Celestyal Introduces New ‘Journey’ Cruise Ship to Tourism Professionals
Celestyal on Saturday presented its newly acquired cruise ship Celestyal Journey to a large audience of tourism professionals and journalists.
Homeporting in Piraeus, the Celestyal Journey welcomed guests before sailing off with passengers from the USA, Latin America and Europe for its 7-day “Idyllic Aegean” itinerary for Thessaloniki-Kusandasi-Mykonos–Heraklion–Santorini–Milos–Piraeus, which began September 2.
The Celestyal Journey, which replaces the company’s Crystal ship, underwent an extensive multimillion refurbishment and technical overhaul and now features 630 Dream Suites and Cosmos cabins, 80 percent of which are exterior. In addition, the new cruise ship has a Penthouse suite with a private terrace, the Stargazer suite.
“We’re not just renewing our fleet but we’re doing an upgrade,” Celestyal Cruises CEO Chris Theophilides, adding that the new ship offers the comforts that high-spending passengers are looking for.
“This is where we are aiming… The ‘Journey’ has 50 percent more capacity, 280 percent more cabins with balconies and more suites compared to the ship it replaced,” he said.
According to Theophilides, finding a cruise ship that was the “right size” for the ports they sail to was essential for the company.
The Celestyal Journey is a medium-sized ship with a 1,260-passenger capacity.
The new ship features seven luxurious restaurants, eight bars and lounges, spacious open decks, two swimming pools and an entire deck dedicated to wellness. As its name indicates, the ship “travels” passengers on a curated culinary journey, with flavors of the Mediterranean and beyond.
16 million euros invested in Greece
Referring to the ship’s revamp works, Theophilides highlighted the importance of the investment, not just for the company but also for Greece as 16 million euros were invested in the country.
“Beyond the initial investment for the purchase of the ship, another 26 million euros were invested in its upgrade, out of which 16 million were given to Greece by supporting as many jobs as we could,” he said.
Celestyal’s strong financial footprint in Greece
According to Theophilides, Celestyal Cruises’ footprint in Greece last year reached some 136 million euros, which included the company’s expenses for the operation of its ships (port fees: 3 million euros, fuel: 14 million, salaries and operating costs of the office in Piraeus: 12 million, food from Greek companies: 7 million, promotion costs and advertising in local destinations: 4 million, general repairs/maintenance in Greece and contractors: 6 million). Another 90 million euros per year is spent by visitors in Greek ports.
During the 2022-2023 season, more than 110,000 passengers traveled on Celestyal Cruises’ ships in the Eastern Mediterranean, of which 87,000 had a Greek port as their homeport.
Three pillars of development
While presenting the Celestyal Journey, Theophilides referred to the company’s three pillars of development:
– human resources: the company invests in talent across the industry and today has an ever-expanding team of 150 shore-based and 1,200 ship-based employees;
– technology: the company focuses on brand creation, distribution channels, experience creation and above all the integration of advanced systems; and
– fleet upgrade: the company aims to gradually change the product offering of Celestyal Cruises and provide even greater value to customers, offering unforgettable experiences both on board and on land.
Minister: Celestyal contributes to our blue economy
Speaking via video message, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of Greece, Christos Stylianides, said that the Celestyal Journey is an “example of innovation and Greek progress” that promotes economic growth, employment and sustainable tourism.
Highlighting the ship’s eco-friendly design and modern facilities, the minister said he is sure that the Celestyal Journey will “help strengthen” the Greek shipping sector and the economy by welcoming many travelers from all over the world to Greece.
“The government remains committed to making Greece’s shipping industry even more robust, even more resilient. It is strong and it is durable, but we want it to go even higher… I congratulate Celestyal Cruises who contributes to the strengthening of our blue economy, insisting on the commitment to green shipping, boldly investing in technology, innovation and upgrading infrastructure,” he said.
750 ships expected in Piraeus by end of 2023
Welcoming the Celestyal Journey, Piraeus Port Authority Strategic Planning and Marketing Officer Thanassis Karlis said the port is expected to welcome this year 750 cruise ships.
“About two-thirds of these ships will be homeporting, which means that it helps to increase the economic footprint in the entire wider region, and of course Celestyal offers a very important percentage of this contribution,” he said.
“Celestyal started her journey in Piraeus when we also started to open up to the cruise market, many years ago and so we are sailing together… We intend to further upgrade our infrastructure to be able to continue to welcome and serve with the highest standards all new ships and of course the Celestyal Journey,” Karlis said.
Piraeus is a developing tourism destination
On her part, Piraeus Deputy Mayor for Tourism Andriana Zarakeli welcomed the Celestyal Journey to the city’s port. She highlighted Piraeus’ great potential as both an important gateway for cruises but also as a developing tourism destination.
“In recent years the port of Piraeus has developed into one of the most important cruise ports in the world – certainly one of the most important homeports in the Mediterranean… The rest of Piraeus itself is a very attractive destination with a long history, cultural resources, a beautiful coastline that offers many possibilities for entertainment, recreation and unique culinary experiences,” the deputy mayor said.
Zarakeli informed that the municipality promotes the city through the Destination Piraeus portal.
“We aim to create a new image and a new identity for the city… Piraeus is not only the entry point of Greece, of Attica and of Europe but is also a very attractive destination,” she said.
Celestyal Cruises this year was applauded as one of the best cruise lines of the year, winning the Best Service award at the Cruise Critic Pick’s Editors Awards and the Best Itinerary award for its “Three Continents” at the Cruise Excellence Awards.