Celestyal joins Cruise Traveller and business surges 

The announcement that a major Greek cruise line, Celestyal Cruises, has joined has accompanied a surge in business for Australia’s leading small ship cruise specialist, Cruise Traveller Cruise Traveller’s growing stable of cruise brands as a preferred trade partner.
The new partnership means Cruise Traveller now represents 56 boutique, luxury and expedition cruising operators around the world and to mark the wholesaler alliance, Cruise Traveller is promoting a range of Celestyal Cruises’ Greek Island voyages in 2022 with fares discounted by up to 40 per cent for bookings made by November 30, 2021.
The Managing Director of Cruise Traveller, Craig Bowen, welcomed Celestyal Cruises to Cruise Traveller’s expanding portfolio of clients, saying, “Celestyal very much fits the Cruise Traveller style of product, offering a strong destination focus on Greece and her famous islands,” adding, “As a Greek-owned company, Celestyal’s local business relationships provide access to many smaller and less visited ports not available to more mainstream cruise lines”, and “Celestyal also offers an exceptional value proposition, with beverages, gratuities and selected shore excursions all included”.
He also said, “During the pandemic, Cruise Traveller has taken a very proactive and targeted approach to grow our small ship product portfolio to have an even more extensive range to prepare for the resumption of travel”, adding, “The last month has seen an incredible increase in enquiries and bookings for long-haul cruise destinations, which is both encouraging and perfect timing for our new partnership with Celestyal.”
He added, “Since 2003, we have grown rapidly to become Australia’s leading small ship cruise specialist, marketing and promoting our partners’ river, boutique and expedition cruise products to Australian travellers and travel agents,” and, “We look forward to spreading the news in Australia about Celestyal’s wonderful range of journeys through the blue Aegean and beyond.”
The Australian and NZ Business Development Manager for Celestyal Cruises, Mary Williams, said Cruise Traveller was an ideal fit for Celestyal’s focus on immersive, all-inclusive experiences aboard smaller ships, adding, “The Greek Islands are a well-known, bucket-list destination for Australians but our value-added, immersive cruises through these magical islands may not be as familiar so we’re very excited to embark on this partnership with Cruise Traveller so that we can welcome more Australians onboard than ever,” adding, “Because we are based in Greece, we offer Greek Island cruises, the Greek way, with lively and welcoming Greek hospitality at the fore.”
Poised to resume voyages in March 2022, Celestyal Cruises offers award-winning Eastern Mediterranean cruises aboard two classic boutique ships–the 1200-guest Celestyal Crystal and the 1575-guest Celestyal Olympia. Destinations include Greece and her islands, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus and Israel.
Celestyal and Cruise Traveller are offering a “Blue is the new black” sale, with savings of up to 40 per cent on 14 selected cruises–plus no single supplement–and pay only taxes for kids
Celestyal and Cruise Traveller said that fourteen of Celestyal Cruises’ seven-night cruises in the Aegean Sea in 2022 starring the stunning Greek Islands has been discounted by up to 40 per cent – with no solo supplement–for bookings made by November 30, 2021, plus kids aged 2-11 sharing with two adults cruise for free, paying only taxes of $489 each.
The destination-rich voyages are all round-trip journeys from Athens from June to November 2022, with 12 of the sailings taking pleasure seekers to Thessaloniki in northern Greece, Kusadasi in Turkey, the sunniest place in Europe, Rhodes, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, ancient Heraklion on Crete, the sunset mecca of Santorini, the glamorous beach and waterside tavern island of Mykonos and the enchanting little island of Milos with its whitewashed houses, cobbled alleyways and balconies crammed with flowerpots.
Each cruise includes a free excursion to the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, dating back to 300BC, and the Citadel of the Knights on Rhodes and the vast ancient ruins of Ephesus in Turkey.
Two other departures in November 2022 feature an overnight visit to the grand temples of Istanbul, the Greek ports of Kavala, Thessaloniki and Volos and the favourite Greek island of Santorini. They also included two free excursions in these departures–a spice market and Bosphorus cruise adventure in Istanbul and a trip to the spectacular cliff-top village of Oia in Santorini.
* If booked by November 30, 2021, the 14 Celestyal Cruises’ voyages in the Aegean are available from A$1159 per person, twin-share or for solo travellers (subject to availability)–a saving of $681 and with no solo supplement. And children aged 2-11 sharing with two adults pay only taxes of $489 each. Fares include onboard drinks and gratuities and two selected shore excursions per person.  Conditions apply.
Edited by John Alwyn-Jones, Cruise Editor