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Review: Celestyal Journey

Reviewed by Rebecca Hall

What is the line? Celestyal Cruises

Name of ship? Journey

Passenger Occupancy? 1,260

Itinerary? Starting and finishing in Athens, the seven-night “Idyllic Aegean” sailing stops at Thessaloniki, Kusadasi (Turkey), Heraklion (Crete), and the Greek islands of Santorini, Mykonos, and Milos.

Start out with the big picture–what is this cruise line known for?

If you’re looking for a company that knows its Greek islands and their accompanying cultural heritage inside and out, Celestyal is the cruise line for you. With immersive shore excursions and engaging onboard entertainment, the Greek cruise operator's mid-size ships are an intimate way to explore the Mediterranean.

Tell us about the ship in general:

The Journey is the third vessel in Celestyal's fleet, replacing the Crystal on the Idyllic Aegean route. The ship, previously named the Ryndam, was originally built for Holland America Line in 1994. Celestyal then purchased the vessel, which underwent a $21 million refurbishment in time for its maiden voyage in early September 2023.

Today, the ship boasts 630 staterooms, including 120 Junior Suites and 28 Grand Suites. There are seven specialty dining experiences including the private chef’s table, live cooking demonstrations, Asian cuisine at Pink Moon, juice and ice cream stations at Fig and Honey, fresh Mediterranean bites from Smoked Olive, and a Greek Deli. Eight bars and lounges, including a decadent champagne bar and indulgent wine cellar, round off the evening relaxation, while two pools (plus an entire deck dedicated to wellness) caters to daytime relaxation. Vintage 1920s decor is featured throughout the ship, with film star prints of Sophia Loren and the like, retro light fittings, and a grand central staircase.

Who is on board?

Celestyal caters to people of all ages traveling from a wide variety of countries, including the US, Eastern and Central Europe, Australia, and Argentina.

I found the cruise to be popular among groups of friends in their sixties and upwards, as well as mothers and daughters looking to spend quality time together. As a Greek company, Celestyal also attracts local families who are keen to explore their own backyard in an environment where they’re well catered.

Describe the cabins.

There are dozens of various suite categories on the Journey, spread across Decks 9 and 10. The Junior Dream Suites A, B, and C categories all have floor to ceiling sliding doors to their balconies and can sleep up to three people across twin beds and a sofa bed. At 226 square feet, my category B Junior Dream suite on Deck 9 was more than comfortable.

A more affordable option is to opt for the ship's exterior or interior staterooms, both at 204 square feet, which sleep up to 4 people in a mixture of upper, lower, and sofa beds. Exterior staterooms have portholes while the interior rooms have backlit curtains to mimic natural light. Both are perfect for solo travelers.

A step above these is the 377-square-foot Grand Dream Suite on Deck 10 with 2 lower beds, a double sofa bed, a panoramic window, balcony, a spacious bathroom, and a dressing room.

The pièce de résistance is the 947-square-foot Stargazer Exterior Penthouse Suite on Deck 10 with space for up to three guests. Both the Stargazer Suite and Grand Dreams’ have exclusive access to Rays, a secluded sunbathing and relaxation area—plus the Compass Lounge for private drinks.

Tell us about the crew.

The ship's 613 crew members took the time to greet every passenger by name and were always on-hand for any query. The Shore Excursion staff was particularly knowledgeable and helpful, making time to enquire about your interests and passions in order to recommend the best tour at each destination.

The Stargazer Suite and Grand Dreams have their own concierge on board, plus dedicated room stewards for a section of all other Dream Suites and Staterooms.

What food and drink options are available onboard?

For a mid-size ship, Journey has an impressive choice of dining and bar options, albeit no 24-hour room service. Its restaurants range from Mediterranean dining in the Thalassa restaurant to restaurants specifically reserved for those occupying suites; the Smoked Olive and Pink Moon. Both these restaurants offer the same menu choice as Thalassa, with additional options of Mediterranean bites at Smoked Olive and Asian cuisine at the Pink Moon.

A casual breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet is served on the upper deck at the Taverna. Guests can purchase regional ice creams at the Fig and Honey and Greek fast food such as souvlaki from the Greek Deli.

There’s an impressive seven bars on board, each with unique décor, though still keeping with the 1920s vibe. Choose from a quiet coffee bar, the Blue piano Bar and Lounge, or head to the Fizz Club if you’re a lover of cocktails and champagne. The Grapevine has an impressive selection of wine choices for the connoisseurs among you. The Compass is reserved for occupants of the Grand Dream and Stargazer Suites.

I personally loved finding a quiet hide away (which was never difficult) and sipping my signature cocktail as I watched the sea go by.

Is there a spa on board and is it worth visiting?

The highlight of a cruise on the Journey is a visit to the Sozo Health Spa. Well-trained specialists treat you in one of seven treatment rooms, including a couple's room.

Choose from an impressive range of treatments such as an Ayurveda massage, regular full body massage, reflexology, or Shiatsu. Hot stone massages and Dead Sea exfoliation round up some of the other unique pampering options—just be sure to book in advance.

What about activities and entertainment?

There’s an impressive number of activities to choose from on board the Journey, ranging from Greek dance classes, mini lectures about a variety of regional specialties (for example, the health benefits of Greek herbs), an olive oil presentation, and basic Greek language classes.

Sports enthusiasts will love the morning yoga or Pilates classes (extra charge), and from 8 p.m. the evening entertainment starts to heat up. As well as the aforementioned bars featuring piano or live music, there’s mini-discos for young kids up to 12 years old, seventies-themed parties, and various adult discos.

Yet it’s the twice-nightly performance by resident Canadian artists Cirque Fantastic that takes the cake. Their impressive acrobatic show is typically scheduled for 9 p.m. then repeated at 10:30 p.m. in the ship's awe-inspiring auditorium.

How was the experience for families?

The Journey offers onboard activities for children and teens of all ages. While there's no water slides or go-karting track, Deck 12 is reserved for kids 5 to 12 years old. The Turtle Cave club offers artistic and educational games while the Shark club shows English cartoons and television shows. Kids under the age of three must be accompanied by an adult—currently, no babysitting is offered on board.

Where did it sail and how were the excursions? Did any stand out?

On the Journey's first stop in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, I took an immersive tour that left me yearning to return. An excursion to the Ancient city of Ephesus from the Turkish port of Kusadasi and the Palace of Knossos in Crete are two sites worth reserving a tours of. I opted to explore Santorini and Mykonos on my own, taking in the beautiful views (of the former) and lively shops and nightlife (of the latter).

I'd also recommend booking the group tour of the smaller island of Milos, as it's less suited for solo exploration. Visit Sarakiniko beach, a famed moonscape of pure white stone, the ancient village of Plaka, and the Christian catacombs.

Are there any stand out sustainability or green initiatives about this cruise?

Celestyal as a company works closely with the local Greek community as part of their ethical business practices. For example, the company helps bring interactive exhibits from the Heraklion Museum in Athens to more remote areas of the Greek islands.

Anything we missed?

When eating in the Taverna buffet, you can't help but notice the impressive melon carvings—some of faces, others of various nature or sea scenes. There’s also the occasional ice sculpture in the dessert section. These are created by the onboard sculptor whose creates beautiful sculptures from various materials, a skill passed down through family generations. Check the daily itinerary, left in your room nightly, to watch the art come to life.

Finally, give a sentence or two on why the cruise is worth booking.

Families and groups of friends will love this culturally immersive cruise with world-class wellness offerings.

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COMING SOON

More of what you love, we’re announcing the launch of our new ship – and we know you’ll love it.

On September 2, 2023 the Celestyal Journey will take to the seas for the first time as the newest member of our fleet following an extensive $20m upgrade and we just can’t wait to share her with you. To us, this is so much more than a new ship. It’s all about offering more of what we know our guests will love.

The Celestyal Journey will open its fabulous doors just in time to catch the late summer sun and will include: 149 Balconies – over 28 magical Suites – 120 Junior Suites – and a stunning Penthouse Suite to journey in style. There will be a far bigger range of dining options, featuring 7 separate venues – with an amazing Chef’s Table – and 8 themed bars where we’ll expand our range of beverages, including our exclusive Signature Cocktails.

The Celestyal Journey holds true to what we know works well for our guests. We’ve never been fans of big is best, and the Celestyal Journey continues our philosophy that mid-sized ships are the perfect way to discover the incredible experiences this special region has to offer by visiting all the amazing destinations that the larger vessels can’t.

We’re in love with our new ship and we can’t wait for you to fall in love with her too. Sign up now for more news as we approach the grand unveiling where we hope you’ll be among the first to set sail with us.

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Celestyal Journey Deck Plans & Reviews

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Activities & entertainment

• Horizons Lounge and Disco
• Compass Lounge - VIP Suite Concierge Lounge
• Whirlpools (3)
• Glow Bar - Salon *
• Drift Den - Relaxation Room *
• Bliss Lounge - Massage Rooms *
• Thermae - Steam Room and Jacuzzi *
• Pulse - Gym and Sauna
• Jogging Track
• Tennis Court
• Basketball Court
• Rays - Beach Club
• Video Arcade *
• Shore Excursions *
• The Agora - Retail Shops *
• Photo Shop and Gallery *
• Conference Spaces (2)
• Cooking Demonstrations
• Medical Center
• The Amphitheatro
• Blue Bar & Lounge - Piano Bar
• Performances
• Comedy Shows
• Enrichment Lectures
• In-Room Entertainment
• The Grapevine - Wine Bar *
• Blue Bar & Lounge - Piano Bar *
• Chef's Table - Private Dining *
• Juice & Gelato - Ice Cream and Juice Bar *
• Fig & Honey - Greek Deli
• Smoked Olive - Mediterranean
• Grill Seekers - Grill
• Pink Moon - Asian
• The Taverna - Buffet

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Celestyal Charts New Course with Celestyal Journey

• March 23, 2023

Celestyal Cruises announced the arrival of its new ship, the Celestyal Journey, which will debut in September 2023 taking over the Celestyal Crystal’s program.

“It has always been our mission to renew and rejuvenate our fleet, and we’re thrilled to see this come to fruition with the arrival of the Celestyal Journey. She is already undergoing her extensive refurbishment program and will be deployed in a matter of just a few months,” said Celestyal Cruises’ CEO, Chris Theophilides. 

The ship is the former Ryndam from Holland America Line, and has been acquired from Seajets, who bought the ship from Carnival Corporation in 2020.

“The Celestyal Journey will offer our guests more in the way of premium accommodations with balconies, a greater choice of dining and bar venues, public areas and open decks creating a greater sense of space.  At the same time, the newest member of the Celestyal family continues our tradition of operating intimate, mid-sized vessels, allowing us to take our guests to destinations that larger ships cannot, reinforcing our in-depth regional destination knowledge and genuine, warm Greek hospitality, both of which have consistently been recognized as second to none.”

  The cruise line’s new ship will accommodate up to 1,260 guests and offers 630 staterooms, 149 of which with balconies including 120 are Junior Suites and 28 Grand Suites. The Celestyal Journey will offer guests a variety of venues such as specialty and themed restaurants featuring Mediterranean, European and Asian dishes. Additionally, the ship will have a cooking demonstration area as well as an exclusive Chef’s Table venue. The Celestyal Journey will also include eight bars and lounges.

The Celestyal Journey will set sail on a seven-night “Idyllic Aegean” itinerary on September 2, 2023. In October, the ship will embark on the “Steps of Paul” itinerary, followed by the seven-night “Three Continents” cruise exploring Greece, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey.

For the holiday, the Celestyal Journey will be embark on a special festive sailing, the 19-night, special Christmas cruise with calls in Thessaloniki, Volos, Rhodes and Crete (Greece), Izmir, Kusadasi, Antalya, Istanbul (Turkey), Limassol (Cyprus), Alexandria (Egypt) and Haifa (Israel) to where guests can spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The voyage can also be split into eight- or nine-night itineraries.    

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A new era begins for Celestyal with Celestyal Journey

The new Celestyal Journey ship, which will replace the Celestyal Crystal, will debut in September 2023.

With Celestyal Journey’s arrival, we are thrilled to see our mission of renewing and rejuvenating our fleet come to fruition. In just a few months, she will be deployed following her extensive refurbishment program, said Celestyal Cruises’ CEO, Chris Theophilides.

Seajets acquired the ship in 2020 from Carnival Corporation, which had previously owned the Ryndam from Holland America Line.

We will offer our guests more in terms of luxury accommodations with balconies, a selection of dining and bar venues, public areas, and open decks that give a sense of space to our guests as part of The Celestyal Journey. Additionally, our newest Celestyal vessel continues our tradition of operating intimate, mid-sized vessels, which enable us to take our guests to destinations larger ships cannot. Our knowledge of regional destinations and warm, genuine Greek hospitality, both of which have consistently been hailed as exceptional, reinforce our expertise in regional destinations.”

With 630 staterooms, including 120 Junior Suites and 28 Grand Suites, the new ship can accommodate up to 1,260 passengers. Guests will have the opportunity to sample Mediterranean , European and Asian cuisine at the Celestyal Journey. A cooking demonstration area and a Chef’s Table venue will also be available on the ship. Eight bars and lounges will also be included in the Celestyal Journey.

Itineraries for the Celestyal Journey’s seven-night “Idyllic Aegean” voyage will be announced on September 2, 2023. As part of the “Steps of Paul” itinerary, the ship will sail through Greece, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, and Turkey before embarking on the “Three Continents” cruise in November.

During the holiday season, the Celestyal Journey will embark on a special cruise to celebrate the holiday, a 19-night Christmas cruise with stops in Thessaloniki, Volos, Rhodes and Crete (Greece), Izmir, Kusadasi , Antalya, Istanbul (Turkey), Limassol (Cyprus), Alexandria (Egypt) and Haifa (Israel). Itineraries of eight or nine nights are also available.

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Introducing Celestyal Journey

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Celestyal Cruises is set to increase its fleet to three ships with their brand-new ship Celestyal Journey entering service on the 2nd of September 2023. Celestyal Journey will be starting her first season with Celestyal’s popular seven-night Idyllic Aegean itinerary.

About Celestyal Journey

Celestyal Cruises have acquired the 1,200-passenger vessel, Celestyal Journey . The ship was originally built in 1993 at the popular Italian shipyard Fincantieri and sailed for Holland America Line as Ryndam one of the line’s S-class ships.

Celestyal Cruises have acquired the 1,260-passenger mid-sized vessel, Celestyal Journey . The ship was originally built in 1993 at the popular Italian shipyard Fincantieri and sailed for Holland America Line as Ryndam one of the line’s S-class ships.

From 2015, the ship operated as Pacific Aria for P&O Cruises Australia. Although in 2019, P&O announced the sale of the ship to Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) who renamed her Ida Pfeiffer, however, the line collapsed during the pandemic.

When Celestyal Cruises acquired the ship, it underwent a $20 million repair and technical maintenance overhaul in Piraeus, Greece, before moving on to its second phase of operation as Celestyal Journey .

Together with Celestyal Crystal and Celestyal Olympia , it will travel around the Greek and Eastern Mediterranean islands. Celestyal Cruises are specialists in their extensive itineraries around the Greek Isles and Mediterranean.

“Celestyal Journey will offer our guests more in the way of premium accommodation with balconies, a greater choice of dining and bar venues, public areas and open decks creating a greater sense of space. At the same time, the newest member of the Celestyal family continues our tradition of operating intimate, mid-sized vessels, allowing us to take our guests to destinations that larger ships cannot, reinforcing our in-depth regional destination knowledge and genuine, warm Greek hospitality, both of which have consistently been recognized as second to none.” Chris Theophilides, Celestyal Cruises’ chief executive

Celestyal Journey Specs

The ship is 55,877 gross tons and carries 1,200 passengers at full capacity with 597 crew. Celestyal Journey will be offering 630 cabins, 149 of these cabins will feature balconies 120 are Junior Suites, 28 are Grand Suites and one is the spacious Penthouse Concept Suite. There will also be 52 Oceanview & balcony cabins which can be inter-connecting for families and groups of friends.

In comparison to Celestyal Olympia & Celestyal Crystal , Celestyal Journey will be the youngest and most modern ship in the Celestyal fleet after the refurbishment and will therefore offer 120 more balcony cabins and more premium staterooms available to book than the others do.

The cabins, which are distributed throughout five passenger decks of the ship, ranging in size from 182 square feet to a 937 square foot penthouse suite with a 189 square foot balcony. The ship has nine passenger decks overall.

Onboard Explora Journeys you can find 7 spectacular new restaurants including Mediterranean, European, and Asian menus as well as a cooking demonstration area and an exclusive Chef’s Table venue. When it comes to bars and lounges onboard Celestyal Journey , they won’t be short in supply as there are eight elegant new bars and lounges to enjoy a refreshing signature cocktail at.

There are also two swimming pools including one with a retractable roof and two Jacuzzis on the sundecks plus the outdoor Beach Club which will be available for Grand Suite and Junior Suite passengers only.

Other facilities onboard include a spa, fitness and wellness area, conference rooms and a multi-purpose amphitheatre with a cinema. and much more to soon be announced.

What itineraries will Celestyal Journey Offer?

Celestyal Journey ‘s maiden voyage will be the 7-night Idyllic Aegean round-trip from Athens on the 2nd of September 2023 up until October 2023.

Following the maiden voyage, the ship will copy the cruise schedules of Celestyal Crystal & Celestyal Olympia with year-round destination-intensive itineraries including the Greek Isles & Mediterranean ranging from 3-night to 14-night sailings.

The Following voyages are where Celestyal Journey will be sailing to after her maiden voyage:

• 7-night Steps of Paul in October 2023 & 2024 – Round trip from Athens, Ports of call include Thessaloniki, Kavala, Istanbul, Dikili, Kusadasi and Patmos
• 7-night Three Continents in October, November, December 2023 & March, November, and December 2024 – Round trip from Athens, ports of call in Cairo, Ashdod, Limassol, Rhodes and Kusadasi
• 19-night Christmas & New Year December 2023 – Round trip from Athens, including ports of call in Thessaloniki, Ismir, Crete, Antalya, Limassol, Alexandria (overnight stay), Haifa (overnight stay on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day), Athens, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Istanbul (overnight stay) and lastly Volos before returning to Athens.
• 5-night Legendary Aegean March & October 2024 – Departing from Athens, including ports of call in Santorini, Rhodes, Samos, and Istanbul (overnight stay) where you will disembark.
• 7-night Eclectic Aegean November 2024 – Round trip from Athens, ports of call include Istanbul (overnight stay), Kavala, Thessaloniki, Volos, and Santorini.

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Celestyal Journey deck plans

Deck layouts, review of facilities, activities, amenities.

Celestyal Journey deck plan review at CruiseMapper provides newest cruise deck plans (2024-2025-2026 valid floor layouts of the vessel) extracted from the officially issued by Celestyal Cruises deckplan pdf (printable version).

Each of the Celestyal Journey cruise ship deck plans are conveniently combined with a legend (showing cabin codes) and detailed review of all the deck's venues and passenger-accessible indoor and outdoor areas. A separate link provides an extensive information on Celestyal Journey staterooms (cabins and suites), including photos, cabin plans and amenities by room type and category.

MS Celestyal Journey (1994-built as "MS Ryndam", last refurbished in 2023, last refurbishment by P&O AU as "Pacific Aria" in 2018, last refurbishment by HAL in 2015) is a cruise ship owned and operated by Louis Group/Celestyal Cruises with fleetmates Celestyal Discovery (1982/fka AIDAaura) and Celestyal Crystal (1980).

Pacific Aria was operated by P&O Australia but originally (in the period 1994-2015), the vessel was launched and operated under the name "MS Ryndam" as part of the HAL-Holland America Line's fleet . In May 2014, Carnival Corporation (HAL's parent company/Ryndam's shipowner) announced that the boat will be transferred in 2015 to P&O Australia after a scheduled refurbishment to tailor the vessel for the Australia/New Zealand market. In April 2021, Pacific Aria was planned to leave P&O Australia (last cruise April 9, 2021 / Melbourne-Fremantle-Singapore) and join the fleet of CMV UK as "Ida Pfeiffer". However, CMV filed for bankruptcy in July 2020. In the period 2020-2023, the ship (named Aegean Goddess) was owned by SeaJets Ferries (Greece) and for 3 years remained out of service (in cold layup) being docked in Port Lavrio (Attica Greece) .

Pacific Aria/Celestyal Journey cruise ship deck plan shows a total of 630 staterooms for 1258 passengers (max capacity is 1512) served by 560 crew/staff. The boat has 12 decks (9 passenger-accessible, 5 with cabins), 15 food and drink venues (restaurants, lounges, bars), 2 swimming pools (one with a retractable glass roof, one for adults), 2 Jacuzzis (outdoor spa pools), 8 elevators. The new interior design (transforming MS Ryndam into Pacific Aria) was a project of Tillberg Design Studio (Sweden).

Note: On the Pacific Aria ship, self-service launderettes (passenger-use laundry/ironing facilities) are located on decks: 5 and 9. Laundry services on board are not complimentary /included in the fares. Smoking on the P&O Aria ship is permitted only at designated outdoor public areas.

The "Ryndam to Pacific Aria" ship transformation was done by the Swedish company "Tillberg Design" during a scheduled drydock refurbishment in Sydney NSW . Unique features of the new ship are the 3 dining rooms with different cuisine choices (Italian, Asian and the traditional for HAL "Waterfront Restaurant"), boutique winery with premium Australian wines, indoor cinema, cookery school, new Salt Grill Bar (for Luke Mangan cocktails), large indoor-outdoor seating buffet restaurant, large main pool area (covered with sliding roof) and the new P&OEdge facility (active sports activities program).

Pacific Aria deck plan changes 2018 refurbishment review

Ship's 12-day drydock 2018 refurbishment (August 3-15, done in Singapore ) resulted in the following changes:

• The Dome (Deck 12 forward) was redecorated with a new nautical theme (dark blue and white) and redesigned with new soft lighting and classy drapes. By day, the Dome is the right place for board games, dance classes, trivia and relax on the lounges. In the evening it transforms into a chic dance spot.
• Elemis Spa (Deck 11 forward) was enhanced and upgraded with Barber Shop. The new venue features chic decor (gold-framed mirrors, leather swivel chairs, premium curtains) and offers professional grooming services (hot towel shaves, beard trimming, and styling).
• All Penthouse, Suite and balcony staterooms received new carpets and outdoor furniture.
• Fleet's new Southern Cross-themed livery was painted on the hull.

In total, on the ship were replaced with new 1000 pieces of furniture, 6000 m of fabrics, 10000+ m2 of carpets. New artworks and contemporary wallpapers were placed in public spaces.

Deck layouts

Deck 04 - cabins-hospital, deck 05 - cabins, deck 06 - cabins, deck 07 - promenade-lobby, deck 08 - casino-shops-restaurants, deck 09 - cabins, deck 10 - cabins-bridge-pool, deck 11 - lido-pools-spa-gym, deck 12 - sports-kids-teens, deck 13 - ryndam_deck4, deck 14 - ryndam_deck5, deck 15 - ryndam_deck6, deck 16 - ryndam_deck7, deck 17 - ryndam_deck8, deck 18 - ryndam_deck9, deck 19 - ryndam_deck10, deck 20 - ryndam_deck11, deck 21 - ryndam_deck12, deck 22 - ryndam_deck13, deck 23 - pacific aria_deck4, deck 24 - pacific aria_deck5, deck 25 - pacific aria_deck6, deck 26 - pacific aria_deck7, deck 27 - pacific aria_deck8, deck 28 - pacific aria_deck9, deck 29 - pacific aria_deck10, deck 30 - pacific aria_deck11, deck 31 - pacific aria_deck12.

Celestyal Journey deck plans are property of Celestyal Cruises . All deck layouts are for informational purposes only and CruiseMapper is not responsible for their accuracy.

Out-of-control 700ft cruise ship crunches into dock at Turkish port

This is the moment a 700ft cruise ship crunched into a dock at a Turkish port after desperately trying to slow down. 

The Celestyal Journey cruise ship was making a routine arrival into the port in Kusadasi, Turkey last week when it hit the concrete pier with its bow bulb.

The crew miscalculated the speed and approached the pier too quickly, resulting in the collision, Cruise Hive reported.

Members of the vessel's 597-person crew reportedly lowered the anchor in a bid to slow the approach, but despite their efforts the ship still crashed into the pier.

The collision caused only minimal damage to the ship and pier. No injuries were reported onboard or on the shore.

The Celestyal Journey struck a pier at Kusadasi Cruise Port on Monday last week at 12pm local time while crew were trying to dock.

Passengers were still able to enjoy their day in Kusadasi, one of the most well-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world, as planned, according to Cruise Hive. 

The port, which has eight berths for large ships, is the most popular cruise port in Turkey. Officials say the incident has not negatively impacted operations. 

Celestyal Cruises, which operates the vessel and two other ships, did not have to alter any routes following the incident.

The Celestyal Journey entered service in 1994 and initially sailed for Holland America Line as Ryndam. Celestyal Cruises acquired the cruise ship last year.

The cruise liner has 630 cabins, including 149 that feature balconies, and offers guests access to seven exclusive restaurants, and eight bars and lounges, Haber7.com reported. 

Celestyal Journey is currently sailing seven-night cruises in the Aegean Sea region until late October 2024. 

However, unlike a typical closed-loop route, the Celestyal Journey's round-trip sailings overlap, allowing guests to embark and debark in Kusadasi, as well as various cities in Greece.

Travellers can start their voyage in Heraklion, Crete Greece; Piraeus-Athens, Greece; or Thessaloniki, Greece. 

The ship's final journey in the Aegean Sea will embark on October 19 this year. It will be followed by a 14-day repositioning cruise from Athens to Doha, Qatar. 

Once it arrives in its new homeport in Doha, the Celestyal Journey will offer seven-night roundtrip sailings to the United Arab Emirates. 

MailOnline has approached Celestyal Cruises for comment.