Bella Fortuna

The 1982-built / 2025-scrapped Bella Fortuna cruise ship (formerly Celestyal Olympia/Louis Olympia) was originally named "Song of America" and owned by RCCL – Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Until 2024, this traditionally designed, 1,575-passenger liner was owned by Louis Group and operated by its travel brand Celestyal Cruises (rebranded in 2014 from Louis Cruises).

The vessel (IMO number 7927984) was last Liberia-flagged (MMSI 636023663) and registered in Monrovia. Prior to 2020, she was Cyprus-flagged (MMSI 209691000) and registered in Limassol.

History – Construction and Ownership

In April 2012, after serving as "Thomson Destiny" (under charter for Thomson Cruises UK), the ship was renamed Louis Olympia by owner Louis Cruises. During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, the vessel served as a floating hotel. In 2014, Louis Cruises launched a new brand focused on delivering an authentic Greek cruising experience.

Olympia’s debut enhanced Celestyal’s brand identity as a domestic cruise operator specializing in Greek and Turkish itineraries.

In November 2023, Celestyal Cruises acquired AIDAaura (renamed Celestyal Discovery) and announced she would replace Celestyal Olympia beginning March 2024. The company soon confirmed Olympia's sale for scrapping.

In January 2024, the ship was renamed "Bella Fortuna" and her flag state/registry was changed from Malta/Valletta (MMSI 229051000) to Liberia. Reportedly, she was acquired by a Turkey-based cruise company.

Celestyal Olympia departed her homeport in Greece (Lavrion) on January 8th and arrived in Turkey (Cesme) on January 9th. After being docked at Port Cesme for approximately four months, Bella Fortuna departed Turkey on April 26th.

Between 2023 and 2024, the last shipowner (VOYAGE SHIPPING INC) offered the vessel for sale, either as a cruise ship or hotel/accommodation vessel. In January 2024, her status was officially changed to "to be broken up," and she was renamed FORTU.

On January 22nd, the ship departed UAE's Port Ras Al Khaimah (her homeport for a year) en route to Alang (India) for scrapping. The AIS last transmitted on February 2nd (at 1:12 UTC), showing her position off Alang.

Decks and Cabins

Bella Fortuna/Celestyal Olympia staterooms (724 total) include 9 Balcony, 298 Inside, and 2 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The ship's maximum passenger capacity was 1,664. Of all staterooms, 9 were Suite-grade accommodations with private step-out balconies.

The ship had 418 outside staterooms (including the 9 suites) and 298 interior cabins. Due to the vessel's classic design, cabin sizes and layouts varied widely. A total of 15 cabin categories were available.

The ship featured 10 decks, including 9 passenger-accessible and 7 with cabins.

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

Guests could choose from three dining venues serving Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, along with 24-hour room service.

The Aegean Restaurant was the main dining room, offering traditional Greek dishes and an a-la-carte dinner menu. It was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Leda Casual Dining was a buffet-style venue with alfresco seating. It also served Continental Breakfast (7–8:30 am) and Afternoon Tea (4–5 pm).

Aura Grill was an additional dining venue onboard.

Passengers enjoyed a wide range of facilities and activities, offering the comfort of a modern yet classic cruise experience.

Celestyal Olympia's lounges and bars included Mast Bar, Horizons Bar, Eclipse Bar, Argo Bar, Helios Pool Bar, Muses Lounge, Selene Lounge, and an Internet Café.

The Muses Lounge served as the main theater and show lounge, with tiered seating and a dance floor. Entertainment included live music, dance performances, magicians, and acrobatic shows.

Casino Royale, located near Argo Bar, featured gaming tables and slot machines. Other entertainment included a Video Arcade, two swimming pools, and five bars.

Recreational amenities included a fully equipped Olympian Gym, badminton, basketball, and table tennis facilities, along with the Ocean’s Spa offering treatments and saunas.

Additional services included a Kids' Club, duty-free shops, the Agora value shop, a library, and an Internet corner.

There was also an Infirmary/Medical Center, Sana Beauty Center, and a Photo Gallery.

Itineraries

Celestyal Olympia's itinerary program focused on 3- and 4-day cruises to the Greek Islands and Turkey. She operated roundtrips from Greek (Piraeus-Athens) and Turkish (Kusadasi-Ephesus) homeports.

In 2019, Olympia began year-round operations for Celestyal Cruises, transitioning from seasonal charters.

The ship's Eastern Mediterranean deployment introduced two new itineraries—"Eclectic Aegean" and "Three Continents" (Holy Land, Turkey/Istanbul)—in addition to Adriatic Sea voyages (7-day roundtrips from Venice, Italy), which operated seasonally during the winter.

In April 2021, Celestyal scheduled Olympia to resume voyages in the Eastern Mediterranean with a new "Legendary Archipelago" itinerary from June 28 to August 30 (2021). This 7-night roundtrip from Lavrion-Athens called at Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, Crete (Agios Nikolaos), Rhodes, and Cyprus (Limassol). All-inclusive prices started from USD 1020 (EUR 860) per person (double occupancy).

Following this Aegean mini-season, after August 30, Olympia resumed her scheduled 3- and 4-night roundtrip itineraries from Lavrion—"Iconic Aegean" and "Iconic Discovery."

Celestyal's new, exclusive cruise terminal at Port Lavrion is located just ~25 km (16 mi) from Athens Airport.

However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Olympia was paused for two years (March 2020 through April 2022), resuming service on April 29.

The table below shows Olympia's final voyage for Celestyal Cruises in November 2023. Her entire 2024 schedule was transferred to Celestyal Discovery.

4-day "Iconic Aegean from Kusadasi"