ATHENS, Greece, 22 September 2026: Celestyal has introduced 190 shore excursions for its new winter programmes in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, with the experiences now available to book, according to the company’s official announcement.
The programme comprises 118 excursions for Celestyal Discovery’s new Western Mediterranean sailings during winter 2026/27 and 2027/28, together with 72 excursions for Celestyal Journey’s winter 2027/28 Eastern Mediterranean programme.
Options range from half-day and full-day experiences to two-day excursions. The collection also includes 27 new Authentic Encounters, designed around smaller groups and experiences with local people and attractions.
Community Connections joins excursion programme
Celestyal has also introduced a new Community Connections offering as part of the programme. The experiences are designed to connect guests with local people, producers and communities in the destinations visited.
Among the new options is Carcaixent Citrus Plantation & Spirit Tasting, a half-day Community Connections excursion from Valencia. Guests visit a family-run citrus orchard in Carcaixent dating from 1870, learn about traditional orange cultivation and sample fresh juice, artisan jams, orange-blossom honey and regional citrus liqueurs.
Other experiences include a hands-on tagine cooking class in Tangier, a private flamenco and tapas experience in Cádiz, workshops linked to Valencia’s Fallas festival, a gastronomic visit to Palma’s Mercat de l’Olivar, a Taste of Istanbul experience and a journey on the historic mountain railway from Volos.
Authentic Encounters expand across Western Mediterranean
The new programme also adds further experiences under Celestyal’s Authentic Encounters collection. Mamas and Tapas is a full-day excursion departing from Malaga for rural Andalucía. The experience includes a visit to an olive oil mill before guests travel to the mountain village of Alfarnate, where residents host them for a traditional five-course lunch. Prices begin at €110 per person.
Another option, the half-day Artisan Cheese Tour & Workshop, departs from Cádiz for El Bosque. Guests meet local cheesemakers, participate in a workshop and sample cheeses produced using milk from livestock farms in the surrounding Sierra de Grazalema. Prices start from €101 per person.
Janet Parton, VP Marketing, PR and Customer Experience at Celestyal, said: “For us, an authentically Mediterranean experience has always been about much more than simply arriving in a destination and seeing its most famous sights. It’s about meeting the people who live there and understanding the traditions that have shaped it.
“Winter is such a rewarding time to explore the Mediterranean. There’s a more relaxed pace and guests have more space to experience destinations. Through our new shore excursions and Community Connections offering, we can help them get closer to local life and traditions, while ensuring tourism delivers real, meaningful value to the people and businesses they meet along the way.”
Launch offer covers Celestyal Discovery excursions
To accompany the launch, Celestyal is offering a 15% discount on all excursions for Celestyal Discovery’s new winter Western Mediterranean programme on sailings through the end of 2026. The discount applies to excursions booked by 30 September 2026.
The shore excursion programme supports Celestyal Discovery’s Western Mediterranean winter deployments in 2026/27 and 2027/28 and Celestyal Journey’s Eastern Mediterranean winter programme in 2027/28.
