It’s the end of an era. After just about 42 years of service, the now-retired Celestyal Crystal is officially being scrapped.
It was an impressive career at sea – as most cruise ships only remain in service for about 30 years. But alas, all good things must come to an end.
The 1,200-guest ship has arrived at the famous Alang Shipbreaking Yard in India and has been beached to begin the dismantling process, which can take several months (or even over a year) to complete.
Though the 25,611-gross-ton vessel sailed under many names and brands over the course of her career – which first began in 1980 – her last real stint as a cruise ship was with Celestyal Cruises.
But once the small two-ship cruise line acquired the newer Celestyal Journey from Holland America Line at the beginning of 2023, the decision was made to phase out the older vessel. Her final voyage for the Greek brand was in August of that year.
Since her retirement, the older ship has mostly been on an extended layup of nearly two years in the Eastern Mediterranean.
At some point earlier in 2025, reports show that she was sold to a smaller company, and per cruise tracking data, was renamed as Sun Bright. It’s unclear who the new owners were, as reports are mixed on if the company is Greek or located in the United Arab Emirates.
Either way, she sailed one final voyage in April of 2025 under her new name before being set for scrapping – with the decision likely made because of wear and tear due to her age and maintenance costs.
Celestyal Crystal will also be in good company at the scrapyard. SunStone Ships’ 40-year old Ocean Atlantic arrived for dismantling earlier in May, and Royal Caribbean’s former Song of America was beached at the beginning of the year.
An Impressive – and Varied – History
Believe it or not, Celestyal Crystal was not first designed to be a cruise ship. When she first entered service in 1980, she did so as a cruise ferry known as MS Viking Saga under Rederi Ab Sally.
Her main purpose was taking passengers between Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsinki and Turku in Finland rather than providing a luxury vacation experience onboard. To this day, she is still known as the first genuine ferry to operate in Finland.
But as early as 1986, Viking Saga became Sally Albatross (I) and was remodeled for use as a cruise ship at the Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard – though a fire onboard inhibited construction and she wasn’t a full cruise ship on a technicality by the time she re-entered service.
She primarily cruised around the Baltic Sea until she was sold to the Effoa and Johnson Line in 1987. This is when she was fully re-built as a cruise ship in Germany – complete with restaurants, night club, conference centers, and more.
Read Also: The Former Norwegian Cruise Ships: What Happened to Them?
Her early cruise days mostly went on without a hitch until January 1990, when a massive fire broke out while the ship was docked in the Finnboda Shipyard in Nacka, Sweden for another remodel to improve the cruising experience.
The ship burned extensively for three days because the automatic sprinkler system was turned off while undergoing her latest re-model and the fire hydrants nearby were discovered to be dry.
However, she underwent a massive reconstruction – in which she essentially rose from the ashes as a new and improved cruise ship with an increased capacity – and was renamed Sally Albatross (II).
Before winding up at Celestyal Cruises in 2011 (when the brand was still called Louis Cristal), she had many other names – including Leeward, SuperStar Taurus, Sija Opera, and Opera.
She even sailed under Norwegian Cruise Line for several years, which helped introduce her to international cruise traffic.
