Celestyal Cruises will add four new 14-night cruises and five maiden port calls to its winter 2025-26 Arabian Gulf season, the company announced Sunday, detailing its most ambitious itinerary expansion in recent years.
The boutique cruise line said it will visit Jordan and Saudi Arabia for the first time, with new stops in Aqaba, Jeddah, Muscat, Sharm El Sheikh, and Ain Sukhna.
The itineraries also mark Celestyal’s return to Egypt after a two-year hiatus.
The announcement follows a strong debut season in the Gulf, with bookings reportedly 27% above target.
The new “Ancient Athens to Amazing Abu Dhabi” cruise will depart Nov. 22, 2025, on the Celestyal Journey, and includes maiden calls at key ports before docking in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 6 — just in time for the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.
A second ship, Celestyal Discovery, will depart Athens six days later on a similar route, adding a call in Kusadasi, Turkey.
Both vessels will operate repositioning cruises back to Greece in March 2026, with added stops in Ain Sukhna and Kusadasi, respectively.
Segments of the new sailings will be bookable as shorter trips ranging from four to 13 nights.
“2024 was a record-breaking year for Celestyal,” said Chief Commercial Officer Lee Haslett. “Our tenth anniversary year will be bigger than ever, with an expanded program and our long-awaited return to Egypt.”
The Celestyal Journey recently completed its inaugural Gulf season homeporting in Doha, Qatar, under a three-year partnership with the state.
You can read our trip report from our voyage on Celestyal Journey here.
