Celestyal sees business more than double after Strait of Hormuz escape

Celestyal plans promotional activity and offers to fill ‘gaps’ in its summer season now that its two ships have escaped through the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey are returning to Greece after navigating through the Persian Gulf, having been stranded since the outbreak of war on February 28.

 

Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, told a Travel Weekly webcast how the vessels made it safely through the strait when a window of opportunity briefly opened on April 17-18 – and how his job is now to fill the cabins for the summer sailings, which start in May.

 

He said “continued growth” is still planned for Celestyal’s long-term outlook but the forthcoming winter season – which had been planned for the Gulf region – is being reviewed.

 

Furthermore, he confirmed that measures such as a consultation over job losses remain because of the financial hit due to the crisis.

 

Haslett said: “Our business has more than doubled week over week – we are starting to see people are now very much booking us because they’ve got some certainty.

 

“We are planning some promotional activity…to drive both awareness and…show the value of a cruise versus a land stay.

 

“We will be taking some price action…from next week.”

 

More: Five cruise ships make it through Strait of Hormuz before reclosure

 

Celestyal plans to resume Mediterranean programme in May

 

Celestyal boss says Gulf crisis shows ‘strength’ of booking through agents

He said the cruise line will “re-engage and connect” with agents, adding: “There are some great opportunities for guests to get a really good deal for this summer in the Greek islands.”

 

Before the crisis, Celestyal had seen a record wave campaign and is “quite well booked” for May, he said.

 

The next planned departures are a three-night Iconic Greek Islands sailing on Discovery from May 1, and a seven-night Heavenly Greece, Italy and Croatia sailing on Celestyal Journey from May 2.

 

“We have seen a bit of a demand drop in the last seven weeks, which means that we’ve definitely got some work to do in the next few weeks to fill the final gaps in June, July and August,” he said.

 

“September through to November look very good for us.

 

“There is some work for us to do to fill the summer months, there is some good availability in the summer, where we have seen a little bit of a slowdown.”

 

He hailed the cruise line’s “strong” and “resilient” team, adding: “We are definitely back. We’ll be operating 100% at the start of May.

 

“We have great [agent] partnerships that have been growing – some of that slowed down in the last seven weeks and we need to get back to that.”

 

Asked about future plans, he said: “It does not change our long-term outlook which is continued growth.

 

“We have got very supportive shareholders that have been very supportive through this period, and will continue to be. We are a very stable business.

 

“We have clearly taken quite a hit by not being able to operate for 49 days, and then another two weeks on top of that, while the vessels come back.”

 

Asked if measures such as a consultation over job losses remain, he confirmed they are still in place.

 

Plans for Arabian Gulf itineraries scheduled for winter 2026-27 are being reviewed and an announcement is expected in the next few weeks.

 

The situation with fuel costs is also under review and a decision on fuel surcharging will be “a last resort”, he added.

 

He hailed the “exceptional” operations team and the leadership of Captain George Koumpenas, chief operating officer at Celestyal Cruises, who flew out to Dubai to join Celestyal Discovery as it sailed from Dubai through the strait on April 17.

 

Haslett described how a voyage plan was developed in advance, with the vessels sailing in daylight and close to Khasab, Oman, to avoid going too far north and towards Iran.

 

Celestyal liaised with the Omani government, regional and local authorities, international security authorities and industry bodies about its plan – and the US Navy monitored the ships’ passage, “which provided us with that additional security and reassurance”.

 

He said Discovery’s captain, Nikolaos Vasileiou, and Journey’s captain, Angelos Vasilakos, developed the voyage plans with the cruise line team in Piraeus – and based on their expertise and knowledge of the area.

 

“We gave every member of crew the option of staying in Dubai and not doing the voyage,” added Haslett.

 

“We would not put our crew in any danger. But they had to be comfortable that they wanted to operate it, which they were, and they had the option if they wanted to leave the vessel.”

There were about 70 to 80 crew members on each vessel, the minimum required to safely operate the sailings.

 

Journey’s sailing on April 18 was timed arrive towards the strait as dawn was breaking, so it would also conduct the voyage in daylight, along with MSC Euribia and Tui Cruises’ Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5.

 

“We had liaised with the other lines…and we agreed to move in a convoy, with Journey leading the convoy,” said Haslett.

 

“It was a great collaboration.

 

“My role is kind of insignificant compared to what our captains and operational team have done.

 

“My role now is to ensure, when the ships are back, that we fill them, and hopefully we get all of that great support from the UK travel trade.”

 

He thanked the UK travel trade for all its support during the 49 days that both vessels were in the Arabian Gulf.

 

“It’s been great, the amount of messages of support we’ve had. It really shows, in times like this, how our industry comes together,” he said.