Celestyal Cruises, the award-winning, number one choice for cruise travelers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean has announced its return to cruising on March 14 of 2022 with its unique offering of three- and four-night cruises followed by seven-night sailings on April 30. Celestyal, one of the only cruise lines to consistently call upon Ancient Ephesus when it sets sail in March and adds Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, to its popular seven night “Idyllic Aegean Itinerary.” All 2022 and 2023 sailings with all-inclusive pricing starting as low as 399€, per person and are currently bookable.

Destination-Enrichment Continues; Highlights Include Thessaloniki, Milos and Kavala

While Celestyal has always offered its guests the marquis destinations such as Mykonos and Santorini, the cruise line has also earned a reputation for being a “trailblazer” in taking travelers to more of the unexplored side of Greece as well as staying longer in port to allow deeper exploration than what is typically offered by other lines visiting Greece. This will continue once again in 2022. On Celestyal’s popular seven-night “Idyllic Itinerary,” starting in April, Celestyal will sail to Thessaloniki. Celestyal is the only cruise line calling on a regular basis to the historic city of Thessaloniki. The city offers guests stunning Paleo Christian and Byzantine monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, monuments to the famed “Alexander the Great,” as well as the town of Vergina, one of the most important archeological sites in Greece. Thessaloniki is also known as a “gastronomic paradise,” sitting at the crossroads for trade and drawing upon ingredients from all over the Mediterranean and Asia, which are served in the city’s renowned tavernas. Thessaloniki serves as the gateway to Northern Greece and nearby Balkan drive markets, as it gathers a great percentage of the air transport, in its recently fully renovated and modern airport. As Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki also offers robust airlift with competitive airfares to and from Northern and Western Europe, thus making cruising and Celestyal more accessible and affordable for these markets.

Celestyal will also sail to the less-discovered island of Milos, which was recently named the “World’s Best Island” by Travel + Leisure magazine and is an island traditionally not visited by most other cruise lines sailing larger ships. In the coming year, Celestyal will also extend its time in port in Milos from a half day to an entire day. Additionally, this itinerary calls upon Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes and Ancient Ephesus. All-inclusive pricing on the seven-night “Idyllic Itinerary” starts at 869€, per person.

Celestyal’s “Eclectic Itinerary” includes Kavala, the northern, centuries-old Greek port city on the Thracian Sea, often referred to as the “blue city” due to its crystal-clear coastal waters and legendary scenic sea views from the Bay of Kavala, with a picturesque historic town unfolding high atop the triangular Panagia peninsula. This charming old town is comprised of a mosaic of winding lanes of red-tiled houses and a Byzantine fortress known as the Kastro. Just nine miles from the center of the old town is the ancient city of Philippi, home to the first Christian church in Europe. Philippi became an important early Christian center following a visit to the city by Paul the Apostle in 49 C.E. This itinerary also calls upon Thessaloniki, Santorini, Volos and Istanbul. The “Eclectic Itinerary” also offers the option to embark and disembark in Istanbul, offering additional air connection options. All-inclusive pricing on the seven-night “Eclectic itinerary” starts at 869€, per person.

Celestyal Brings Back “Three Continents” Itinerary; Introduces New Christmas and New Year’s “Holy Land” Cruises

The end of 2022 will see the return of Celestyal’s “Three Continents” seven-night itinerary, last operated in late 2019, calling on Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus. This will be followed by two, exclusive holiday sailings, the ten-night Christmas special sailing calling on Thessaloniki, Izmir , Rhodes, Limassol , Alexandria and an overnight visit in Haifa to spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the “Holy Land,” and the eight-night New Year’s sailing with visits to Heraklion, Santorini, Volos, Ancient Ephesus along with an overnight stay in Istanbul, to take in the New Year’s Eve fireworks. This sailing is priced at 1139€, per person. Both sailings can be combined for an amazing, 18-night holiday event covering the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean starting at 1969€, per person.

“This past summer thanks to the dedication and hard work of Celestyal’s crew, we were able to demonstrate our ability to safely return to cruising. We are optimistic that our destination-centric itineraries to undiscovered and exciting destinations will continue to be well received by our core audience, which are ‘travelers’ by nature. Our confidence is supported by strong levels of interest, inquiry and bookings already for these itineraries next year and into 2023, which has been the catalyst to returning to year-round cruising,” said Celestyal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Leslie Peden.