Celestyal Cruises has commenced its first-ever homeporting cruise season in the Arabian Gulf, with Celestyal Journey departing Doha, Qatar on November 30th for the first of several dozen round-trip itineraries.

The cruise line marked the occasion by hosting a day event in partnership with Visit Qatar, Qatar Tourism, and Mwani Port Authority aboard Celestyal Journey.

Local dignitaries were joined by local media and influencers for a series of presentations, a ship tour, a traditional plaque exchange ceremony, and a celebratory lunch in the ship’s main dining room.

Celestyal Journey then departed on the first of two specially themed Formula 1 voyages, which offer guests the opportunity to tour the pit lanes and watch the races in Abu Dhabi during the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Gran Prix.

Ce;estyal’s other 7-night roundtrip Desert Days itineraries from Doha through March 2025 will feature calls to Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Khasab and Sir Bani Yas, as well as an overnight in Dubai.

Following the signing of a multi-year homeporting agreement with Qatar, Celestyal Journey will sail from Doha for three consecutive years throughout the winter seasons, while an agreement with the UAE will see Celestyal Discovery homeporting in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from next year.

Celestyal Cruises expanded Arabian Gulf deployment next year with both Journey and Discovery in the region will see the latter sailing roundtrip from the UAE, with three-night weekend cruises to Doha, Bahrain and Dubai, as well as four-night midweek cruises to Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Muscat and Khasab.

“We’re delighted to be commencing our season in the Arabian Gulf with this momentous arrival into Doha,” said Chris Theophilides, CEO at Celestyal Cruises.

“I want to thank our teams and partners who have made this a reality,” he added. “It marks the significant start of Celestyal’s next chapter, operating a fully refreshed fleet across year-round operations and two regions.”

“We listened to our guests; 86 percent tell us they want to return after they have spent time with us, and with our new Desert Days itinerary, as well as our additional Iconic Arabia itineraries on Celestyal Discovery next year, we are expanding the many reasons to try or come back to Celestyal.”

Celestyal Journey can accommodate 1,260 passengers with a crew of 630. Featuring 14 decks and seven restaurants, the ship has an entire deck dedicated to fitness and wellness, including three swimming pools, two jacuzzies and a modern gym, as well as a theatre, and a kids’ club.