Greece Trip: Almost Celestyal (4.27.24)

On April 27, 2024, we boarded the Celestyal Journey for a seven day cruise of Greek islands.  We had read ads about how the Celestyal Journey was a "brand new" ship for that Greek line.  It was, indeed, new to Celestyal, but it was built in 1994 for Holland America, and refurbished in 2023. "This doesn't feel like a new ship," Dave said, with disappointment, but the ship seemed amply comfortable to me, and it did have very fun, distinctively Greek touches.

I especially enjoyed the Greek cooking class.  One of the chefs showed how to cook shrimp flamed in ouzo, Greek alcohol.  It made a great show, and I bought a small bottle of ouzo to try it at home, if I dared.

The cruise director had a big personality, with a loud laugh and joie de vivre.  She moderated the cooking class for the chef, who was shy and said barely a word.  Dave and I also enjoyed a series of port lectures, telling us the history and points of interest for each of the islands at which we stopped.

As usual on our cruises, we ate breakfast at the buffet, skipped lunch, and had dinner in the main dining room.  The buffet had Greek specialties--lots of yogurt and tomatoes with onions, even for breakfast!  There were also special "stations" at the buffet, where cooks would stir fry food while we watched.

Decorating fruits and vegetables is an art that has never intrigued me, but it is fun to see what chefs on cruises can do!

Most cruise ships now have "open dining," where you can sit alone or change dinner companions each night, instead of being assigned to a multi-person table.  Dave and I ate early, sitting by a window together, and looking out at the sea.  One night the crew serenaded the woman at the next table, who had a birthday. It was festive to be close enough to be part of her celebration.  There were always Greek specialties on the dinner menu, as well as traditional European fare.

The entertainment each night, in the theater, was by the same troupe of dancers, gymnasts, and singers from Cuba.

 They were amazing, and each night's performance had a different theme--Greek gods and heroes, Greek folk dancing and singing, the circus.  

Our cabin was snug but fine, with a king-size bed and a window.  

One of the first things Dave and I look for, when we board a ship, is the walking area.   We can survive heavy cruise meals better if we take a long walk every morning.

The Celestyl Journey was a medium-sized ship, with 1250 passengers, the size I prefer.

Sometimes the ship was able to pull up to the dock and sometimes we had to "tender" in, on small, rocking speedboats.

One of my favorite things about cruising is simply being out on the water and seeing the other boats that chug by.

Another luxury of cruise ships is live music.  This couple, from the Philippines, sang U.S. pop songs every night.  They were great, but Dave and I were often too tired, after a day of sightseeing, dinner, and a program in the theater, to listen to them for very long.

When the Celestyal Journey was launched in the fall of 2023, the company president said that his cruise line carried 110,000 passengers in 2022-2023 and generated 136 million euros, much of it staying in Greece.  We were glad to be part of that financial bonanza for a beautiful country.