115-732: Celestyal Cruises (formed in 2014) is a succession to Louis Cruises and Louis Cruise Lines. The Cruise line was a subsidiary of Louis plc (founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus ) until November 2021 when Searchlight Capital Partners took a majority share within the Cruise Line. Celestyal Cruises has two cruise ships: the MS Celestyal Discovery and the MS Celestyal Journey . The cruise line operates out of Athens , Greece offering itineraries on
230-522: A coup d'état in Cyprus, to unite the island with Greece . The coup ousted president Makarios III and replaced him with pro- enosis nationalist Nikos Sampson . In response to the coup, five days later, on 20 July 1974, the Turkish army invaded the island, citing a right to intervene to restore the constitutional order from the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee . This justification has been rejected by
345-651: A 3,4- and 7-night basis around the Greek islands , Turkey , and the Eastern Mediterranean . It is reported that it carried 115,000 guests in 2019. Celestyal Cruises operated for six years in Cuba until 2018 and historically chartered ships to Marella Cruises , previously Thomson Cruises. Celestyal Cruises is a subsidiary of the Cyprus-based travel and tourism group Louis plc , that was founded in 1935 as
460-444: A Turkish polity in the north. Following nationalist violence in the 1950s , Cyprus was granted independence in 1960. The crisis of 1963–64 brought further intercommunal violence between the two communities, displaced more than 25,000 Turkish Cypriots into enclaves and brought the end of Turkish Cypriot representation in the republic. On 15 July 1974, a coup d'état was staged by Greek Cypriot nationalists and elements of
575-661: A base to protect the Ottoman Empire against possible Russian aggression. The island would serve Britain as a key military base for its colonial routes. By 1906, when the Famagusta harbour was completed, Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking the Suez Canal , the crucial main route to India which was then Britain's most important overseas possession. Following the outbreak of the First World War and
690-732: A ceasefire had been agreed, Turkey had landed 30,000 troops on the island and captured Kyrenia, the corridor linking Kyrenia to Nicosia, and the Turkish Cypriot quarter of Nicosia itself. The junta in Athens , and then the Sampson regime in Cyprus fell from power. In Nicosia, Glafkos Clerides temporarily assumed the presidency. But after the peace negotiations in Geneva , the Turkish government reinforced their Kyrenia bridgehead and started
805-531: A century starting in 708 BC, before a brief spell under Egyptian rule and eventually Achaemenid rule in 545 BC. The Cypriots, led by Onesilus , king of Salamis, joined their fellow Greeks in the Ionian cities during the unsuccessful Ionian Revolt in 499 BC against the Achaemenids. The revolt was suppressed, but Cyprus managed to maintain a high degree of autonomy and remained inclined towards
920-497: A dependent territory of the United Kingdom . The northeast portion of the island is de facto governed by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . Cyprus was first settled by hunter-gatherers around 13,000 years ago, with farming settlements emerging a few thousand years later. During the late Bronze Age , Cyprus, known in contemporary sources as Alashiya , developed an urbanised society closely connected to
1035-598: A final settlement of the Cyprus problem. Oceanic II (ship) MV Kungsholm was built in 1964/5 by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank , Scotland as a combined ocean liner / cruise ship for the Swedish American Line . She was later rebuilt as a full-time cruise ship sailing under the names Sea Princess , Victoria , Oceanic II and Mona Lisa . In September 2010 she
1150-759: A large image of the painting of the same name on her funnel. On 12 May 2004, in heavy fog, the Mona Lisa got stuck in the San Marco basin in Venice , in front of St Mark's Square . Holiday Kreuzfahrten declared bankruptcy in September 2006. Following the bankruptcy of Holiday Kreuzfahrten, Mona Lisa was briefly laid up at Piraeus , but in November 2006 she was chartered for use as a hotel ship in Doha , Qatar for
1265-596: A major supply base that was relatively safe from the Saracens . A year later Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar , who, following a bloody revolt, in turn sold it to Guy of Lusignan . His brother and successor Aimery was recognised as King of Cyprus by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor . Following the death in 1473 of James II , the last Lusignan king, the Republic of Venice assumed control of
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#17327914088061380-691: A member of the European Union . After the restoration of constitutional order and the return of Archbishop Makarios III to Cyprus in December 1974, Turkish troops remained, occupying the northeastern portion of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot parliament , led by the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş , proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is recognised only by Turkey. The events of
1495-451: A precedent to be avoided, and they took a pro-partition stance in response to the militant activity of EOKA. The Turkish Cypriots also viewed themselves as a distinct ethnic group of the island and believed in their having a separate right to self-determination from Greek Cypriots. Meanwhile, in the 1950s, Turkish leader Menderes considered Cyprus an "extension of Anatolia", rejected the partition of Cyprus along ethnic lines and favoured
1610-575: A second invasion on 14 August. The invasion resulted in Morphou , Karpass , Famagusta and the Mesaoria coming under Turkish control. International pressure led to a ceasefire, and by then 36% of the island had been taken over by the Turks and 180,000 Greek Cypriots had been evicted from their homes in the north. At the same time, around 50,000 Turkish Cypriots were displaced to the north and settled in
1725-487: A second voyage in early 2008. In June 2008 the discontinuation of the program was announced. Oceanic II reverted to the name Mona Lisa prior to her charter to German tour operator Lord Nelson-Seereisen of Erkelenz , Germany, which ran from 28 April to 31 August 2008. On 4 May 2008 Mona Lisa grounded in the Irbe Strait while leaving Riga . She suffered no major damage, but the passengers were evacuated from
1840-681: A semi-autonomous status, but they were still considered vassal subjects of the Great King. The island was conquered by Alexander the Great in 333 BC and Cypriot navy helped Alexander during the siege of Tyre (332 BC) . The Cypriot fleet was also sent to help Amphoterus . In addition, Alexander had two Cypriot generals Stasander and Stasanor both from the Soli and later both became satraps in Alexander's empire. Following Alexander's death,
1955-703: A short period, the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878 ( de jure until 1914). Cyprus was placed under the United Kingdom 's administration based on the Cyprus Convention in 1878 and was formally annexed by the UK in 1914. The future of the island became a matter of disagreement between the two prominent ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots . From
2070-571: A six-week season in the Adriatic homeporting at Venice from December 2020. In January 2020, Celestyal Cruises president Kostakis Loizou was honoured for his significant contribution to the Greek cruise industry during the annual general assembly of the Association of Cruise Ship Owners and Maritime Agencies (EEKFN). In February Theophilides revealed that the cruise line's estimated contribution to
2185-399: A €10m revolving credit facility. The agreement also provided for additional funding of up to €30m to support development plans. Louis would spin off Celestyal into a separate limited partnership company, Celestyal Holdings, in which Searchlight will hold a 60% stake. As a consequence of the pandemic, Celestyal Cruises suspended all cruises from 13 March 2020, and it was later decided to extend
2300-406: Is 201 metres (659 ft 5 in) long with a breadth of 26.5 metres (86 ft 11 in). The ship's passenger capacity was 713 as a transatlantic liner, but only 450 as a cruise ship before the addition of extra cabins increased the number of berths to 730. She carried 438 crew members. The maximum capacity utilizing upper (passenger) and lower (crew) berths is 994 persons. As Kungsholm ,
2415-582: Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , dating to approximately 6800 BC. During the Late Bronze Age , from around 1650 BC Cyprus (identified in whole or part as Alashiya in contemporary texts) became more connected to the wider Mediterranean world driven by the trade in copper extracted from the Troodos Mountains, which stimulated the development of urbanised settlements across the island, with records suggesting that Cyprus at this time
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#17327914088062530-495: Is believed to have taken place following the Late Bronze Age collapse of Mycenaean Greece from 1100 to 1050 BC, with the island's predominantly Greek character dating from this period. Cyprus occupies an important role in Greek mythology , being the birthplace of Aphrodite and Adonis , and home to King Cinyras , Teucer and Pygmalion . Literary evidence suggests an early Phoenician presence at Kition , which
2645-451: Is not used officially; "Republic of Cyprus" is used instead. Hunter-gatherers first arrived on Cyprus around 13–12,000 years ago (11,000 to 10,000 BC), based on dating of sites like Aetokremnos on the south coast and the inland site of Vretsia Roudias. The arrival of the first humans coincides with the extinction of the 75 cm (2.46 ft) high Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus and 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall Cyprus dwarf elephant ,
2760-536: Is used for cruises in Cuba and Greece, and the latter travels in Greece. In July Celestyal imposed a short-term pause in calls at Turkish ports in the wake of the failed coup there . In October, it was announced that Celestyal Cruises CEO, Kyriakos Anastassiadis, would become Chairman of Cruise Lines International Association Europe with effect from January 2017. In May, Celestyal launched its redesigned website which
2875-540: The Classical Latin word for copper through the phrase aes Cyprium , "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum . The standard demonym relating to Cyprus or its people or culture is Cypriot . The terms Cypriote and Cyprian (later a personal name ) are also used, though less frequently. The state's official name in Greek literally translates to "Cypriot Republic" in English, but this translation
2990-743: The Greek War of Independence broke out in 1821, several Greek Cypriots left for Greece to join the Greek forces. In response, the Ottoman governor of Cyprus arrested and executed 486 prominent Greek Cypriots, including the Archbishop of Cyprus, Kyprianos , and four other bishops. In 1828, modern Greece's first president Ioannis Kapodistrias called for union of Cyprus with Greece, and numerous minor uprisings took place. Reaction to Ottoman misrule led to uprisings by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, although none were successful. After centuries of neglect by
3105-454: The Greek military junta . This action precipitated the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 20 July, which led to the capture of the present-day territory of Northern Cyprus and the displacement of over 150,000 Greek Cypriots and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots. A separate Turkish Cypriot state in the north was established by unilateral declaration in 1983; the move was widely condemned by the international community , with Turkey alone recognising
3220-574: The Sea Diamond sunk off Santorini , Greece. All but two of the ship's passengers were safely evacuated, but the sinking resulted in a flurry of negative publicity for Louis. MV Oceanic II and MV Ruby were chartered as temporary replacements for the Sea Diamond , until MV Cristal – former Silja Line cruise ship MV Silja Opera – entered service in July 2007. In 2008 the Arielle
3335-532: The United Nations and the international community. The Turkish air force began bombing Greek positions in Cyprus, and hundreds of paratroopers were dropped in the area between Nicosia and Kyrenia, where well-armed Turkish Cypriot enclaves had been long-established; while off the Kyrenia coast, Turkish troop ships landed 6,000 men as well as tanks, trucks and armoured vehicles. Three days later, when
3450-534: The United States . She was re-registered in Liberia. In 1978 she was purchased by P&O and was sent to Vegesack for rebuilding by Bremer Vulkan. She had her appearance dramatically altered by the removal of the dummy forward funnel, reshaping of the remaining funnel, and the addition of extra cabins. Under UK registry her tonnage increased to 27,670 GRT, and she had accommodation for 750 passengers. She
3565-639: The division of his empire , and the subsequent Wars of the Diadochi , Cyprus became part of the Hellenistic empire of Ptolemaic Egypt . It was during this period that the island was fully Hellenised . In 58 BC Cyprus was acquired by the Roman Republic and became Roman Cyprus in 22 BC. When the Roman Empire was divided into Eastern and Western parts in 286, Cyprus became part of
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3680-456: The eurozone . The earliest attested reference to Cyprus is the 15th century BC Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀠𐀪𐀍 , ku-pi-ri-jo , meaning "Cypriot" (Greek: Κύπριος ), written in Linear B syllabic script. The classical Greek form of the name is Κύπρος ( Kýpros ). The etymology of the name is unknown. Suggestions include: Through overseas trade, the island has given its name to
3795-569: The 1998-acquired SS Ausonia to First Choice Holidays , one of Thomson's competitors in the UK market. By this time the Louis fleet consisted of a total of eight ships. Also in 1999, Louis acquired a stake in the Greece-based Royal Olympic Cruises . Royal Olympic was already in difficulties by the time Louis became involved with the company, and the 11 September 2001 attacks dealt a further blow, finally leading to
3910-529: The 19th century onwards, the Greek Cypriot population pursued enosis , union with Greece , which became a Greek national policy in the 1950s. The Turkish Cypriot population initially advocated the continuation of the British rule, then demanded the annexation of the island to Turkey, and in the 1950s, together with Turkey, established a policy of taksim , the partition of Cyprus and the creation of
4025-547: The 2009 northern summer season she again returned to Lord Nelson-Seereisen's program. From 26 January to 23 March 2010, Mona Lisa was used as floating accommodation at Squamish , British Columbia , Canada. During the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver and Whistler , approximately 1,400 crew, volunteers and paid staff were housed aboard. She resumed her voyages with Lord Nelson-Seereisen during 2010 from May until August, when her charter ended. Her future
4140-601: The British and went to Serbia ’s assistance, in order to fulfill her Treaty obligations under the Serbo-Greek pact of May 1913. It gave Greece a golden “opportunity” in achieving enosis with Cyprus. Alternatively it was a “lost opportunity” when the Zaimis administration declined the British proposal. In 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne , the nascent Turkish republic relinquished any claim to Cyprus, and in 1925 it
4255-552: The Celestyal fleet in Greece for Aegean cruises in 2018, when its charter to Marella Cruises , previously Thomson Cruises, had ended though in July 2018, the ship was sold to the Israeli company Mano Maritime . In January, Celestyal decided to pull out of Cuba after five seasons, citing the company's need to focus on the growing demand coming from its Greek operation. In June, Chris Theophilides succeeded Kyriakos Anastasiadis as
4370-502: The Celestyal's CEO, and in August Capt. George Koumpenas was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Leslie Peden to Chief Commercial Officer. The company announced in December 2018 that it was targeting a 21 percent growth in guest numbers from 108,000 in 2018 to a targeted number of 130,000 guests in 2019. In April Celestyal announced that it would be extending its 2020 season with a new winter itinerary for Celestyal Olympia , with
4485-556: The Church of Cyprus was in a position to end the constant encroachments of the Roman Catholic Church. Ottoman rule of Cyprus was at times indifferent, at times oppressive, depending on the temperaments of the sultans and local officials. The ratio of Muslims to Christians fluctuated throughout the period of Ottoman domination. In 1777–78, 47,000 Muslims constituted a majority over the island's 37,000 Christians. By 1872,
4600-549: The City of Gothenburg would only lease dock space for the ship to be berthed in Gothenburg for five years, and scrap buyers inspected her in the following weeks. However, the city of Stockholm expressed a sudden interest in letting Lars Hallgren berth and preserve Mona Lisa there, first for use as a student accommodation ship and then for use a permanently berthed hotel and museum. These plans ultimately fell through. After
4715-1307: The Cruise Line Revelation Award at the Excellence Awards in Cartagena, Spain. Celestyal received the Best Value Cruise Line of 2016 at Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards, as well as four Greek Tourism Awards in 2016. Also in 2017, Celestyal received five top Critic Cruiser's Choice Awards, as well as five awards at the Greek Tourism Awards. In December 2017, Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards recognized Celestyal with Best for Service. Marella Spirit also received three Cruise Critic UK Editors' Picks Awards. Cruise Critic UK Editors’ Picks Award in December 2018 awarded Celestyal Cruises for Best for Service and received four Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards: two first-place awards (for Shore Excursions and Value) and two second-place awards (for Service and Entertainment). In December 2019 Cruise Critic's 11th UK Editors’ Picks Awarded Celestyal Cruises Best for Service 2019. In August 2020, Celestyal Cruises
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4830-674: The EOKA organisation was founded, seeking union with Greece through armed struggle. At the same time the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT), calling for Taksim, or partition, was established by the Turkish Cypriots as a counterweight. British officials also tolerated the creation of the Turkish underground organisation TMT The Secretary of State for the Colonies in a letter dated 15 July 1958 had advised
4945-689: The East Roman Empire (also called the Byzantine Empire ), and would remain so for some 900 years. Under Byzantine rule, the Greek orientation that had been prominent since antiquity developed the strong Hellenistic-Christian character that continues to be a hallmark of the Greek Cypriot community. Beginning in 649, Cyprus endured repeated attacks and raids launched by Umayyad Caliphate . Many were quick raids, but others were large-scale attacks in which many Cypriots were killed and great wealth carried off or destroyed. The city of Salamis
5060-416: The Empire. There are no Byzantine churches which survive from this period, and the island entered a period of impoverishment. Full Byzantine rule was restored in 965, when Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas scored decisive victories on land and sea. In 1156 Raynald of Châtillon and Thoros II of Armenia brutally sacked Cyprus over a period of three weeks, stealing so much plunder and capturing so many of
5175-417: The Governor of Cyprus not to act against TMT despite its illegal actions so as not to harm British relations with the Turkish government. During British rule, the future of the island became a matter of disagreement between the two prominent ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots , who made up 77% of the population in 1960, and Turkish Cypriots , who made up 18% of the population. From the 19th century onwards,
5290-568: The Greek Cypriot police. The violence resulted in the death of 364 Turkish and 174 Greek Cypriots, destruction of 109 Turkish Cypriot or mixed villages and displacement of 25,000–30,000 Turkish Cypriots. The crisis resulted in the end of the Turkish Cypriot involvement in the administration and their claiming that it had lost its legitimacy; the nature of this event is still controversial. In some areas, Greek Cypriots prevented Turkish Cypriots from travelling and entering government buildings, while some Turkish Cypriots willingly withdrew due to
5405-405: The Greek Cypriot population pursued enosis , union with Greece , which became a Greek national policy in the 1950s. The Turkish Cypriot population initially advocated the continuation of the British rule, then demanded the annexation of the island to Turkey, and in the 1950s, together with Turkey, established a policy of taksim , the partition of Cyprus and the creation of a Turkish polity in
5520-659: The Greek DNA through the Greek love of life and to express it in a modernized interpretation of the brand design." The cruise programme was severely disrupted in 2020 and 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic . In January 2021 Celestyal Cruises entered a new partnership with Versonix Corporation to provide its Seaware booking platform to the cruise line. It was said that Versonix was chosen due to Seaware's enhanced revenue management and customer relationship management capabilities. Celestyal announced in October that it would return to cruising on March 14, 2022 with its offering of 3 and 4-night cruises followed by 7-night cruises on April 30, and
5635-486: The Greek economy for 2014-2018 had reached €102.5 million annually. He noted that €28m was in direct operating expenditure and €4.1m to Greek food and beverage suppliers. In November, Celestyal Cruises announced it had completed a brand refresh with a new logo and strapline - Experience Life, Experience the Journey. The new look brand would debut on its new flagship Celestyal Experience . Peter Economides, owner and founder of brand creator Felix BNI said, "We wanted to capture
5750-411: The Greek world. During the whole period of the Persian rule, there is a continuity in the reign of the Cypriot kings and during their rebellions they were crushed by Persian rulers from Asia Minor, which is an indication that the Cypriots were ruling the island with directly regulated relations with the Great King and there was not a Persian satrap . The Kingdoms of Cyprus enjoyed special privileges and
5865-399: The Ottoman Empire, the poverty of most of the people and the ever-present tax collectors fueled Greek nationalism, and by the 20th century the idea of union with newly independent Greece was firmly rooted among Greek Cypriots. Under Ottoman rule, numeracy, school enrolment and literacy rates were all low. They persisted some time after Ottoman rule ended, and then increased rapidly during
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#17327914088065980-405: The US President Lyndon B. Johnson on 5 June, warning that the US would not stand beside Turkey in case of a consequential Soviet invasion of Turkish territory. Meanwhile, by 1964, enosis was a Greek policy and would not be abandoned; Makarios and the Greek prime minister Georgios Papandreou agreed that enosis should be the ultimate aim and King Constantine wished Cyprus "a speedy union with
6095-426: The annexation of the whole island to Turkey. Nationalistic slogans centred on the idea that "Cyprus is Turkish" and the ruling party declared Cyprus to be a part of the Turkish homeland that was vital to its security. Upon realising that the fact that the Turkish Cypriot population was only 20% of the islanders made annexation unfeasible, the national policy was changed to favour partition. The slogan "Partition or Death"
6210-416: The calls of the Turkish Cypriot administration. Turkish Cypriots started living in enclaves . The republic's structure was changed, unilaterally, by Makarios, and Nicosia was divided by the Green Line , with the deployment of UNFICYP troops. In 1964, Turkey threatened to invade Cyprus in response to the continuing Cypriot intercommunal violence , but this was stopped by a strongly worded telegram from
6325-467: The collapse of Royal Olympic in 2004. During the early 2000s Louis further modernised their fleet by acquiring Calypso in 2000, and chartering MV Nieuw Amsterdam from Holland America Line in 2003, immediately sub-chartering her to Thomson as MV Thomson Spirit . In 2004 Louis acquired MV Aquamarine from the fleet of the UK-based Sun Cruises (which had gone out of business). Another former Sun Cruises ship, MV Thomson Destiny ,
6440-422: The company changed its name to Louis Cruises. In 2010 Louis Cruises became a five ship fleet due to having laying up the SS The Emerald & MS Sapphire due to the SOLAS 2010 and the selling of the MV Aquamarine in order to renew the fleet. In 2012 the company signed a new charter agreement with Thomson Cruises and the MS Louis Majesty will switch over and be on charter until 2017. By 1994
6555-418: The company had acquired three more ships, all of which were used in the short cruise market from Cyprus. In the mid-1990s Louis Cruise Lines entered the business of chartering ships to other companies, chartering MV Princesa Oceanica (renamed Sapphire ) to the UK-based Thomson Cruises in 1996. The following year the newly acquired The Emerald was also chartered to Thomson. In 1999 Louis chartered
6670-545: The company had acquired three more ships, all of which were used in the short cruise market from Cyprus. In return, the Thomson Destiny will return to the Louis fleet and will be renamed Louis Olympia . She will then be deployed on 3/4-day sailings out of Piraeus and Kusadasi to the Greek Islands and Turkey. The MS Sapphire was sold for scrap in May 2012, and the SS The Emerald was sold for scrap in August 2012, along with The Calypso late 2012, all three ships were laid up for two years due to SOLAS 2010 . The Coral
6785-404: The decision of the Ottoman Empire to join the war on the side of the Central Powers , on 5 November 1914 the British Empire formally annexed Cyprus and declared the Ottoman Khedivate of Egypt and Sudan a Sultanate and British protectorate . In October 1915, Britain offered Cyprus to Greece, ruled by King Constantine I of Greece , on the condition that Greece join the war on the side of
6900-409: The duration of the Asian Games . The charter to Qatar ended on 1 January 2007. In 2007, the ship was chartered by Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCC) and was renamed Oceanic II . From 30 April to 28 May 2007, Louis Hellenic Cruises sub-chartered the ship as a temporary replacement for Sea Diamond , which went aground off the coast of Santorini , Greece and sank earlier in April. Following this she
7015-441: The eastern Mediterranean Sea . It is geographically a part of West Asia , but its cultural ties and geopolitics are overwhelmingly Southeast European . Cyprus is the third largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is east of Greece , north of Egypt , south of Turkey , and west of Lebanon and Syria . Its capital and largest city is Nicosia . Cyprus also shares land borders with Akrotiri and Dhekelia ,
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#17327914088067130-432: The end of August 2021 and suspend its autumn and winter seasons due to the increasing number of travel restrictions. In October 2021, Celestyal Cruises announced that it would restart cruiss on March 14 of 2022 with their offering of 3 and 4-night cruises followed by 7-night cruises on April 30, 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Celestyal Cruises acquired the former Costa neoRomantica from Costa Cruises , and
7245-417: The ensuing occupation and the declaration of independence by the TRNC have been condemned by United Nations resolutions, which are reaffirmed by the Security Council every year. Attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute have continued. In 2004, the Annan Plan , drafted by then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan , was put to a referendum in both Cypriot administrations. 65% of Turkish Cypriots voted in support of
7360-425: The entire island, including its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone , with the exception of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia , which remain under the UK's control according to the London and Zürich Agreements . However, the Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts: the area under the effective control of the Republic, in the south and west and comprising about 59% of
7475-430: The failed attempt to return the ship to Sweden, she was bought by the Korean Daewoo company and moved to Duqm , Oman to become a floating hotel. Mona Lisa made her way from Germany to Piraeus , in September, 2010. Mona Lisa left Piraeus on October 11, bound for the Suez Canal and for use as an accommodation ship in Oman . She then arrived to Oman on October 26, 2010, where she was renamed Veronica , and spent
7590-420: The first significant demographic change since antiquity took place with the formation of a Muslim community. Soldiers who fought in the conquest settled on the island and Turkish peasants and craftsmen were brought to the island from Anatolia . This new community also included banished Anatolian tribes, "undesirable" persons and members of various "troublesome" Muslim sects, as well as a number of new converts on
7705-442: The first travel agency in Cyprus. During the 1970s the company began chartering ferries for short cruises Cyprus, which eventually led to the purchase of the cruiseferry MV Prinsessan from the Finland-based Birka Line for $ 4 million in 1987. Renamed MV Princesa Marissa , the ship started making cruises from Limassol to the Greek Isles, Egypt and Israel under the then newly established Louis Cruise Lines band. By 1994
7820-441: The following month said that Thessaloniki would be added as a homeport for its Idyllic Aegean itinerary. In November, Searchlight Capital Partners bought a majority stake in Celestyal Cruises. Louis plc, Celestyal's Cypriot parent, said that Searchlight, which had an asset portfolio valued at $ 6bn, would immediately provide an initial tranche of €30m ($ 33.8) in senior debt financing to the Piraeus-based cruise company, together with
7935-493: The former Ottoman Empire, including Cyprus and Asia Minor with a capital in Constantinople , and was actively pursued by the Cypriot Orthodox Church , which had its members educated in Greece. These religious officials, together with Greek military officers and professionals, some of whom still pursued the Megali Idea , would later found the guerrilla organisation EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston or National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters). The Greek Cypriots viewed
8050-415: The island as historically Greek and believed that union with Greece was a natural right. In the 1950s, the pursuit of enosis became a part of the Greek national policy. Initially, the Turkish Cypriots favoured the continuation of the British rule. However, they were alarmed by the Greek Cypriot calls for enosis , as they saw the union of Crete with Greece, which led to the exodus of Cretan Turks , as
8165-494: The island's area, and the north, administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 36% of the island's area. Another nearly 4% of the island's area is covered by the UN buffer zone . The international community considers the northern part of the island to be territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces. The occupation is viewed as illegal under international law and amounting to illegal occupation of EU territory since Cyprus became
8280-664: The island, while the late king's Venetian widow, Queen Catherine Cornaro , reigned as figurehead. Venice formally annexed the Kingdom of Cyprus in 1489, following the abdication of Catherine. The Venetians fortified Nicosia by building the Walls of Nicosia , and used it as an important commercial hub. Throughout Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire frequently raided Cyprus. In 1539 the Ottomans destroyed Limassol and so fearing
8395-495: The island. The Ottomans abolished the feudal system previously in place and applied the millet system to Cyprus, under which non-Muslim peoples were governed by their own religious authorities. In a reversal from the days of Latin rule, the head of the Church of Cyprus was invested as leader of the Greek Cypriot population and acted as mediator between Christian Greek Cypriots and the Ottoman authorities. This status ensured that
8510-577: The leading citizens and their families for ransom, that the island took generations to recover. Several Greek priests were mutilated and sent away to Constantinople. In 1185 Isaac Komnenos , a member of the Byzantine imperial family, took over Cyprus and declared it independent of the Empire. In 1191, during the Third Crusade , Richard I of England captured the island from Isaac. He used it as
8625-421: The minority Turkish Cypriots a permanent veto, 30% in parliament and administration, and granting the three mother-states guarantor rights. However, the division of power as foreseen by the constitution soon resulted in legal impasses and discontent on both sides, and nationalist militants started training again, with the military support of Greece and Turkey respectively. The Greek Cypriot leadership believed that
8740-423: The mother country". Greece dispatched 10,000 troops to Cyprus to counter a possible Turkish invasion. The crisis of 1963–64 had brought further intercommunal violence between the two communities, displaced more than 25,000 Turkish Cypriots into enclaves and brought the end of Turkish Cypriot representation in the republic. On 15 July 1974, the Greek military junta under Dimitrios Ioannides carried out
8855-460: The new ships. John Brown & Company of Clydebank , Scotland was selected to construct the new Kungsholm , and she was launched in 1965. She was fitted with two Swedish-built Götaverken nine-cylinder engines have a combined output of 25,200 shaft horsepower (18,800 kW ), which gave her a service speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph), although she achieved 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) during her sea trials . The ship
8970-698: The new state. These events and the resulting political situation are matters of a continuing dispute . Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean. The country has an advanced high-income economy . The Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1961 and was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. On 1 January 2008, Cyprus joined
9085-533: The next three years until October 2013, as a luxury floating hotel in the wilayat of Duqm. She was then laid up for two years. In November 2015 it was reported that although it was still hoped to take her back to Sweden as a hotel ship she had in fact already been sold for scrap and was being towed by the tug Kamarina to the ship breaking yard in Alang , India. She arrived in Alang in November and, after waiting for
9200-553: The north. Cyprus was granted independence in 1960, following an armed campaign spearheaded by EOKA. As per the Zürich and London Agreement , Cyprus officially attained independence on 16 August 1960, and at the time had a total population of 573,566; of whom 442,138 (77.1%) were Greeks, 104,320 (18.2%) Turks, and 27,108 (4.7%) others. The UK retained the two Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia , while government posts and public offices were allocated by ethnic quotas, giving
9315-456: The northern part of the island. In January 1950, the Church of Cyprus organised a referendum under the supervision of clerics and with no Turkish Cypriot participation, where 96% of the participating Greek Cypriots voted in favour of enosis . The Greeks were 80.2% of the total island's population at the time ( census 1946 ). Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955
9430-503: The only large mammals native to the island. Neolithic farming communities emerged on the island by around 10,500 years ago (8500 BC). Remains of an eight-month-old cat were discovered buried with a human body at a separate Neolithic site in Cyprus. The grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old (7500 BC), predating ancient Egyptian civilisation and pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly. The remarkably well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia
9545-605: The plan and 74% Greek Cypriots voted against the plan, claiming that it disproportionately favoured Turkish Cypriots and gave unreasonable influence over the nation to Turkey. In total, 66.7% of the voters rejected the Annan Plan . On 1 May 2004 Cyprus joined the European Union , together with nine other countries. Cyprus was accepted into the EU as a whole, although the EU legislation is suspended in Northern Cyprus until
9660-533: The population of the island had risen to 144,000, comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians. The Muslim population included numerous crypto-Christians , including the Linobambaki , a crypto-Catholic community that arose due to religious persecution of the Catholic community by the Ottoman authorities; this community would assimilate into the Turkish Cypriot community during British rule. As soon as
9775-470: The properties of the displaced Greek Cypriots. Among a variety of sanctions against Turkey, in mid-1975 the US Congress imposed an arms embargo on Turkey for using US-supplied equipment during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. There were 1,534 Greek Cypriots and 502 Turkish Cypriots missing as a result of the fighting from 1963 to 1974. The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over
9890-541: The purchase of MV Orient Queen and MV Sea Diamond , another former Baltic Sea cruise ferry purchased from Birka Line, while Calypso was chartered to Thomson and Aquamarine (renamed Arielle ) to Transocean Tours . Additionally Louis entered a franchise agreement with easyCruise to operate ships in the Eastern Mediterranean on behalf of easyCruise in the future. Disaster struck in April 2007 when
10005-713: The rights given to Turkish Cypriots under the 1960 constitution were too extensive and designed the Akritas plan , which was aimed at reforming the constitution in favour of Greek Cypriots, persuading the international community about the correctness of the changes and violently subjugating Turkish Cypriots in a few days should they not accept the plan. Tensions were heightened when Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios III called for constitutional changes , which were rejected by Turkey and opposed by Turkish Cypriots. Intercommunal violence erupted on 21 December 1963, when two Turkish Cypriots were killed at an incident involving
10120-464: The sale [of Celestyal Experience ] is expected to further support the liquidity of Celestyal Cruises." The ship was renamed Antares Experience by new owners, but sent for scrapping in November 2021. At the 2015 Greek Tourism Awards, Celestyal received four awards, one of which was the Gold Award for Themed Events. It also received two Silver Awards and one Bronze Award. The following year, it won
10235-649: The ship first entered service for the Swedish America Line in 1966 as a transatlantic ocean liner, the last liner built for the Gothenburg – New York City run. Although built for transatlantic service, she was also designed to spend a large proportion of the year cruising. In 1975, the Swedish America Line closed its passenger services and Kungsholm was sold to Flagship Cruises, who retained her name and used her for cruising from
10350-506: The ship on 5 May after unsuccessful efforts to free the ship from the sandbank. Mona Lisa was eventually pulled free on 7 May 2008. She subsequently sailed to a drydock in Ventspils , Latvia for inspection and returned to normal cruise traffic on 8 May 2008. Following the completion of her charter to Lord Nelson-Seereisen, Mona Lisa was chartered to Peace Boat for the duration of the 2008/2009 northern hemisphere winter season. For
10465-513: The ships back to Star Cruises/ Norwegian Cruise Line until November 2008 and December 2009, respectively. However, in September 2008 Louis cancelled the purchase of the Norwegian Dream due to "technical issues relating to the vessel". In May 2008 Louis Cruise Lines purchased Thomson Destiny and Thomson Spirit that had previously been operated under charter. At the same time Princesa Marissa and Serenade were sold for scrap. In 2009
10580-529: The summer of 1974 dominate the politics on the island, as well as Greco-Turkish relations . Turkish settlers have been settled in the north with the encouragement of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot states. The Republic of Cyprus considers their presence a violation of the Geneva Convention , whilst many Turkish settlers have since severed their ties to Turkey and their second generation considers Cyprus to be their homeland. The Turkish invasion,
10695-527: The suspension until 6 March 2021, due to the ongoing uncertainty about travelling to Europe that summer. Celestyal resumed cruises in June 2021 with its Idyllic Aegean itinerary. Celestyal Cruises put Celestyal Olympia into operation as a second ship in June 2021 with a new itinerary - Legendary Archipelago, visiting Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, Agios Nikolaos and Rhodes as well as Limassol in Cyprus. In August Celestyal announced that it would stop cruises at
10810-595: The twentieth century. In the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and the Congress of Berlin , Cyprus was leased to the British Empire which de facto took over its administration in 1878 (though, in terms of sovereignty, Cyprus remained a de jure Ottoman territory until 5 November 1914, together with Egypt and Sudan ) in exchange for guarantees that Britain would use the island as
10925-549: The upper classes, a growing Greek middle ranks , and the Lusignan royal household even marrying Greeks. This included King John II of Cyprus who married Helena Palaiologina . In 1570, a full-scale Ottoman assault with 60,000 troops brought the island under Ottoman control, despite stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. Ottoman forces capturing Cyprus massacred many Greek and Armenian Christian inhabitants. The previous Latin elite were destroyed and
11040-471: The vessel was renamed Celestyal Experience in August of that year. A year later, the company said, "due to the prolonged effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided not to increase the size of Celestyal Cruises’ fleet at this time and will instead continue to operate the cruise ships Celestyal Olympia and Celestyal Crystal which served the company's needs well prior to the pandemic. In addition,
11155-542: The wider Mediterranean world. Cyprus experienced waves of settlement by Mycenaean Greeks at the end of the 2nd millennium BC . It was subsequently occupied by several major powers , including the empires of the Assyrians , Egyptians and Persians , from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great . Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt , the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire , Arab caliphates for
11270-535: The worst, the Venetians also fortified Famagusta and Kyrenia . Although the Lusignan French aristocracy remained the dominant social class in Cyprus throughout the medieval period, the former assumption that Greeks were treated only as serfs on the island is no longer considered by academics to be accurate. It is now accepted that the medieval period saw increasing numbers of Greek Cypriots elevated to
11385-484: Was announced that Cruising with Jane new series would feature Celestyal's Idyllic Aegean Cruise featuring the Greek Islands. In June 2017, Greek urban pop band "REC" were onboard Celestyal Olympia to shoot the summer scenes of its new video clip entitled "A heart on the sand". Cyprus Cyprus ( / ˈ s aɪ p r ə s / ), officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country in
11500-653: Was awarded first prize at the MedCruise Awards 2020 for its solidarity initiatives amid the pandemic and its commitment to develop the cruise sector in the Eastern Mediterranean. Celestyal was featured in the final episode of the second season of Jane McDonald 's Channel 5 show, Cruising with Jane McDonald in 2017. McDonald went on a Cuban cruise that stopped in Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba and Montego Bay, Jamaica with an overnight in Havana. In January 2019 it
11615-433: Was chartered from a Norway-based investment company and sub-chartered to Thomson Cruises . The new acquisitions also made possible the sale of three of Louis' older vessels. Also in 2004, following the collapse of Royal Olympic Cruises, Louis Cruise Lines purchased two of their former ships at bargain prices and established their own Louis Hellenic Cruises brand for the Greek cruise market. Further expansion came in 2006 with
11730-617: Was declared a British crown colony . During the Second World War , many Greek and Turkish Cypriots enlisted in the Cyprus Regiment . The Greek Cypriot population, meanwhile, had become hopeful that the British administration would lead to enosis . The idea of enosis was historically part of the Megali Idea , a greater political ambition of a Greek state encompassing the territories with large Greek populations in
11845-931: Was designed to include cruise information as well as company news and details for its value program, Celestyal Inclusive Experience. Celestyal began a partnership with Hays Travel in September to expand its customer base across the UK, making its cruises available through Hays Tour Operating Limited. Celestyal has also partnered with Air Canada Vacations , Transat , Hola Sun Holidays, Apple Vacations , Iglu and Planet Cruise. In late 2017, Celestyal announced that it would be extending its cruise season in Greece to 10 months, including seven-night Aegean cruises with overnight destinations in Mykonos and Santorini, and that its 2019 Greek islands itineraries leaving from Piraeus, would have longer stays with more destinations, included Mykonos, Samos or Kusadasi, Patmos, Heraklion (Crete), Rhodes and Santorini. Louis Cruises would add their Majesty to
11960-520: Was destroyed and never rebuilt. Byzantine control remained stronger in the northern coast, the Arabs exerted more influence in the south. In 688, Emperor Justinian II and Caliph Abd al-Malik signed a treaty whereby Cyprus would be paying an equal amount of tribute to the Caliphate and tax to the Empire, but would remain politically neutral to both while being retained as a province administered by
12075-426: Was equipped with Denny Brown stabilizers and was one of the handful of British-built liners to have a bulbous bow . The vessel met all updated SOLAS requirements as of the 1992 modifications. The ship was originally measured at 26,678 gross register tons (GRT). After rebuilding for service with P&O, her tonnage increased to 27,670. Later she was measured at 28,891 gross tonnage (GT). She
12190-530: Was frequently used in Turkish Cypriot and Turkish protests starting in the late 1950s and continuing throughout the 1960s. Although after the Zürich and London conferences Turkey seemed to accept the existence of the Cypriot state and to distance itself from its policy of favouring the partition of the island, the goal of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders remained that of creating an independent Turkish state in
12305-442: Was operated by Pullmantur Cruises (a subsidiary of RCC) for the 2007 northern hemisphere summer season. The ship was refitted to become an educational vessel for The Scholar Ship international education program, a cooperative venture between seven major world universities and RCC. The Scholar Ship offered undergraduate and graduate semester programs during four-month voyages. The inaugural voyage embarked in September 2007, with
12420-547: Was renamed Sea Princess and initially based in Australia. From 1981 Sea Princess alternated between deployments with P&O's UK fleet and the subsidiary Princess Cruises fleet. Multiple episodes of The Love Boat were filmed on board when deployed in Australia. As her deployments changed, so did the colour of her funnel; buff (yellow) for P&O, white with the Sea Witch logo for Princess Cruises . In 1995 she
12535-613: Was renamed Victoria and for the rest of her career with P&O Cruises operated out of Southampton . The name change was to allow a new addition to the Princess Cruises fleet to be named Sea Princess . In 1999/2000 Victoria was chartered for the Union-Castle Line centenary voyage and had her funnel repainted in that company's livery. In 2002 she was sold by P&O and sailed for Holiday Kreuzfahrten of Düsseldorf as Mona Lisa until 2006, bearing
12650-403: Was retired from service as she did not fulfill requirements to SOLAS 2010 , becoming the floating hotel Veronica , before being scrapped in 2016. The Kungsholm was designed by the longtime Swedish American Line technical director Eric Christiansson, who had designed all Swedish American Line new-builds since 1938, and introduced the trademark double stack, streamline profile to the majority of
12765-475: Was returned from her charter to Transocean Tours, reverted to her earlier name Aquamarine and entered service under the Louis Hellenic Cruises brand. By early 2008 the Louis Hellenic Cruises brand appeared to have been abandoned. In April 2008 Louis Cruise Lines agreed to purchase MV Norwegian Dream and MV Norwegian Majesty from Star Cruises . The agreement at the time was to charter
12880-710: Was ruled by "kings" who corresponded with the leaders of other Mediterranean states (like the pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt , as documented in the Amarna letters ). The first recorded name of a Cypriot king is Kushmeshusha , as appears on letters sent to Ugarit in the 13th century BC. At the end of the Bronze Age, the island experienced two waves of Greek settlement. The first wave consisted of Mycenaean Greek traders, who started visiting Cyprus around 1400 BC. A major wave of Greek settlement
12995-650: Was scrapped in late 2013, and the Louis Crista was charted to Cuba Cruises, but still operating under the Louis brand. In early 2014, Louis Cruises announced a new livery. All Louis ships will receive a Louis Cruises logo on their white hall, along with a red and blue stripe next to it. The "Louis Olympia" was the first ship to receive the new livery in early February 2014. Celestyal renovated some of its fleet in 2015. 43 new balconies were added to Celestyal Crystal , and 227 outside cabins, 21 junior suites, and nine suites were refurbished on Celestyal Olympia . The former
13110-660: Was then uncertain as she did not comply with the new SOLAS passenger safety regulations coming into effect in October 2010. A letter of intent was signed between the ship's owners and Swedish entrepreneur Lars Hallgren for the acquisition of the ship in 2010. Hallgren planned to use the ship as a floating hotel in Gothenburg . Should his plans have been realized, certain features of the Kungsholm ' s original appearance, such as her two funnels, would have been restored. Hallgren withdrew his offer to purchase Mona Lisa because
13225-608: Was under Tyrian rule at the beginning of the 10th century BC. Some Phoenician merchants who were believed to come from Tyre colonised the area and expanded the political influence of Kition. After c. 850 BC, the sanctuaries [at the Kathari site] were rebuilt and reused by the Phoenicians. Cyprus is at a strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian Empire for
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