Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal Cruises is a Greek cruise line based in Piraeus, created in 2014 as the successor to Louis Cruises, the shipping arm of the Cyprus travel group Louis plc. Louis began cruising from Cyprus in 1987 and over the following decades ran and chartered a long list of secondhand ships; in November 2021 Searchlight Capital Partners took a majority stake in Celestyal.
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About Celestyal Cruises
The fleet is two ships, Celestyal Journey (the former Ryndam, joined 2023) and Celestyal Discovery (the former AIDAaura, joined 2024), which replaced the older Celestyal Olympia and Celestyal Crystal in 2023.
Celestyal specializes in short and week-long cruises around the Greek islands, Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean from Athens, with port-intensive itineraries and long stays in places such as Mykonos and Santorini. It has also sailed winters in Cuba and the Arabian Gulf, and for winter 2026/27 it is replacing its Gulf season with Western Mediterranean sailings.
What Celestyal Cruises is known for
Celestyal is known as a Greek-island specialist: its smaller ships call at ports such as Milos, Patmos and Rhodes on three- to seven-night itineraries that pack in many Greek destinations. It has received Cruise Critic and MedCruise awards and promotes a value package called the Celestyal Inclusive Experience.
The trade-offs are scale and age. The two ships date from 1994 and 2003 and have fewer venues and activities than new ships, and with a fleet this small, the choice of itineraries and sailing dates is limited. The line's history includes the 2007 sinking of its predecessor's Sea Diamond off Santorini, though the current company and fleet date from later.
Who it's for
Mainstream · big ships with lots to do and fares for most budgets
- History and culture
- Couples
- Value seekers
Celestyal suits travelers who want to see a lot of Greece in a short time, including first-time visitors who would rather sail between islands than plan ferries and hotels, and cruisers who value destinations and Greek culture over shipboard attractions. Short three- and four-night cruises also make it easy to add a cruise to a land holiday in Athens.
Travelers who want large modern ships, a wide choice of restaurants and entertainment, or itineraries beyond the Mediterranean should look at bigger lines.
Cruising solo on Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal has no single cabins on its two ships, Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery, but it says it is well equipped for solo travelers and sells a reduced single supplement under its Celestyal One fare, without publishing the percentage. The short, port-heavy Greek island itineraries from Athens, included excursions and drinks, and ships of about 1,250 guests make it an easy way to see a lot of Greece alone, though the line offers no hosted solo gatherings.
- Single supplement
- Celestyal lists no cabins built for one. A solo guest books a standard cabin, and the line says its Celestyal One fare comes with a reduced single supplement; it does not publish the percentage, which varies by sailing.
- Meeting other solo guests
- Celestyal runs no hosted solo program, but its solo page points to the optional Magical Adventures excursions, which it describes as ideal for solo travelers and small parties, and to onboard Greek dancing, language lessons and crafts sessions as ways to meet people. Selected excursions, drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are included in the fare.
How it rates
- Cabins
- 2.5/5
- Dining
- 3/5
- Entertainment
- 1/5
- Service
- 4/5
- Pools & decks
- 3/5
- Value
- 4/5
The fleet's average on each metric, across 2 rated ships in service. Each ship is scored 1 to 5 by Cruises Frog's editors; these are not reader reviews.
Rankings and comparisons
Where Celestyal Cruises sails
Ships
Best rated
#13.0 ★Celestyal Discovery2003 · 42,289 GT · 1,266 guests · MediterraneanCelestyal Discovery was built by Aker MTW in Wismar, Germany, and sailed for AIDA Cruises for 20 years as AIDAaura after entering service in 2003. Celestyal bought her in…#22.8 ★Celestyal Journey1994 · 55,819 GT · 1,258 guests · MediterraneanCelestyal Journey is the larger of Celestyal's two ships, built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone and completed in 1994 as Holland America Line's Ryndam, a Statendam class ship. She…Every ship, by class
Statendam class
1 ship · 1994 · 55,819 GT · avg 2.8 ★
Other ships
1 ship · 2003 · 42,289 GT · avg 3.0 ★
Former ships
| Ship | Sailed | Gross tons | Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celestyal Olympia | 1982–2023 | 37,584 | November 2023 |
| Celestyal Crystal | 2007–2023 | 25,611 | August 2023 |
| Celestyal Experience | 1993–2021 | 53,049 | September 2021 |
Where to fly in
- Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)2 Celestyal Cruises ships sail from Piraeus, Greece9 lounges on Lounge Frog
Quick answers
What is Celestyal Cruises known for?
Celestyal is known as a Greek-island specialist: its smaller ships call at ports such as Milos, Patmos and Rhodes on three- to seven-night itineraries that pack in many Greek destinations. It has received Cruise Critic and MedCruise awards and promotes a value package called the Celestyal Inclusive Experience.
Who is Celestyal Cruises best for?
Celestyal suits travelers who want to see a lot of Greece in a short time, including first-time visitors who would rather sail between islands than plan ferries and hotels, and cruisers who value destinations and Greek culture over shipboard attractions. Short three- and four-night cruises also make it easy to add a cruise to a land holiday in Athens.
Is Celestyal Cruises good for solo travellers?
Celestyal has no single cabins on its two ships, Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery, but it says it is well equipped for solo travelers and sells a reduced single supplement under its Celestyal One fare, without publishing the percentage. The short, port-heavy Greek island itineraries from Athens, included excursions and drinks, and ships of about 1,250 guests make it an easy way to see a lot of Greece alone, though the line offers no hosted solo gatherings.
Where does Celestyal Cruises sail?
Celestyal Cruises's ships in service sail Mediterranean (2 ships).
How is Celestyal Cruises rated?
Celestyal Cruises's fleet averages 2.9 out of 5 on Cruises Frog, across 2 rated ships. Its best-rated ship is Celestyal Discovery at 3.0.
How many ships does Celestyal Cruises have?
Celestyal Cruises has 2 ships in service on Cruises Frog: Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey.
What ship classes does Celestyal Cruises sail?
Celestyal Cruises sails 1 class of ship in service: Statendam class (1 ship), plus 1 ship not in a named class.
Who owns Celestyal Cruises?
Celestyal Cruises is part of Searchlight Capital Partners (majority owner).
Where is Celestyal Cruises based?
Celestyal Cruises is headquartered in Piraeus, Greece. It has operated since 2014.
What is the largest Celestyal Cruises ship?
Celestyal Journey is Celestyal Cruises's largest ship at 55,819 gross tons, carrying 1,258 guests.
Cruising with children
A Celestyal cruise can be planned around seeing several destinations together. For children, the balance between shore visits and downtime is more useful than a long checklist of ports.
Read the Celestyal Cruises family guide →Is a drinks package worth it?
Thinking about a drinks package on Celestyal Cruises? The average drink starts at what a glass of house wine costs on board, about $7.27; change it to what you usually order, and enter the package price Celestyal Cruises quotes.
A glass of house wine costs about €6.50 on board, roughly $7.27. Celestyal fares brochure (PDF) ↗
Per person, a day, as the line quotes it.
A glass of house wine on Celestyal Cruises.
Optional. Count coffees and sodas if the package covers them.
The days the package is charged for.
To make the drinks package pay for itself
11drinks a day
A $75-a-day package costs the same as 10.3 drinks at $7.27. Over 7 days that's $525, or 73 drinks for the cruise.
Pay as you go
At 5 drinks a day, buying drinks one at a time costs about $270.55 less than the package.
- Drinks package, 7 days
- $525
- Drink by drink, 5 drinks a day
- $254.45
Needing 11 drinks a day to break even isn't a plan, it's a dare. Your liver politely declines.
Traveller reviews
What people who've been say. One review each; you can update yours.
Related news about Celestyal Cruises and its ships
- Greek islands alone: what solo travelers should know about Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal has no single cabins, but its short Aegean cruises, inclusive fare and reduced solo supplement make it a low-stress way to island-hop solo.
Cruise lines
- Celestyal Discovery in winter: plan a city cruise, not a summer beach week
Celestyal Discovery's winter western Mediterranean program makes most sense to me as a trip for cities, food and time ashore. I would pack and plan for that experience rather than expect a summer beach holiday at a lower price.
Itineraries
- Celestyal heads west this winter with 13 shows and Spanish, Portuguese and Moroccan menus
Celestyal Discovery's first Western Mediterranean season brings new shows, regional dishes and port talks on Spain, Portugal and Morocco routes.
Cruise lines
- 5 things Celestyal Cruises does well—and 1 it doesn’t
Five strengths of Celestyal Cruises, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.
Cruise lines