Celestyal Cruises will continue to offer its popular repositioning cruises to the Middle East for the winter 2026–27 season, with Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery both operating the Athens to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sailings in November 2026.
“The strong demand for our Athens to Jeddah sailings last year confirmed the growing appeal of longer, destination-led voyages that connect both iconic and lesser-known ports across these popular regions,” said John Diorio, managing director and vice president of business development in North America for Celestyal Cruises. “Building on that success, these new sailings allow us to offer guests a truly unmissable journey while also providing a seamless transition into our third consecutive Arabian Gulf season.”
From Jeddah, both vessels will continue onward to the Arabian Gulf for their winter 2026–27 seasons. Celestyal Journey will operate weeklong voyages from Doha, Qatar, while Celestyal Discovery will sail three-, four-, and seven-night voyages from Abu Dhabi.
The announcement marks Celestyal’s second winter season in the Middle East, which makes up the bulk of its spring, summer, and autumn seasons operating in the Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Isles.
Historically, lines like Celestyal would lay up their fleets in the Mediterranean for the less-popular winter months, resuming operations in March. Celestyal has long flirted with exploring different destinations during these off-season months, even sending former vessel Celestyal Crystal (then Louis Cristal) to Cuba as part of a joint partnership known as Cuba Cruise a decade ago.
The Middle East may be further from North American markets, but it remains a popular destination for many Europeans looking to escape the winter. North American airlift to homeports is increasing, too: Etihad Airways recently announced new winter nonstop service from Calgary, Canada, to Abu Dhabi beginning in November 2026. The carrier will also fly direct to Abu Dhabi from Charlotte Douglas International Airport beginning in May.
Celestyal, meanwhile, is poised to tap into the growing market for cruises in the Middle East that is still dramatically underserved by North American name brands.
— Aaron Saunders, Digital Editor