Louis Cruises

Louis Cruises was the cruise brand of the Cypriot Louis Group. Its history combines the development of its own cruise business with chartering ships to other operators. In 2014, Louis plc introduced the Celestyal Cruises brand, continuing its passenger-facing presence in the eastern Mediterranean under a new name, while ship ownership and charter activities also remained part of the business. The distinction between a brand, shipowner and operator is explained in the guide to cruise lines, operators and brands.

Building the cruise business

The Louis Group began operating and managing cruise ships in 1986. After 1989, it rapidly expanded this division and acquired a fleet of 13 ships. In 1996, Louis chartered a cruise ship to Thomson Cruises for the first time. This meant that Louis provided a ship for another company’s travel programme, rather than offering the voyage solely under its own brand.

The company’s formation and stock market history have their own dates: Louis plc was established in Nicosia in 1998 as a private company under the name Louis Cruise Lines Ltd. Its purpose was to bring together the Louis Group’s shipowning and related cruise companies. In 1999, the company issued new shares, which were listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange.

In the years before the brand change, the fleet also served the Aegean. A Greek-themed itinerary launched in 2013 focused on well-known island destinations such as Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes and Santorini, and combined them with themes of Greek cuisine, wine, archaeology, history and music. In 2014, Louis cruises also called at Chios, Ios, Kos, Milos, Samos, Symi and Syros, as well as the Turkish ports of Bodrum and Çeşme. The route and themes combined classic island stops with lesser-known ports and an onboard programme centred on Greece.

Relationship with Louis plc

In August 2014, Louis Cruises announced the new Celestyal Cruises brand. From 2015, the ships Louis Cristal and Louis Olympia, operating from Piraeus and Lavrion, were to sail under this name. The Louis Cristal can be found in the ship profile under its later name, Celestyal Crystal. For 2015, the company announced additional calls in the Ionian and Adriatic Seas and along the Dalmatian coast. Louis also said it would continue its cruise, ship management and chartering activities. The new brand therefore represented its regional cruise offering, not an end to all the group’s other shipping activities. The current profile of Celestyal Cruises builds on this Greek-themed brand.

The relationship between Louis plc and Celestyal changed again later. In November 2021, Louis plc announced a recapitalisation of Celestyal Cruises Limited and a strategic partnership with Searchlight Capital Partners. Following this transaction, Louis plc describes Celestyal as an associated company rather than a subsidiary.