PHOTO: There is plenty of outdoor lounge space onboard. Photos courtesy of Peter Knego.

The Louis Cristal is definitely a girl with a past, having sailed as the Viking Saga, Sally Albatross, Leeward, Taurus and Opera. In September, the ship underwent yet another incarnation when Louis Cruises created a new brand, Celestyal Cruises, under which the Louis Cristal and her sister, the Louis Olympia, will sail as Celestyal Cristal and Celestyal Olympia.

The new brand name, say Louis Cruises officials, plays off the words “celestial” “pertaining to the stars,” “heavenly” and “divine.” It was created, they say, as a way in which to honor the ancient Greeks, who were among the first to employ celestial navigation.

It should come as no surprise that Louis chose a brand name that heralds its Greek ancestry, since there is no other cruise company in business today that knows the ports of Greece better.

To be sure, Celestyal Cruises sails to such iconic Greek ports as Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes and Crete. But this year it raised the bar by introducing seven-day Idyllic Aegean itineraries that, in addition to calling at Mykonos and Santorini, also visit such lesser-known Greek destinations as Samos, Milos, Syros, Kos and Ios, along with the Turkish ports of Kusadasi, Cesme and Bodrum. (Next year, Bodrum will be eliminated from the itinerary and the Celestyal Cristal will spend a full day in Cesme.)

Travelers who opt to cruise with Cristal will find that the onboard experience also offers an immersion into Greek culture, which is reflected in the ship’s entertainment lineup and cuisine.

By today’s ship standards, the Cristal is diminutive. At 25,000 tons, the vessel can hold 1,200 passengers at full capacity but, more typically, the ship sails with 960, per person, double occupancy. It is, however, the perfect size for navigating the Aegean Sea, where the ship spends a good deal of time each year.

The Cristal, which was originally built in 1980 as a cruise ferry, is extremely comfortable and can be navigated very easily and quickly – and there’s definitely something to be said for being able to move from one public area to another in a nimble fashion. The ship has an international and European crew of 406. Its officers are Greek.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The ship features 476 staterooms and 17 stateroom categories, with 317 outside cabins and 163 inside cabins. Category XF staterooms on the Apollo deck (7), of which there are 53, are appointed with queen-size beds that can be configured as twins, picture windows, sitting areas with sofas, televisions, mini-refrigerators and writing desks. All staterooms are equipped with air conditioning, telephones, televisions and hairdryers.

There are 16 suites onboard the Cristal, including eight with balconies and two with a bathtub, shower and large balconies with private whirlpool tubs. Wi-Fi access and Internet are not available in staterooms. Internet and Wi-Fi services are available in public areas but at an additional charge when the ship is in port. The best service is available on decks 8, 9 and 10.

There is ample, but not overabundant, storage space in staterooms. The cabin service was superlative, with staterooms cleaned promptly and extremely professionally.

PUBLIC SPACES

PHOTO: The Eros Lounge is the perfect place to grab a drink.

Celestyal Cristal packs a lot of punch for a smaller ship, providing its guests with a generous array of public areas, which can be found on Decks 5, 8, 9 and 10.

Deck 5, Dionyssos, features a beautiful promenade deck and the small, sheltered outdoor Thalassa Bar. It is also where the reception area is located, along with a duty free and travel shop, shore excursions desk and photo shop.

Deck 8, Ouranos, is home to the Eros Lounge and the bottom of the two-deck Muses Lounge, the ship’s showroom. Deck 8 also houses a small casino with a bar.

In addition to the second story of the Muses Lounge, Deck 9, Hera, is also the site of the small Helios bar.

Deck 10, Zeus, features the panoramic Horizons Bar, which serves as a great place for a cocktail and doubles later in the evenings as a disco.

The ship’s pool is located on Deck 9, along with a small, well-equipped gym. Deck 8 features a small but very serviceable children’s area, which is open a couple of hours a day.

DINING

There are three dining options, including two main dining rooms and a buffet-style restaurant. The Olympus Restaurant is on Deck 5 and the Amalthia Restaurant is on Deck 8. The Leda buffet, on Deck 9, offers buffet-style meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In keeping with the ship’s Greek-inspired ambiance, passengers will find authentic Greek dishes that are really tasty.

Dinner entrees included eggplant imam, slowly cooked eggplant topped with onion ragout and feta cheese served with herbed tomato sauce; psari achnisto, poached Mediterranean fish fillet with artichoke rice pilaf, garlic bread and assyrtiko wine sauce flavored with thyme; and chicken leg lemonato, served with baked potato topped with antotyro cheese and grilled vegetables.

There were international items on the menu as well, such as grilled salmon brochettes and grilled beef rib eye with champignon sauce. The kitchen and waitstaff were happy to accommodate special requests, including gluten-free meals.

ITINERARIES

The “Idyllic” itinerary is available in three-, four- and seven-day segments. The three-day itinerary sails roundtrip from Piraeus to Mykonos, Kusadasi, Samos and Milos. The four-day cruise, roundtrip from Athens (Lavrion), visits Syros, Cesme, Kos, Ios and Santorini. In 2015, the seven-day itinerary, roundtrip from Piraeus, calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi, Samos, Milos, Lavrion, Syros, Cesme, Kos, Ios and Santorini.

The cruises are extremely flexible, enabling passengers to disembark in ports for hotel stays, and allowing them to rejoin the ship at another port of call. For instance, travelers can disembark in Mykonos and spend three nights there at a beautiful hotel owned and operated by Louis Group, the Theoxenia, then re-embark the ship.

PHOTO: The pool is located on Deck 9.

ACTIVITIES

All of the ship’s shore excursions not all of them are listed here were excellent, providing travelers with snapshot views of the destinations visited. The excursions cost significantly less for kids.

A half-day Ancient Ephesus and the Terrace Houses, which focuses on the houses that accommodated the city’s wealthy population, leaves plenty of time in Kusadasi for shopping ($81).

A four-hour Samos tour Samos: Pythagoras Island/Culture, Scenery, Winery first visits the Samos Wine Museum before traveling on to Kokkari, an incredibly picturesque and charming seaside village. A visit is also made to Pythagoreio, where Pythagoras was born. ($51)

In Kos, the four-hour Taste of Tradition with Zia visits a family-run winery at the foot of Mount Dikeos, and a family of beekeepers at Kefalos who produce honey. Then it’s on to Zia, which provides spectacular views of Kos. ($59)

In Ios, a four-hour Panoramic Ios: Skarkos Chora & Manganari Beach includes a visit to the archaeological site of Skarkos, a prehistoric settlement that was inhabited since the early Cycladic period. The excursion is topped off by a visit to the picture-perfect Manganari Beach for swimming and vegging. ($46)

The vehicle for Hidden Treasures of Marvelous Milos, a full-day tour, is a 55-foot wooden ship, which passes by scenic villages and mind-blowing rock formations. The real highlight is Kleftiko, with its fanciful volcanic landscape, where cruisers can again take a dip in gin-clear waters. ($59)

ENTERTAINMENT

Generally speaking, entertainment centers on all things Greek. One evening Demi, a Greek pop star, appeared in the Muses Lounge and, on another night, the lounge hosted a Greek Night show. The lounge was also the site of a 5 p.m. cooking demonstration, featuring the well-known Greek chef Parthena Ismyrnoglou, who demonstrated how to make dolmadakia, stuffed grape leaves; and melitzanes laderes, white eggplants with skotyri cheese and tomatoes in lemon and olive sauce.

CRUISING STYLE

This cruise is ideal for travelers who are looking for cultural immersion, since the ship offers such an extensive port experience. Excellent for seasoned cruisers who have done the Caribbean and Alaska and are looking for something a little bit more sophisticated and enriching.

ABOUT CELESTYAL

Fares for the seven-day Idyllic itinerary range from $1,139 to $ 2,779 per person, double occupancy, with SMART RATES, which are typically available when booking through March or April.

Celestyal pays 12 percent commission for cruise only, excluding port and service charges, and 10 percent commissions for pre-purchased shore excursions and beverage packages.

Louis and Celestyal Cruises has a dedicated travel agent registration section at www.louiscruises.com. Contact the line at (877) 568-4787 or cruising@louiscruises.com.