Celestyal Cruises has announced the introduction of 4 new 14-night repositioning voyages as part of its winter sun program in the Arabian Gulf. These itineraries will include visits to 2 new destinations for the company—Jordan and Saudi Arabia—and feature inaugural calls at Aqaba (Jordan), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Muscat (Oman), Sharm El Sheikh, and Ain Sokhna (Egypt). This development also signifies Celestyal's return to Egyptian ports after a 2-year hiatus.
The "Ancient Athens to Amazing Abu Dhabi" itinerary will be available across the fleet's two vessels. Celestyal Journey is scheduled to depart Athens (Piraeus, Greece) on November 22, 2025, with calls at Port Said, Sharm El Sheikh, Aqaba, Jeddah, and Muscat, before arriving in Dubai and concluding in Abu Dhabi on December 6, 2025, aligning with the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. Following this, on December 7, the vessel will commence the "Desert Days and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix" sailing, encompassing the race weekend and leading into the season's inaugural 7-day "Desert Days" itinerary.
Celestyal Discovery will embark from Athens on November 28, 2025, following a similar route with an additional stop at Kusadasi (Türkiye) and is set to make her inaugural call into Abu Dhabi on December 13, 2025. The vessel will then commence her winter season, offering 3-, 4-, and 7-night "Iconic Arabia" itineraries, and will homeport in the Arabian Gulf for the subsequent 3 years.
For the return voyages, both ships will undertake similar repositioning cruises: "Amazing Abu Dhabi to Ancient Athens" aboard Celestyal Discovery and "Dazzling Doha to Ancient Athens" aboard Celestyal Journey. Celestyal Discovery is slated to depart Abu Dhabi on March 6, 2026, retracing her initial route with the inclusion of Ain Sokhna (Egypt) before returning to Athens for the summer season in Greece and the Mediterranean. Concurrently, Celestyal Journey will depart Doha on March 21, 2026, incorporating an additional call at Kusadasi on her return journey. Each of these 4 cruises will offer multiple segments ranging from 4 to 13 nights.
This announcement follows Celestyal Journey’s recent return to Athens after an extended inaugural season in the Arabian Gulf, during which bookings exceeded targets by 27%. The vessel had been homeported in Doha (Qatar) as part of a 3-year partnership with the state.