Celestyal Cruises is a Cyprus-based cruise line and the only cruise company based in Greece. It is a subsidiary of Louis plc, founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus. There are four ships under Celestyal's operation. Celestyal runs an Eastern Mediterranean program traveling to Greek and Turkish ports as well as a Cuba program. 2017 was Celestyal's fifth year in Cuba. The company has historically chartered several ships to Marella Cruises, previously Thomson Cruises.
History
In September 2014, Celestyal Cruises was established. It is a subsidiary of Louis plc, founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus. Celestyal renovated some of its fleet in 2015. 43 new balconies were added to the Crystal, and 227 outside cabins, 21 junior suites, and nine suites were refurbished on the Olympia. The Crystal is used for cruises in Cuba and Greece, and Olympia travels in Greece. At the 2015 Greek Tourism Awards, Celestyal received four awards, one of which was the Gold Award for Themed Events. It also received two Silver Awards and one Bronze Award. The following year, it won the Cruise Line Revelation Award at the Excellence Awards in Cartagena, Spain. Celestyal received the Best Value Cruise Line of 2016 at Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards, as well as four Greek Tourism Awards in 2016. In May 2017, Celestyal launched its redesigned website which was designed to include cruise information as well as company news and details for its value program, Celestyal Inclusive Experience. In September 2017, Celestyal announced a partnership with Hays Travel to expand its customer base across the UK, making its cruises available through Hays Tour Operating Limited. Celestyal has also partnered with Air Canada Vacations, Transat, Hola Sun Holidays, Apple Vacations, Iglu and Planet Cruise. In December 2017, Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards recognized Celestyal with Best for Service. The Marella Spirit also received three Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards. Also in 2017, Celestyal received five top Critic Cruiser's Choice Awards, as well as five awards at the Greek Tourism Awards. In late 2017, Celestyal announced that it would be extending its cruise season in Greece to 10 months. The extension included seven-night Aegean cruises with overnight destinations in Mykonos and Santorini. The following month, Celestyal announced its 2019 Greek islands itineraries leaving from Piraeus, which had longer stays with more destinations included Mykonos, Samos or Kusadasi, Patmos, Heraklion, Rhodes and Santorini. The M/V Majesty was added to the Celestyal fleet in Greece for Aegean cruises in 2018, when its charter to Marella Cruises, previously Thomson Cruises, ended. In July 2018, it was announced that M/V Majesty was sold to the Israeli company Mano Maritime. Celestyal was featured in the final episode of the second season of Jane McDonald's Channel 5 show, Cruising with Jane McDonald in 2017. McDonald went on a Cuban cruise that stopped in Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba and Montego Bay, Jamaica with an overnight in Havana. Celestyal Cruises due to the COVID-19 pandemic has suspended all cruises since 13th of March 2020. A decision issued from the company was to extend the suspension further until 6th of March 2021 due to a ongoing uncertainty on travelling to Europe this summer.
