Celestyal Cruises extends suspension...

Itinerary change confirmed until mid-December 2023

Celestyal Cruises has extended a changed itinerary that avoids Israel into the middle of December 2023.

The line had previously announced the suspension of calls into the Israeli port of Ashdod until the end of November with a call into Heraklion in Crete instead. But now the Greek company is maintaining the alteration until 15 December as well as changing a call in Egypt from Port Said to Alexandria.

The change to Celestyal’s 'Three Continents' itinerary covers all departures from the Athens port of Piraeus between 28 October and 15 December 2023 and comes after “closely monitoring” the situation in Israel.

The company said it remained in “constant communication” with the authorities, adding: “Our top priority is the health, safety and comfort of our guests and our crew.”

The port change to Alexandria continues to offer advertised excursions to Cairo as well as new options in the port city.

The revised seven-night itinerary also includes Limassol in Cyprus, Rhodes and Kusadasi in Turkey together with a day at sea.

Other cruise lines are also adapting itineraries to avoid the war zone. MSC Cruises cancelled all winter sailings calling at destinations in the Red Sea; Windstar Cruises has withdrawn a ship from the Middle East, and Royal Caribbean International has changed sailings in the region.

BUILD YOUR OWN TRAVEL BUSINESS. JOIN TRAVEL COUNSELLORS' NEXT EVENT TO FIND OUT HOW