Celestyal Crystal

The 1980-built (as Viking Saga) and 2025-scrapped (as Sun Bright) cruise ship Celestyal Crystal (formerly Louis Cristal) was originally designed as a cruiseferry/Ro-Pax vessel (Viking Saga/1980–1986), ordered and owned by Rederi Ab Sally. After a major drydock reconstruction in 1992, she was transformed into a megayacht-style luxury cruise ship. Until 2023, Louis Cristal/Celestyal Crystal was owned by the Louis Group (founded in 1935) and operated by its subsidiary Celestyal Cruises (rebranded from Louis Cruises in 2014).

The vessel (IMO number 7827213) was last flagged in Liberia (flag of convenience, MMSI 636025195), named SUN BRIGHT, and registered in Monrovia. Prior to 2020, she was flagged in Greece (MMSI 240695000) and registered in Piraeus.

History – Construction and Ownership

After a fire destroyed the superstructure in 1990 during drydock reconstruction, the hull was reused to build a new cruiseferry named Sally Albatross. The original diesel engines were retained. The hull was lengthened by 13 m (43 ft), and passenger capacity increased by 452 berths. The rebuilding cost was approximately USD 140 million.

The vessel briefly served Sally Cruise Line as Sally Albatross before grounding and partially sinking in the Baltic Sea in 1994. After salvage and a second reconstruction at INMA La Spezia (Industrie Navali Meccaniche Affini), she began service with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) as MS Leeward in the Caribbean. She later sailed for Star Cruises (as Superstar Taurus) and Silja Line (as Silja Opera).

In 2007, Silja Opera was sold to Louis Cruises and deployed in Europe and the Caribbean under the name Louis Cristal. In 2014, Louis Cruises launched the "Celestyal Cruises" brand.

In 2023, Celestyal Crystal was replaced by Celestyal Journey and left the fleet. Her final voyage departed from Piraeus on August 26, visiting Thessaloniki (Aug 27), Kusadasi-Ephesus (Aug 28), Milos Island (Aug 30), and Mykonos Island (Aug 31).

The ship was laid up in Port Lavrion on August 31, 2023. From September 2, Celestyal Journey assumed Crystal’s schedule through December 2023.

In late March 2025, Celestyal Crystal was sold by Master Shipping Inc (a brokerage firm) to a UAE-based company. The new owner reportedly planned to either continue using the vessel for cruising or repurpose her as a hotel ship. Financial details of the sale were not disclosed. From August 2024 to April 2025, the ship was registered as NEW DAWN. In May 2025, her name was changed to Sun Bright and the registry switched from Malta (MMSI 229001000) to Liberia.

Celestyal Crystal's shipowner was CRISTAL TRADING OPCO LLC. New Dawn’s registered owner was The West of England Shipowners.

On May 10, 2025, the 45-year-old ship arrived at Duqm Port (Oman) for bunkering, then departed the same day for India’s Alang Shipbreaking Yard, where she was beached and dismantled for scrapping.

Decks and Cabins

Celestyal Crystal staterooms (476 total) included 59 suites (53 with step-out balconies), 313 oceanview staterooms (including 6 Window Suites), and 163 interior cabins. The ship did not have standard balcony cabins. There were also 6 wheelchair-accessible cabins. Due to the vessel’s older design, stateroom sizes and layouts varied significantly. There were a total of 12 cabin categories.

All Celestyal Crystal cabins offered complimentary amenities including private bathrooms (WC, shower), smart HDTV, phone, radio/alarm clock, electronic safe (in the closet), and individual air conditioning. All cabin decks were connected by 4 passenger elevators.

Wheelchair-accessible cabins were located on Deck 5 and featured wider doors, ramp-accessible bathrooms, and wooden floors. All suites were equipped with refrigerators (mini-bars). Suite balconies extended 5 ft (1.4 m) from the ship's bulkhead, with veranda lengths ranging from 9 to 19 ft (2.8–5.8 m).

The vessel had 10 decks, of which 9 were accessible to passengers and 6 contained cabins.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

Olympus Restaurant was the main dining venue, offering complimentary Greek cuisine and a dinner à la carte menu. It was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Thalassa Bar served the restaurant’s outdoor seating area and offered traditional Greek coffee. The L-shaped Amalthia Restaurant operated buffet-style for breakfast and lunch and featured waiter service for dinner (7:30–9:30 PM). The breakfast menu included hot dishes, yogurt, cereals, and juices. A 4-course dinner menu was available with starters, soup or salad, main courses, and desserts. Additional dining options included Olympus Restaurant and Leda & Aura (casual dining).

Shipboard Entertainment Options – Fun and Sport

Guests could enjoy a wide range of amenities and onboard activities. The Muses Lounge, a 2-deck high theater and main show lounge, featured tiered seating and a dance floor, hosting live music, dance performances, magicians, and acrobatic acts. The Casino (served by Eros Bar) had gaming tables and slot machines. Additional amenities included a video arcade and a small library.

The Symposium conference room hosted lectures, seminars, and corporate meetings. Eros Lounge & Bar provided Wi-Fi, live band performances, and large TVs for sports broadcasts. Other lounges and bars included Horizons Bar, Thalassa Bar, and Helios Pool Bar. Wellness facilities included the Sana Beauty Center, sauna, gym, two swimming pools, jacuzzi, medical center, Internet area, duty-free shop (Agora), and a photo studio.

Itineraries

MS Celestyal Crystal’s itinerary program originally featured 3- to 8-day Greek Islands cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean (Aegean Sea), departing from Turkish ports. In winter, she operated Caribbean cruises out of Havana (Cuba) and Montego Bay (Jamaica). Embarkation was on Mondays from Havana and on Fridays from Montego Bay. Transatlantic crossings were available as repositioning voyages between Europe and the Caribbean. The Caribbean program ran for two seasons (2016–2018).

Since 2018, her itineraries focused on the Eastern Mediterranean with roundtrips from homeport Piraeus-Athens. The following are examples of her 7-day itineraries with call ports and times:

7-day "Idyllic Aegean" itinerary

7-day "Eclectic Aegean" itinerary

7-day "3 Continents" itinerary (Holy Land cruise)

For the Christmas holidays (Dec 2019 – Jan 2020), the “Holy Land” itinerary also included two Egyptian ports – Port Alexandria and Port Said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Celestyal Crystal was paused for two years (March 2020 through April 2022), resuming operations on April 18 from Lavrion. The 7-day “Iconic Aegean Cruise” included Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion, and Santorini.

Louis Cristal was chartered by Cuba Cruise Line (Canada-based) and operated the first-ever Cuba cruises (7-day Havana roundtrips) during the 2013 winter season (see more in the ship's Wiki section).