestyal Journey. Although the repositioning sailings are scrapped, Celestyal will still go ahead with its first Arabian Gulf season. Celestyal Journey will instead sail a 34-night non-commercial repositioning cruise to and from Doha, Qatar. To accommodate the longer duration to reposition, the first three scheduled ‘Desert Days’ itineraries that were scheduled to depart from Doha on November 9, 16 and 23 are cancelled. Conversely, due to Celestyal Journey’s return to Europe, the first three 2025 ‘Heavenly Adriatic’ itineraries, on March 22, 29 and April 5, 2025, are also cancelled. Celestyal Journey's maiden Arabian Gulf  cruise will now be a slightly amended seven-night ‘Desert Days & Qatar Grand Prix’ cruise, sailing round trip from Doha on November 30, 2024. This voyage will be in Doha port for the first three days to cover the Qatar Grand Prix, travelling onto an overnight in Dubai Marina and also calling at Khasab, Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi. This voyage will be followed by a slightly amended seven-night ‘Desert Days & Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’ cruise, now sailing round trip from Dubai, departing December 2, 2024. This offers a full day and late-night stay in Abu Dhabi on December 8, to accommodate guests attending the Grand Prix race. Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said: “In light of the current geopolitical climate in our original path of passage to this year’s winter season, we have decided to operate longer non-commercial repositioning sailings.” “Celestyal Journey will continue to proudly homeport from Doha, Qatar from November 2024, for the next three winter seasons.” Celestyal Journey’s inaugural Arabian Gulf cruise season now features nine seven-night ’Desert Days’ sailings departing between November 2024 and March 2025. They allow the option to embark in either Doha, Abu Dhabi or Dubai. All travel partners have been notified, and agent commissions are protected. All booking system changes will be updated over the next two weeks. 

Related News Stories:  Celestyal Cruises - TravelMole