CELESTYAL JOURNEY
August 22, 2026 | Piraeus (Athens), Greece
On August 22, 2026, the Celestyal Journey (Celestyal Cruises) was in Piraeus, Greece, during her summer season in the Mediterranean. Originally entering service as Holland America Line’s Ryndam in 1994, the ship has sailed under several names and operators during a career spanning more than three decades.
On August 22, 2026, the Celestyal Journey (Celestyal Cruises) was in Piraeus, Greece, during her summer season in the Mediterranean. Originally entering service as Holland America Line’s Ryndam in 1994, the ship has sailed under several names and operators during a career spanning more than three decades.
Built in Italy as the third member of Holland America Line’s Statendam class, Celestyal Journey is considerably smaller than many contemporary cruise ships. After careers with Holland America Line and P&O Cruises Australia, the ship underwent an extensive refurbishment before entering service with Celestyal Cruises in 2023.
Information List
Name: Celestyal Journey
Operator: Celestyal Cruises
Former Names: Ryndam, Pacific Aria, Aegean Goddess
Year Launched: 1993
Year Entered Service: 1994
Shipyard: Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy
Class: Statendam Class
Length: Approximately 719 feet (219 meters)
Beam: Approximately 101 feet (30.8 meters)
Tonnage: 55,877 GT
Passenger Capacity: 1,260
Passenger Cabins: 630
Decks: 12
Flag: Malta
IMO Number: 8919269
Facilities Include: Seven restaurants, eight bars and lounges, two swimming pools, spa and wellness facilities, fitness center, theater, casino, shopping areas, and extensive open decks
History and Features
Construction and Launch:
The ship now known as Celestyal Journey was constructed by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy, for Holland America Line.
She was originally named Ryndam and was the third member of the Statendam class.
The class also included Statendam, Maasdam, and Veendam.
Ryndam was launched in 1993 and entered passenger service in 1994.
At approximately 55,000 gross tons, the Statendam-class ships represented an important expansion and modernization of the Holland America fleet during the 1990s.
Their relatively moderate size allowed them to operate a wide variety of itineraries while retaining the traditional design characteristics associated with Holland America Line.
The ship was constructed at the same Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone that has since produced numerous generations of modern cruise ships.
Holland America Line – Ryndam:
Ryndam entered service with Holland America Line in 1994.
She spent more than two decades with the company and operated cruises throughout numerous regions of the world.
Her itineraries included Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal, and other destinations.
The ship became particularly associated with Holland America’s traditional style of cruising and longer destination-focused itineraries.
Ryndam retained the line’s familiar dark hull for much of her Holland America career.
During her years with Holland America, the ship received periodic refurbishments and upgrades to keep her passenger spaces current.
After approximately 21 years of service with Holland America Line, plans were announced to transfer Ryndam and sister ship Statendam to P&O Cruises Australia.
Ryndam completed her final Holland America Line cruise in 2015.
Pacific Aria – P&O Cruises Australia:
Following her departure from Holland America Line, Ryndam underwent a major refurbishment before entering service with P&O Cruises Australia.
She was renamed Pacific Aria.
Pacific Aria and former sister ship Statendam, renamed Pacific Eden, joined the P&O Cruises Australia fleet in November 2015.
Their introduction represented a significant expansion of P&O Cruises Australia and brought a different style of ship to the fleet.
The former Holland America interiors were substantially redesigned to create a more contemporary atmosphere for the Australian market.
Pacific Aria operated cruises from Australian ports to destinations throughout Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and surrounding regions.
She remained with P&O Cruises Australia until the disruption of the cruise industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carnival Corporation subsequently accelerated plans to remove both Pacific Aria and Pacific Dawn from the P&O Cruises Australia fleet.
Aegean Goddess and Transition Period:
After leaving P&O Cruises Australia, the ship was sold to Seajets in 2020.
She was renamed Aegean Goddess.
Although acquired during a period when Seajets purchased several former cruise ships, Aegean Goddess did not begin regular passenger service for the company.
She instead spent much of this period laid up as the cruise industry recovered from the pandemic.
This relatively brief chapter connected her Australian career with her eventual return to active Mediterranean cruise service.
Acquisition by Celestyal Cruises:
Celestyal Cruises announced its acquisition of the former Aegean Goddess in February 2023.
The ship was renamed Celestyal Journey.
Her acquisition represented a major fleet investment for Celestyal and provided the company with a larger and more extensively equipped ship than the vessels it had traditionally operated.
Before entering service, approximately €20 million was invested in an extensive refurbishment.
Passenger accommodations, restaurants, bars, lounges, public spaces, and other areas were renovated.
The refurbishment also introduced a greater proportion of premium accommodations and suites.
Celestyal Journey entered service for Celestyal Cruises in September 2023.
Service:
Since joining Celestyal Cruises, Celestyal Journey has operated destination-focused cruises in the Mediterranean, Greek Islands, and surrounding regions.
Piraeus has been an important port in the ship’s Celestyal career because of the company’s strong focus on Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.
Her itineraries have included destinations in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and other Mediterranean countries.
Celestyal has also expanded the ship’s deployments beyond its traditional Greek cruising program.
Celestyal Journey has operated cruises in the Arabian Gulf as part of the company’s expansion into year-round cruising.
During 2026, her program includes Mediterranean and Greek Islands cruising as well as seasonal deployments outside Europe.
On August 22, 2026, Celestyal Journey was in Piraeus during her Mediterranean season.
As of September 2026, she remains in active service with Celestyal Cruises.
Refit and Interior Features:
The approximately €20 million refurbishment completed before the ship entered Celestyal service transformed many of the vessel’s passenger areas.
The ship has 630 passenger cabins, including 149 balcony accommodations.
Approximately 120 of the ship’s accommodations are junior suites, suites, or grand suites.
The ship offers seven restaurants and eight bars and lounges.
Dining options range from casual venues to specialty restaurants.
Public spaces include a theater, casino, shopping areas, lounges, and entertainment venues.
Two swimming pools provide outdoor recreation space.
The ship also includes spa and wellness facilities and a fitness center.
Although extensively modernized, the ship retains the proportions and general layout of a mid-sized 1990s cruise ship.
Design and Features:
At approximately 55,877 gross tons and 719 feet long, Celestyal Journey is much smaller than most newly built cruise ships operating today.
Her size allows her to provide a more traditional mid-sized cruise experience while accessing ports that can be challenging for considerably larger vessels.
Her exterior still clearly reflects the Statendam-class design introduced by Holland America Line during the early 1990s.
A long traditional bow, relatively low superstructure, and tiered stern distinguish the ship from newer generations of large resort-style cruise vessels.
Despite several changes in ownership and extensive interior renovations, the ship remains readily recognizable as a member of the original Statendam class.
Her combination of older exterior architecture and repeatedly modernized passenger spaces reflects the ship’s unusually varied career.
Statendam Class:
The Statendam class consisted of four ships constructed by Fincantieri for Holland America Line during the 1990s.
The class included Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam, and Veendam.
These vessels played an important role in the modernization and expansion of Holland America Line following its acquisition by Carnival Corporation.
Their design balanced relatively traditional ocean-liner-inspired styling with the amenities expected aboard contemporary cruise ships of the period.
All four ships eventually left Holland America Line after lengthy careers.
Several members of the class subsequently enjoyed significant second careers with other cruise operators.
Celestyal Journey remains one of the surviving examples of this important generation of Holland America ships.
Legacy:
Celestyal Journey has experienced an unusually varied career spanning more than three decades and several very different cruise markets.
As Ryndam, she spent approximately 21 years with Holland America Line and became part of a generation of ships that helped modernize the company’s fleet.
Her second major career as Pacific Aria brought the vessel to the Australian and South Pacific cruise markets.
Following the short-lived Aegean Goddess period, her acquisition by Celestyal returned the ship to regular passenger service and brought her back to the Mediterranean.
Her 2023 refurbishment demonstrated the continued usefulness of well-maintained mid-sized cruise ships at a time when many major cruise lines were moving toward vessels exceeding 150,000 gross tons.
More than 30 years after entering service as Ryndam, the ship continues to operate an active cruise schedule.
The August 22, 2026 images from Piraeus document Celestyal Journey during another chapter in a career that has taken the ship from Holland America Line to Australia and eventually back to the Mediterranean with Celestyal Cruises.
