The atmosphere on board the magnificent Celestyal Olympia was joyous today as Celestyal Cruises hosted a warm reception for the first group of 250 tourists from the People’s Republic of China to sail with the company.
The reception and the subsequent “Iconic Aegean” cruise, a three-day cruise calling at beloved destinations such as Mykonos, Samos, Kusadasi, Heraklion and Santorini, marks the official commencement of the participation of Chinese tourists in Aegean cruising.
During the event, Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) management and the Authority’s CEO, Capt. Fu Chengqiu, awarded a plaque to Mr. Kyriacos Anastassiadis, CEO of Celestyal Cruises, to reward the company’s initiatives in bringing Chinese tourists to the Aegean and for its overall and longstanding contribution to the port – the company does 70 percent of its home-porting in Piraeus and is an annual and stable user of the seaport, the largest in Greece.
The event was attended by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, Mr. Dionisios Kalamatianos; the Deputy Mayor of Piraeus, Mr. Ioannis Mellas, the Vice President of the Greek National Tourism Organization Mrs. Angeliki Chondromatidou, and by Mr. Athanasios Liagos, member of the Board of Directors of the Piraeus Port Authority.
“We are very glad to welcome the first organized group from China after a systematic effort to promote the beauty of our country in and the incomparable experience Greek cruising provides to visitors to our country,” said Mr. Anastassiadis. “We hope our guests will enjoy the authentic Greek hospitality and warm, personalized service we offer. We want our guests from the People’s Republic of China to feel at home on board our vessels, and we have thus made sure we have Chinese guides and escorts amongst our crew and authentic Chinese cuisine on our menus. We are confident the People’s Republic of China will become one of our most important markets. We expect to host 2,000 Chinese passengers during the 2017 season. Our plan is to systematically build demand for our cruises so as to reach 50,000 passengers per year by 2021.”
“We are very grateful to Celestyal Cruises for its productive cooperation and for its trust in the port of Piraeus,” said Capt. Fu Chengqiu. “The development of Piraeus as a cruise port is very important for both the local and the national economy. This is why we are upgrading its cruise infrastructure and services, in order to best highlight the great potential of the port and the Piraeus Port Authority.”
Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal Cruises is the preeminent cruise line serving Greek destinations and the island of Cuba. The company operates five mid-sized ships, each one cozy enough to provide highly-personalized service to each passenger. Every cruise focuses on true cultural immersion, offering authentic, lifetime experiences wherever its vessels sail.
Celestyal Cruises is deeply committed to sustainability and ethical business practice. The company supports the local communities in the destinations it visits, particularly in the field of education. Since 2015, more than 1,000 students on the islands of Milos, Patmos and Ios have enjoyed a ‘journey to knowledge’ by attending the Museums Program, an initiative by Celestyal Cruises to bring interactive exhibits from the highly-respected Herakleidon Museum to remote areas so students can learn first-hand about the connection between science, art and mathematics. Celestyal Cruises also supports cultural NGOs and promotes entrepreneurship, marine student development and child welfare.
ISO Certification
Following the successful ISO 9001/14001 auditing of three of the company’s ships and the company’s office, Celestyal Cruises’ operations are now certified in accordance with ISO 9001/14001 standards. This relates to the entire spectrum of cruise ship management including technical, hotel and crew management. The certifying authority is DNV-GL, which is by far the biggest and most respected classification society in the marine industry.
Awards
In 2017 Celestyal Cruises received four Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards, including first place in the mid-sized category: Best for Value, Best for Entertainment, Best for Shore Excursions and Best for Embarkation – the company also placed in the top 10 for Best Overall Cruise Line. In 2016 Celestyal Cruises won the Editor’s Pick award from Cruise Critic UK in the Best Value for Money (Ocean) category. The company has enjoyed recognition from in such prestigious awards as the Greek Tourism Awards (gold and silver in four categories in 2016), the Efkranti Awards and the HR Community Conference & Awards. Celestyal was also a finalist at the UK’s WAVE Awards.
