Celeystal Journey Review. A Cruise For The Culturally Curious

As we stepped onboard Celestyal’s recently repainted ship Celestyal Journey before

10am we already knew we were onto a winner. Our journey began in Piraeus (Athens)

where we set off on the ‘heavenly Greece, Italy and Croatia itinerary. The ship itself felt

calm and well designed with lots of public spaces making it perfect for this 7-night

destination intensive cruise. The tranquillity and ease were unusual for us on

embarkation day when compared to cruises on larger US/UK based lines. Just like the

exterior, inside you could tell the ship had recently had a refresh meaning in no way did

she reflect her age having been built in 1994 for Holland America Line.

We wandered through the ship heading towards our cabin admiring the many bars and

restaurants as we passed. On this cruise we were staying in a junior balcony suite. Just

like the ship, this cabin had undergone a refresh. Touches of wood hinted at its history

but the large new flatscreen TV and the USB sockets located above the bedside table

allowed the cabin to feel modern. Outside, a large balcony allowing us to have

uninterrupted sea views whilst sailing.

Celestyal pride themselves on having late days and long stays in iconic ports. This

allows for excursions to hidden gems that are immersive and authentic. Highlights on

this itinerary included a day exploring Kefalonia taking a rowboat across the turquoise

waters of Melissani Lake and Cave or visiting Olympia the home of the ancient

Olympics. One drawback though is most of these excursions left the ship at 8am. Great

for early risers but for night owls like us proved a struggle but we soon adapted.

Evenings onboard the ship gave us the chance to try some of the exception Celestyal

food. We dined most evenings in the Smoked Olive restaurant. This venue doubles up as

a main dining room for suite guests as well as offering Mediterranean speciality meals.

The service here was impeccable reflecting the crew across the ship. The pappardelle

ragout from the Smoked Olive speciality menu is a stand of dish for us. Also, the whole

experience in the Grill Seekers speciality restaurant felt like dinging in a top London

restaurant.

After dining in style, it is important to find a good cocktail and Celestyal’s mixology

program had us covered. We were great fans of trying a cocktail from the Alchemy

menu. Crafted by expert mixologists we make it a mission to try a different one each

night and of course each time they tasted as good as they looked.

So, who is this cruise for? Joining the ship, we felt culturally curious having never been

to any of the ports before. Celestyal Journey is a ship for those who want to get out and

explore each destination. After coming away from the ship we felt like a sea day would

have been nice but wasn’t totally missed. Having said that Celestyal Journey could also

be for those who enjoy relaxing. With nearly all passengers off ship every day the ship is

deserted. Sometimes during the day, we could walk across the whole ship without

bumping into anyone. There was no fight for sunbeds or queues for restaurants plus

plenty of space around the two pools.

Coming away from Celestyal Journey we absolutely can’t wait to cruise with Celestyal

again. Celestyal have two ships which sail from Athens in the summer then move to the

Middle East for the winter season, giving us plenty to look at for future itineraries.