A former HAL-Holland America Line ship is getting a new life with Celestyal Cruises, which announced the arrival of Celestyal Journey.
The ship is the former ms Ryndam, acquired by Greek ferry company Seajets from Carnival Corp. & plc. in 2020. Celestyal Cruises has since purchased the boat from Seajets.
Following an extensive US$21 million refurbishment, Celestyal Journey is scheduled to start sailing on September 2nd, 2023, taking over Celestyal Crystal‘s program commencing with a 7-night "Idyllic Aegean" itinerary roundtrip from Piraeus/Athens.
The 55,819 GT Celestyal Journey accommodates 1,260 passengers in 630 staterooms, 149 of which have private balconies. This represents 3 times as many balcony cabins as Celestyal previously offered on its 7-night voyages. Of the 149 balconied staterooms, 120 are junior suites, 28 are grand suites, and 1 is a penthouse suite. 80% of the staterooms are outside with windows.
Highlights of the public areas onboard the ship include 2 pools, a SPA & fitness centre, a movie theater, a cooking demonstration area, as well as a number of specialty/themed restaurants with a focus on Asian and Mediterranean cuisines.
Celestyal Journey will set sail on the “Steps of Paul” itinerary on October 14th, followed by the 7-night “Three Continents” itinerary visiting Greece, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey from October through to December. It will be followed by a special 19-night holiday trip that allows guests to spend both Christmas Eve/Christmas Day in the Holy Land. The voyage can also be split into 8 or 9-night cruises.
Passengers booked on Celestyal Crystal from September 2nd/onwards will be contacted by the line and rebooked on Celestyal Journey.