Cruising on Celestyal Journey
The Arabian Gulf is an area not that well known to British cruisers, so it was with interest that I joined Celestyal Cruises seven day “Desert Nights” cruise visiting The United Arab Emirates Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain.
I have to say I loved the size of Celestyal Journey with a maximum capacity of just over 1200 passengers. I was impressed too in the way that she retains here circular promenade deck so you can walk all the way around the ship, a feature sadly missing in many modern-day cruise ships. The capacity for wardrobe storage was also larger than many of today’s ships
This was Celestyal’s inaugural cruise season here and the itinerary was very good and this is definitely a cruise you should consider.
Apart from anything else Dubai assaults your senses in so many ways with its opulence. You can get an excursion to visit the Mall and go up Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest building but if you fancy doing this on your own then get there early to avoid the queues which can be up to 50 minutes at the busiest times and explore the Mall with its waterfalls and huge aquariums lining the walkways afterwards.
There is a wide choice of excursions onboard and I particularly enjoyed the 4x4 safari experience in the desert sand dunes followed by an evening under the stars with an outside barbecue and local entertainment with dancers and fire eaters!
I would also highly recommend the sailing on a traditional Arab dhow deep into Oman’s “Norwegian fiord” of Musandam with mountains all around where we were joined by a dolphin swimming alongside.
At the island of Sir Bani Yas, we had our own private section of the beach with a shaded sitting area, beach umbrellas etc. reserved for us and many people took the advantage of this plus the excursion to visit the Arabian Wildlife Park which covers over half the island. A sort of “Arabian Longleat” you enter and explore on a safari truck; the park holds over 13,000 animals indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula.
The food on board was very good with the main Thalassa Restaurant offering buffet and a la carte although the restaurant itself is quite small compared to other ships and queues started early. There is also a selection of speciality restaurants at an extra charge offering Asian, Mediterranean and prime meat cuts. You also need to note that drink packages are not valid in these speciality restaurants and that drinks ordered will be at full price.
I enjoyed popping into the Taverna casual dining buffet too and both the pools, one of which has a retractable roof in case of bad weather, have excellent bars and food outlets including the Greek Deli Corner offering traditional chicken Gyros.
Celestyal won in the Food and Beveridge Category at the “Sailawaze Excellence Awards” 2024 for their extensive drinks offering and indeed there is a selection of bars for all tastes.
All of these restaurants have staggered opening times so It’s a good idea to study the daily programme delivered to your cabin the night before and plan when you want to eat so you can organise your day.
There’s also the Cafe Nation Bar serving an extensive range of quality coffees and iced teas. It’s one of the quieter areas of the ship and indeed there are many such comfortable areas where you can go and read or simply relax.
Entertainment on the ship covers a wide range. The Amphitheatre Show Lounge theatre has very good shows presented by the ship’s entertainment team, late night dance evenings, piano, a violinist and live music from a Latin American band. Celestyal Journey also has a small casino area with slot machines and blackjack where you can have "Learn to Play" sessions which let you can discover the rules and etiquette of casino life. The top deck has basketball and tennis courts as well as a table tennis table.
Like most cruise ships there is an extensive spa area with a sauna where you can spoil yourself rotten with a massage or facial or simply float away your troubles. There’s also a large gym that has just about all you need to keep fit.
I stayed in an outside cabin to start the cruise which was reasonably sized and had a shower. However, I had to step into the bath to use it and this could cause some one with knee problems difficulties so I would suggest you enquire about a walk-in shower if you need one before you go.
This cruise is all about discovering the culture of the region and I would strongly advise you to take the excursion in Abu Dhabi that visits The Presidential Palace and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Both are simply stunning with their exteriors covered in white marble that dazzle in the sun whilst their interiors are pinnacles in examples of Islamic art and design.
Having said that some of the modern-day architecture has to be seen to be believed and comparing it as it lays alongside the older Islamic style buildings is a major reason in my opinion for going on this cruise.
There are no sea days on this cruise, another plus in my opinion. The crew were lovely and helpful at all times. Summing up I would say this cruise offers very good value for money and is definitely one to consider.
Steve Newman March 2025
Steve was a guest of Celestyal Cruises.
For more information and to book visit www.celestyal.com
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