Celestyal Kicks Off Maiden Season in Middle East – Cruise Industry News

Celestyal kicked off its first-ever cruise season in the Arabian Gulf on Nov. 30, with the arrival of the Celestyal Journey to Doha, Qatar.

According to a press release, the company marked the occasion by hosting a day event in partnership with Visit Qatar, Qatar Tourism, and Mwani Port Authority.

Local dignitaries were joined by local media and influencers onboard the Celestyal Journey for a series of presentations, a ship tour, the traditional plaque exchange ceremony and a celebratory lunch.

After the event, the vessel departed on the first of two specially themed F1 voyages.

Subsequent departures will comprise seven-night “Desert Days” itineraries, sailing roundtrip from Doha, through March 2025.

Each cruise features calls to Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Khasab and Sir Bani Yas, as well features as an overnight in Dubai.

The Celestyal Journey will sail from Doha for three consecutive years throughout the winter seasons, through a collaboration between Celestyal and Visit Qatar.

“We’re incredibly excited to see our first-ever Arabian Gulf season get underway. 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,” said Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal.

“We are confident that our special F1-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,” he added.

Expanding the company’s offerings in the region, the Celestyal Discovery is set to join the Celestyal Journey in the Middle East for the 2025-26 winter for a series of “Iconic Arabia” cruises.

Sailing roundtrip from Abu Dhabi, the ship is set to offer three-night weekend cruises to Doha, Bahrain and Dubai, as well as four-night midweek cruises to Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Muscat and Khasab.

“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,” said Chris Theophilides, CEO at Celestyal.

“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 next year, we are expanding the many reasons to try or come back to Celestyal.”