Celestyal Cruises has confirmed it remains committed to the Arabian Gulf as a homeport for the 2025/26 winter season, despite making significant changes to its traditional repositioning voyages due to ongoing security issues in the Red Sea. The Greek cruise operator will now double its Gulf capacity, following a debut season that exceeded expectations and drove record demand.
Both Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery will be deployed for the region’s high season, delivering a 211% year-over-year capacity boost. Instead of transiting the Red Sea, the line has introduced amended itineraries featuring ports in Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, before the ships base themselves in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi from early December onwards. New and returning guests can now choose from a mix of three- to 14-night cruises, with program highlights including the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix and maiden calls to destinations such as Ras Al Khaimah.
Andre Gregori, Celestyal’s Vice President for Brand and Customer Experience, stated, “Multi-year partnerships with Gulf ports remain at the heart of our growth. Demand is already high, and our dual deployment ensures we have a strong presence in key homeports.” The vessels’ regional deployment includes roundtrip sailings from Doha and Abu Dhabi, integrating city stays and overnight visits to major GCC destinations.
The shift in repositioning strategy reflects the broader industry trend of bypassing the Red Sea for safety, while focusing on the Gulf’s robust guest demand and modern port facilities. Agent bookings are strong, and Celestyal’s product-mix—ranging from event-based sailings to short “discovery” cruises—caters both to seasoned voyagers and new-to-cruise customers seeking a regional experience.
With adjusted itineraries and a reinforced commitment to the GCC, Celestyal positions itself not just as a seasonal player, but as a core driver of the Gulf’s long-term cruise growth.
