Celestyal Cruises recently announced several updates to its fare structure and fleet, such that travel advisors will soon be able to make even more commissions with the brand.
Lee Haslett, the line’s chief commercial officer, and Brandon Townsley, its vice president and managing director for North America, introduced the modifications and shared other updates, including an uptick in North American guests for 2025.
Celestyal One and CelestyalPay
Citing general client and agent confusion with the brand’s existing “Experience” and “Experience Plus” packages, Haslett described “Celestyal One” as a combined single-fare replacement. The solution will soon bundle the cruise fare, free basic Wi-Fi (for browsing, emails and certain messaging apps), port fees, taxes and crew gratuities, plus filtered coffee, tea, water and juice throughout the day (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and free soft drinks in the main restaurants at meal times. Faster Wi-Fi for streaming can be purchased as an upgrade.
To simplify its previous beverage packages, which will be eliminated, there will be a new “CelestyalPay” option allowing guests to preload an account with funds for any non-complimentary food and drink purchases.
Guests can either add funds to their account as they cruise or prior to boarding; the latter option offers the chance to get bonus credits. Unlike previous beverage packages that required purchase for both cabin guests, CelestyalPay has no restrictions and can even be spent on others outside of one’s stateroom.
The line also announced an increase in its complimentary dining options. Joining the Thalassa main restaurant and the Taverna buffet are the Greek Deli and the Pizza Oven.
Townsley explained that the brand is always looking to increase value, but that included wine and beer at meals were not as appealing to North Americans as internet access, which is now an expectation among travelers.
Crucial to agents, both Celestyal One and CelestyalPay will be commissionable (in the past, some complimentary portions were not).
Also being developed, according to Haslett, is an AI tool to further estimate how much customers should load onto CelestyalPay to cover all their desired onboard experiences.
The new programs will apply to all reservations beginning Dec. 11, 2024, for voyages departing March 21, 2025, and later.
Changes to Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey
In other news from Celestyal, the line is set to enhance Celestyal Discovery with the addition of 47 new staterooms and suites to increase its guest capacity by 7.4%.
Displacing underutilized portions of deck 11 will be two Grand Horizon Suites, 30 new Junior Dream Suites and 15 more interior Cosmos Cabins. The Grand Horizon suites will sit above the bridge for unique forward-facing views.
In other changes, Smoked Olive will become a dedicated restaurant for suite guests, while a bonus pop-up regional dining venue will be privately bookable, as well.
Customers in premium staterooms will also receive a new lineup of perks: priority check-in, a pillow menu and daily cocktail hours. A “Sail Away” party will be hosted for all balcony and suite occupants, and access to the private Ray’s Sundeck and Cabanas area will be exclusive to those in Grand Dream and Grand Horizon Suites.
Discovery’s improvements are scheduled to be completed by April 2025, and its new cabins will first go on sale Dec. 10.
Meanwhile, on Celestyal Journey, Grand Suite guest perks will extend to complimentary Thermal Spa Suite access and a “bottomless” minibar for the Stargazer Penthouse Suite.
