The Celestyal Journey is celebrating its 30th year of service in September. Currently sailing for Celestyal Cruises, the 55,000-ton ship was originally built for Holland America Line as the Ryndam.

Constructed in Italy at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, the ship was delivered to the U.S.-based company on September 9, 1994.

As the third vessel in Holland America’s S-class, the Ryndam spent its inaugural season sailing in the Caribbean.

After delivery, the 1,258-guest ship sailed to Fort Lauderdale, where it welcomed its first paying guests on October 20, 1994.

The maiden cruise took place a few days after the ship’s christening ceremony, which was held at Port Everglades and saw Madeleine Arison, wife of Carnival Corporation’s CEO Micky Arison, serving as the godmother.

After more than 20 years in service for Holland America Line, the Ryndam was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in 2015.

Before starting service for the brand in the South Pacific, the ship was renamed Pacific Aria and underwent a major refurbishment in Singapore.

Four years later, Carnival Corporation announced a deal to sell the ship to Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), who planned to operate it under its TransOcean Tours brand starting in 2021.

Honoring an Austrian explorer, the Pacific Aria was set to be renamed the Ida Pfeiffer for service in the German market.

However, the deal fell through when CMV was placed in administration during the early days of the pandemic.

In 2020, the ship was sold to Seajets and renamed Aegean Goddess before entering an extended layup in Greece.

Three years later, following yet another sale, the ship was acquired by its current operator, Celestyal Cruises.

Renamed Celestyal Journey, the vessel underwent a $21 million refit before commencing service in the Eastern Mediterranean in September 2023.

After completing its second summer program in Europe, the Journey is scheduled to make its debut in the Middle East later this year.

During the 2024-25 winter season, the vessel will offer three- to seven-night cruises departing from Doha, Qatar.