First of four Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium Class ships completes eagerly anticipated refit. Celebrity Cruises coined the word “Solsticized” in January, and yesterday, the meaning behind it became reality for guests embarking on Celebrity Constellation in Amsterdam.

Following an ambitious 15-day drydock and revitalisation period, Celebrity Constellation now boasts some of the most popular venues found on the line’s widely-heralded Solstice Class ships, including the tantalising Tuscan Grille steakhouse; the vibrant creperie, Bistro on Five; a “cool” new ice-topped Martini Bar; the inviting Café al Bacio and Gelateria; Cellarmasters wine bar, complete with the state-of-the-art wine serving systems known as “Enomatics,” allowing guests to select and serve wines by the glass, at the touch of a button; more sumptuous suites, with all new furniture, flat-screen TVs, upholstery, bedding and carpeting; restyled staterooms, with entirely new carpeting, flat-screen TVs, upholstery and bedding; and new colour schemes, carpeting and upholstery reflective of the Solstice Class’ stylish, modern design in every public venue. 

“Our newly-Solsticized Celebrity Constellation is a significant outgrowth of our ‘Designed for you’ brand platform, built around our longtime commitment to identifying and designing what our guests want,” said Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “By adding Solstice Class features that we know our guests love to our already award-winning Millennium Class ships – with the impeccable service our spectacular crew delivers across the entire fleet – we’re confident we have a winning combination, expressly designed for discerning cruisers.”

Celebrity Constellation is the first of the line’s four Millennium-class ships to be “Solsticized.” Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Summit will be similarly refurbished in 2011, followed by Celebrity Millennium in 2012. 

The revitalisation is only part of Celebrity Cruises’ Designed for you platform, which – when combined with the brand’s Celebrity Life onboard experiences, more robust Captain’s Club loyalty programme, and other brand enhancements – represents a nearly $200-million investment.

Following her current seven-night cruise through the breathtaking Norwegian Fjords, Celebrity Constellation will present a series of 12-night Scandinavia and Russia cruises, followed by an 8-night Northern Europe and Mediterranean cruise from Amsterdam to Barcelona, where the ship will operate a series of roundtrip, seven-night Mediterranean sailings, before a 14-night transatlantic voyage departing Barcelona 6 November 2010 ending in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There, Celebrity Constellation will offer two consecutive 14-night Exotic Caribbean cruises, prior to embarking on a 15-night Panama Canal voyage from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego on 18 December 2010.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity Cruises also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity Cruises’ mega-series of honours include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity Cruises’ fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its USD $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history. 

Recreate the luxury of a globe trotters’ favourite hip bar and restaurant with the new ‘Martini Crate – A Crate For A Cruise’’ from the Gluttonous Gardener developed in partnership with Celebrity Cruises to celebrate the launch of new ship Celebrity Eclipse. 

Enjoy creating your own home made martini using the enclosed martini glass, Quarter bottle of Grey Goose Vodka and miniature bottles of vermouth, and relax with the scent of a real olive tree – all designed to tempt lounge lovers to escape to the high seas. 

The new ‘Martini Crate’ offers a taste of what new ship, Celebrity Eclipse, has to offer including top notch cocktails in the onboard Martini Bar, recipe ideas from onboard executive chef Jacques Van Staden, and a real olive tree to give a preview of Mediterranean destinations. 

The ‘Martini Crate’ from the Gluttonous Gardener and Celebrity Cruises features:

• A young olive tree in a terracotta pot

• A martini glass

• A 20cl bottle of Grey Goose Vodka

• Two miniature bottles of Vermouth

• The perfect recipe for a Martini 

• Recipe cards by Celebrity Cruises’ executive chef Jacques Van Staden

• Full care and cultivation instructions 

Jo Rzymowska, Associate Vice President and General Manager UK & Ireland, Celebrity Cruises, UK and Ireland explained:

“With a real onboard lawn where everyone can enjoy walking bare foot in the sunshine, new ship Celebrity Eclipse is the destination for the discerning traveller with a passion for all things green-fingered.  The new ‘Martini Crate’, beautifully hand-packaged in one of the Gluttonous Gardener’s rustic wooden crates shows off a little of the treats Celebrity Eclipse has to offer and whisks people away to enjoy a sample of what life onboard is like. We hope our ‘Martini Crate’ inspires more people to pack their suitcases and come and enjoy an unforgettable cruise on Celebrity Eclipse.” 

Available to order from the Gluttonous Gardener at www.glut.co.uk or call 020 7627 0800, the ‘Martini Crate’ costs £60 (excluding delivery) and offers an exclusive preview of life onboard the new cruise ship, Celebrity Eclipse. 

For more information on new ship Celebrity Eclipse from Celebrity Cruises see www.celebritycruises.co.uk, call 0845 456 0523 or talk to a travel agent. 

Celebrity Eclipse offers its 2,850 guests access to a real grass onboard Lawn Club, a hot glass show from the Corning Museum of Glass, over 18 bars and restaurants including a martini bar, plus a spa complete with treatment rooms offering pampering experiences from hot stone massages to Botox. The ship will be based in Southampton for summer 2010 offering cruises throughout the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, as well as short taster cruises to destinations in France and Ireland. 

Pre-cruise booking of new onboard drinks options

Inspired by its “Designed for you” brand platform and guests’ positive response to being able to pre-book aspects of their cruise holiday such as shore excursions and specialty dining reservations, Celebrity Cruises has created a way for guests to buy a variety of drinks packages before their cruise.

 “We took our guests’ favourite beverages and bundled them into packages that are simple to order from home,” said Jacques Van Staden, Vice President, Culinary Operations. “By the time guests board the ship, they can relax knowing that their favourite drinks are arranged for; they can then focus on enjoying themselves in the spa, exploring destinations through shore excursions, or simply lounging by the pool.”
 
As a result of extensive research and past guests’ feedback, Celebrity Cruises has created four brand-new drinks packages. These include two classic options and two premium options.
The “Classic Non-Alcoholic Package” features fountain and canned fizzy drinks, bottled and fresh-squeezed juices, premium coffee and bottled water, and is available at $14.95 per person, per day.
The “Premium Non-Alcoholic Package” includes everything in the classic non-alcoholic package plus specialty non-alcoholic coffee drinks, additional name-brand bottled water choices, canned energy drinks and flavoured bottled water offerings, smoothies and frozen non-alcoholic drinks, and is available at $18.40 per person, per day.
Celebrity Cruises’ new “Classic Package” features everything in the classic non-alcoholic package plus beers with a retail value of up to five US dollars per serving and spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass with a retail value of up to eight US dollars per serving, and costs guests $44.85 per person, per day.

The “Premium Package” features all the premium beverages in the premium non-alcoholic package plus all beers, and spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass with a retail value of up to 12 US dollars per serving, and is available for $56.35 per person, per day. All prices include a standard 15 percent service charge.
 
“Based on our guests’ feedback about what an ideal beverage package offering would comprise and cost, we designed the premium packages to offer even greater value than the classic packages,” said Van Staden. “Essentially, the larger the package, the greater the savings to the guest.”
 
Celebrity Cruises is also offering its wine packages for pre-booking. These include the “Sommelier’s Package,” the choice of a three-, five-, or seven-bottle lineup of premium international wines; a wider variety of wines available in a “Captain’s Package” or a “Build Your Own” wine package designed for guests who want to maximise their personal taste in wine while enjoying a discount. The “Build Your Own” package allows wine connoisseurs to select three upper-range bottles of wine that each cost at least $75, and enjoy a 15% discount. Bottles of wine enjoyed through any of Celebrity Cruises’ wine packages can be uncorked in one onboard venue, then recorked and stored until the guest is ready to reopen them.
 
Included in Celebrity Cruises’ new pre-booking system are the cruise line’s fountain soda (fizzy drink) programme, a premium bottled water package offering unlimited bottles of brand-name natural spring water and sparkling water, the Riedel Wine Glass Comparative Workshop offered as part of the Celebrity Life “Savor” series, and several in-stateroom bar setup packages. 
 
Celebrity Cruises’ beverage packages, which are sold on a per-person basis, can be purchased up to four days before sailing, via the line’s website, www.celebritycruises.com/beveragepackages.  Guests also can access the ordering system via a link in Celebrity Cruises’ electronic pre-cruise documents, the same way that activities such as shore excursions, specialty dining reservations and complimentary “Celebrity Select Dining” main dining room preferences can be booked. Guests also can purchase Celebrity Cruises’ beverage packages onboard after their cruise holiday begins.
 
When a guest pre-purchases a beverage package, it will flag the check-in system to add corresponding graphic icons per package to the guest’s SeaPass card. A guest will simply need to present their SeaPass card in bars, restaurants or by the pool, to enjoy the pre-purchased package.
 
The packages are for sale and will be implemented onboard between 14 May and 21 May 2010, as ships have different launch dates for the new packages. Celebrity Xpedition, the 92-guest mega-yacht sailing year-round in the Galapagos Islands, offers guests complimentary onboard alcoholic beverages and soft drinks as part of the all-inclusive cruise fare, and does not offer beverage packages for purchase. Celebrity Cruises’ wine packages are not available on Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice-class ships.
 
Celebrity Cruises’ “soft-launched” some of the packages earlier this year by having several variations available for pre-purchase on selected sailings. If guests had pre-purchased prior versions of beverage packages for cruises that have not yet taken place, their purchase has been cancelled and will be fully refunded; Celebrity Cruises is contacting these guests.
 
Celebrity Cruises’ ServSafe programme teaches all of its bartenders and waiters to serve alcohol responsibly and watch for over-consumption. If a guest purchases a beverage package and is suspected of over-consumption, bartenders and waiters will take appropriate action and may deny service, or serve water or non-alcoholic drinks instead.
 
The programme is available to all guests, worldwide. Prices listed are in US currency; if a booking is made in foreign currency, all product prices will be displayed and paid for in that same currency.
 
Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its USD $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history.

Celebrity Eclipse, the new £500 million luxury cruise ship from Celebrity Cruises, has returned to her home port in Southampton from Bilbao, Spain, where she picked up approximately 2,200 stranded holidaymakers caught up by the recent travel disruption caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

The voyage replaced the planned two-day launch celebration cruise for VIPs originally scheduled to depart on Thursday (April 22). Instead, Celebrity Cruises worked with tour operators Thomson, First Choice, Thomas Cook, Travel Counsellors and the Co-operative Travel Trading Group to bring back as many of their customers as possible.

Celebrity Eclipse sailed from Bilbao, Spain on Tuesday 22 April 2010 carrying over 2,000 stranded British holidaymakers. The ship had been due in Southampton on Tuesday to showcase to the UK and Irish travel trade and media.  Whilst these are unprecedented circumstances, this is a Herculean effort to get stranded people home and a great way to demonstrate our commitment to the UK market.

Thomas Cook group chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa said the Celebrity Eclipse rescue mission was a great example of how the UK industry has worked in partnership to get people home.

“We are enormously grateful to Celebrity Cruises for helping us in our efforts to get Thomas Cook customers back home safely. Our teams in the UK and abroad have been working around the clock to repatriate our customers as quickly as possible and this is another great example of how we have worked with our travel partners to achieve this.  The UK travel industry and I'm sure the customers who travelled home on her will always remember the arrival of Celebrity Eclipse into service and this unique voyage." He said.

In addition to working with the tour operators, the cruiseline made 50 cabins available to Britons identified as having to urgently return to the UK. These travellers were organised with help from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s crisis team in Madrid.

Jo Rzymowska, Associate Vice President & General Manager, UK & Ireland Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have worked with our travel partners during these unprecedented times. And we are looking forward to hosting or trade partners on Celebrity Eclipse this weekend.”

Launch plans for Celebrity Eclipse will now continue as planned with her due to be named in Southampton by Godmother Emma Pontin, ocean-racing yachtswoman and breast cancer survivor, on 24 April 2010. The naming celebration will coincide with a charity power walk in aid of the breast cancer charity Walk the Walk – the Celebrity SunWalk will see men and women in decorated bras walking a 5km and 10km route through Southampton finishing in front of the new ship to raise awareness, and money.

Celebrity Eclipse is the first of Celebrity Cruises’ ships to be based out of Southampton and will welcome its first paying guests on 26 April 2010 before offering cruises through the summer to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

 For more information see www.celebritycruises.co.uk, call 0845 456 0523 or talk to a travel agent.

Celebrity Silhouette is on sale now for 2011/12 and will be sailing to a range of destinations in Europe & the Caribbean. Book now and save up to £400* per stateroom on selected sailings.

Celebrity Silhouette is our newest and fifth Solstice Class ship so join us on a cruise on which you'll savour, discover and renew your life as never before and where everything is designed around the most important part - you.

Call your Personal Cruise Specialist 0844 493 2092 or contact your Travel Agent.

Third in series of five Solstice Class ships bring Celebrity’s fleet total to 10. Celebrity Cruises today celebrates achieving “a perfect 10.” Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of the brand’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Celebrity’s President and CEO Dan Hanrahan yesterday participated in a shipboard ceremony marking the transfer of ownership of Celebrity Eclipse from shipbuilder Meyer Werft to Celebrity Cruises, bringing the fleet to a total of 10 stunning ships. 

Proudly displaying the freshly signed ownership documents on the deck of Celebrity Eclipse are (left to right) Lambert Kruse of Meyer Werft, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain, Celebrity Eclipse Captain Panagiotis Skylogiannis, Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan, and Meyer Werft CEO Bernard Meyer.

Launch celebrations for Celebrity Cruises new ship bring taste of life at sea to Southampton

LONDON – April 15, 2010 – The launch celebrations for the new Celebrity Cruises ship, Celebrity Eclipse, are turning into a full-scale Southampton affair as Mayflower Park is transformed into an experiential taste of the new ship on Saturday 24 April.

It will be the first time that cruise line Celebrity Cruises has based a ship from Southampton, and the whole of Southampton is invited to the party on 24 April 2010. Kicking off from 9am in Mayflower Park there will be music and bands to warm up walkers taking place in the first ever Celebrity SunWalk.  This charity fundraiser aims to have thousands power walking the city for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk. Walkers and their guests will be geared up for action by Wave 106 presenters Simon Clarke and Roy Gayle, as well as TV presenters Colin and Justin.

The extra festivities throughout the day in Mayflower Park will ensure that life onboard Celebrity Eclipse is transported to the city for the day. Three large tents titled ‘Discover’, ‘Savour’ and ‘Renew’ will offer food tasting, spa consultations, free language learning lessons and lots more. There will also be the chance to win a huge range of prizes such as Elemis spa products, Riedel wine glasses and Corning Museum of Glass artefacts. All prizes and experiences on offer are all a taster of the facilities available onboard the new Celebrity Eclipse ship.

Celebrations taking place throughout the day on Saturday 24 April coincide with the christening and naming of the new ship. For the first time the onboard ceremony will be broadcast on a giant screen to the rest of the public.

Jo Rzymowska, associate vice president and general manager, Celebrity Cruises UK and Ireland, explained:

 “This summer will be the first time Celebrity Cruises has based a new cruise ship from Southampton and it is a fitting celebration to ensure that the whole of Southampton has the chance to be included in the party. The little tasters of life onboard available in Mayflower Park will hopefully increase the excitement and show that Celebrity Eclipse really is a unique experience for our guests and a wonderful ship to be based in Southampton.”
 
Activities in Mayflower Park on Saturday 24 April in the Celebrity Cruises ‘Discover’, ‘Savour’ and ‘Renew’ tents include wine tasting, sample learning a new language with Rosetta Stone, and interactive demonstrations on how to use Apple gadgets such as iPhones; food tasting of Mediterranean Paella, American bagels and good old fashioned English fish and chips; and spa consultations and foot sprays for those who need to rest their feet after the walk.
 
There is no charge for any activities, although visitors can make a donation to the Walk the Walk charity. 
 
All activities and free entertainment give a taste of life onboard Celebrity Eclipse. Guests when joining the ship will enjoy a choice bars and restaurants such as an ice martini bar and contemporary restaurant, Qsine, a huge onboard spa offering everything from hot stone massages to Botox, and even a real grass lawn for relaxing or enjoying lawn games, picnics and concerts on.  
 
A bar tent will also be available and serve cocktails made from the recipes created onboard Celebrity Eclipse.
 
At 5pm the naming ceremony of the new ship will be broadcast live via a giant screen into the park. Guests in Mayflower Park can take part in the celebrations for the first time and watch local yachtswomen, Emma Pontin name the ship. Celebrity Eclipse will welcome its first paying guests on 26 April 2010 before offering cruises through the summer to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

Summer 2011 Europe and Alaska itineraries to open for sale, offering loyalty programme members opportunity to be first to experience newest ship.  MIAMI – 9 April 2010 – Celebrity Cruises’ summer 2011 destination line-up for the summer sees all four of its Solstice-class ships – including Celebrity Silhouette, which will set sail next year – in Europe at the same time, for the first time.

The move marks the return of the widely lauded Celebrity Solstice – the class’s flagship vessel – to Europe. Celebrity Cruises’ 2011 Europe season also will include a series of new seven-night Mediterranean voyages from Celebrity Constellation, which will undergo a series of refreshments inspired by the Solstice-class vessels, later this month. Celebrity Cruises’ 2011 summer voyages and cruisetours will begin opening for sale from today – 9 April 2010.

Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club members can be the first to book voyages on Celebrity Silhouette in Europe and, in a Solstice-class first, in the Caribbean out of Bayonne, New Jersey, in the winter of 2011-12. Celebrity Cruises opened its summer Bermuda voyages – 7-night roundtrip sailings from Bayonne, New Jersey, on Celebrity Summit – on March 10.

“We believe our summer destination line-up perfectly complements our commitment to designing cruise vacations around our guests’ interests – a commitment that is central to our brand platform, ‘Designed for you,’” said Dan Hanrahan, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “Our guests told us what they wanted in ship design, cuisine, accommodations and innovations, and we designed our Solstice-class ships around those desires. Our guests said that they want to experience that same style on our other ships, and we committed to invest $200 million to “Solsticize,” or refit, our Millennium-class ships to reflect some of the Solstice-class venues and design attributes. Now, we have designed a dynamic new cruise calendar valued by discerning cruisers and reflective of the same level of service and sophistication we offer onboard.”

When Celebrity Silhouette sets sail for the first time in July 2011, she will offer a unique maiden voyage from Hamburg to Rome and a special nine-night Mediterranean voyage. Then, the new ship will offer a series of 12- and 13-night Holy Land sailings roundtrip out of Rome. Celebrity Equinox also will sail from Rome, offering 10- and 11-night roundtrip Mediterranean cruises.

Celebrity Solstice, offering summer Caribbean voyages out of Fort Lauderdale in the summer of 2010, will return to Europe next summer with a series of 12 night round-trip itineraries out of Barcelona, and Celebrity Eclipse – launching this month in Southampton, UK – will offer a similar line-up from that same port in 2011. The 2011 Europe cruises on Celebrity Solstice, and Celebrity Equinox will open for sale this afternoon (9 April 2010) and Celebrity Eclipse has been open for booking since 18 March 2010.

In another Solstice-class first, Celebrity Silhouette will sail from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey following launch celebrations in Europe. During winter 2011-2012 Celebrity Silhouette will offer a series of 12-night Caribbean voyages. Members of Celebrity Cruises’ loyalty programme, Captain’s Club, will have exclusive first-booking rights to Celebrity Silhouette’s 2011-12 summer and winter itineraries from now until 19 April. Additional details for Captain’s Club members can be found at www.celebritycruises.com/bookingevent. Beginning on 20 April, the bookings of Celebrity Silhouette will be open to the public.

With guests and travel agents expressing strong interest in having a variety of lengths of Mediterranean sailings, and to showcase the soon-to-be refurbished Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Cruises has designed a series of back-to-back seven-night cruises from Athens. Guests can take these separately or as a 14-night cruise. Three sets of the cruises will sail in September and October, and with only one or two sea days per cruise, the itineraries offer guests the opportunity to fully experience the culture-rich “Holy Land” and Greek isles.

The summer 2011 season also will mark the first time that Celebrity Cruises will have six ships in Europe, with Celebrity Mercury sailing in the region as well. In total, Celebrity Cruises will visit 70 total ports in 23 countries in Europe, including six new ports: Leknes (Lofoten) and Longyearbyen, Norway; Bari and La Spezia, Italy; Bodrum, Turkey; and Kotor, Montenegro. Celebrity Constellation’s and Celebrity Mercury’s 2011 Europe voyages will open in the coming weeks.

Cruisers who wish to make the most of their time in Europe can choose from a variety of cruisetours, land tours offered pre-cruise that are combined with the cruise itself for a longer, more in-depth experience of a destination. In Europe in 2011, Celebrity Cruises will offer a new four-night Greece package on Celebrity Constellation from Athens. The package features Athens, Delphi (with an overnight in Itea) and Olympia. Additionally, Celebrity Cruises will offer a variety of escorted cruisetour packages with immersive experiences in various cities:

·         A four-night Madrid and Barcelona package

·         A five-night Venice, Florence and Rome package

·         A four-night Paris and London package

·         A three-night Paris and Amsterdam package

Celebrity Cruises has also designed a variety of shore excursions including:

·         In Ephesus, Turkey, the famous ruins of Ephesus, the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean, including the iconic Library of Celsus.

·         In Israel, during itineraries offering overnight stays, two-day overland tours of some of the most sacred sites in the Holy Land, including Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Wailing Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

·         In Cairo, Egypt, trips to the awe-inspiring Pyramids and Sphinx. Itineraries with two days in Egypt offer further overland tour options.

·         In Naples, Italy, a trip to explore the ruins of Pompeii, or Capri.

·         In Florence, Italy, tours of Michelangelo's "David," Ghiberti's "Bronze Doors" and numerous architectural wonders including the Ponte Vecchio, Duomo and Pisa's Leaning Tower and Field of Miracles.

·         In Berlin, Germany, a visit to the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag, which served as Germany's Parliament building until the early 1930s, and Potsdam Square, where the Berlin Wall used to stand.

When Celebrity Cruises’ 2011-12 Alaska season opens for sale on 13 April cruisers will find more opportunities to enjoy the breathtaking scenery from the privacy of their stateroom verandas. For the first time, Celebrity Century, which was redesigned to offer an additional 314 verandas in 2006, will sail in Alaska, alongside seasonal favorites Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Infinity. Replacing Celebrity Mercury in the region will be Celebrity Century, which has 73% more veranda and Concierge Class staterooms. To complement the increase in available verandas, Celebrity Cruises has designed new itineraries, cruisetours and shore excursions including two wine-themed cruises along the Pacific Coast and a new 18-night cruisetour package.

Discerning cruisers seeking the opportunity to experience British Columbia and Alaska in style can choose from a total of 17 repeating seven-night Alaska Hubbard Glacier cruises on Celebrity Century. In addition to the expanded number of veranda staterooms, the 1,814-guest vessel’s 2006 “makeover” also included the unveiling of Murano, Celebrity Cruises’ popular European-style specialty restaurant, and the first “ice” Martini Bar at sea. Visiting Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, and cruising by the awe-inspiring Hubbard Glacier, the cruises sail roundtrip out of Vancouver from May to September. Preceding the season will be an eight-night coastal cruise along the Pacific Coast, sailing from San Diego to Vancouver on 14 May. 

Celebrity Infinity will continue to offer seven-night Tracy Arm Fjord cruises roundtrip from Seattle, Washington, from May to September 2011. The itinerary also will include calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, Alaska, as well as a cruise through the Alaska Inside Passage. Either end of Celebrity Infinity’s seven-night pattern will be two 10-night Ultimate Alaska voyages from Seattle on 10 May and 16 September.

Building on the popularity of past years, Celebrity Millennium will present seven-night alternating northbound and southbound cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, from May to early September. These cruises will visit Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, and will cruise by Hubbard Glacier. Celebrity Millennium’s 2011 Alaska season will start with a 10-night West Coast wine cruise from San Diego, California, to Vancouver on 3 May, featuring an overnight call in San Francisco, followed by a roundtrip seven-night Hubbard Glacier cruise from Vancouver. Celebrity Millennium will then offer another wine cruise, sailing for 10 nights from Vancouver to San Diego with another overnight call in San Francisco, as well as calls to Monterey and Catalina Island, California.

Celebrity Cruises has designed 21 Alaska cruisetours to offer cruisers a variety of land tour experiences into the interior of Alaska. New in 2011 is “The Ultimate Cruisetour – Canadian Rockies & Alaska,” an 18-night package being offered to guests sailing on Celebrity Millennium. The experience features a six-night pre-cruise Canadian Rockies tour, a seven-night northbound Alaska cruise, and a five-night post-cruise Alaska land tour. Highlights of the Canadian Rockies portion include rail travel through the Rockies, accommodations at Victoria’s acclaimed Fairmont Empress, and a two-night stay in Denali. 

All cruisetours include hotel accommodations, in-tour transportation and baggage transfers, and some meals. In Alaska, Celebrity Cruises’ local tour directors travel with the guests as they enjoy the luxury of Celebrity Cruises’ glass-domed Wilderness Express railcars and deluxe coaches. 

While sailing on any of Celebrity Cruises’ Alaska cruises, shore excursions range from train tours to cycling, from culinary extravaganzas to whale-watching. Examples include “Pilot’s Choice Glacier Exploration” in Juneau, where guests have an opportunity to take in the beauty of a glacier from the viewpoint of a helicopter, and “Wild Alaska: Culinary Extravaganza” in Icy Strait Point, where guests can savour wild Alaskan salmon or locally caught Dungeness crab. Ketchikan’s “Saxman Native Village and Lumberjack Show” offers guests a way to experience demonstrations of totem-pole carving and a fun-filled competition by lumberjacks, two hallmarks of Alaskan culture.

For more information on Celebrity’s cruises, cruisetours and shore excursions, travellers should visit www.celebritycruises.com/sailwithus.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programs, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity Cruises’ mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history.

 Celebrity Cruises has announced plans to introduce the “Celebrity iLounge” internet café onboard Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Summit from next month. 

The Celebrity iLounge on each ship will consist of three main areas: a series of contemporary MacBook® workstations where guests can check their e-mail and print boarding passes; a retail space offering cruisers the opportunity to check out the latest MacBooks, iPods® and accessories; and a centre where certified staff will offer guests tips on Mac or iPod® usage.

Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan commented  “The reaction we received after announcing the new venue on Celebrity Eclipse made it clear that our guests would appreciate more opportunities to experience the Celebrity iLounge, and now, they can do that while sailing year-round in the Caribbean on our stunning Celebrity Solstice, or while visiting the sophisticated island of Bermuda on Celebrity Summit.”

Celebrity Cruises is putting the UK at the centre of its international growth plans following the announcement that Celebrity Eclipse will return to Southampton for a second summer in 2011 and sailings for the season went on sale on 18 March.

State-of-the-art Celebrity Eclipse will be officially launched in Southampton at the end of next month before embarking on its inaugural season of itineraries to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The 122,000 GRT ship will spend the winter in the Caribbean and will now return to the UK in April 2011 for a similar series of sailings including the popular short break and traditional 14-night holidays to the Mediterranean. A new itinerary for 2011 is the 14-night Italian Mediterranean which ports at some of the famous Moorish influenced cities of Spain en route to Italy. Also, due to popular demand the 16-night Western Mediterranean and Adriatic Coast itinerary has increased from two to four sailings for 2011.
 

Michael English, head of field sales for Celebrity Cruises, commented:

“The decision to bring Celebrity Eclipse back to the UK is great news for customers, our trade partners and the industry as a whole. We have already seen huge interest in Celebrity Eclipse for 2010 especially from Southampton. Customers love the idea of sailing on a brand new vessel, and have responded really positively to the UK-specific touches we have made to the on-board services and menu.”

Travel agents and travel industry partners from across the country will attend a week-long series of launch events showcasing Celebrity Eclipse, including the huge charity ‘Celebrity Sunwalk’ in aid of the breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.

Highlights include:
 Four night short break cruises to Cork from £359
 14-night Italian Mediterranean cruises visiting Spain, France and Italy from £1,699
 14-night Scandinavia & Russia cruises visiting Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Estonia, Finland and Russia from £1,699
 16-night Western Mediterranean & Adriatic Coast visiting a number of ports in Spain, Italy, and Croatia from £2,089

Innovations aboard the ship include:

• The Lawn Club, the first real grass growing at sea featuring a lawn area larger than eight (8) tennis courts
• A Hot Glass Show, with live glassblowing demonstrations
• Ten different restaurants including the main dining room inspired by old Hollywood glamour, and smaller speciality venues with ambience designed to complement the first-class cuisine
• A new accommodation class, AquaClass, featuring a range of relaxation options such as dream-enhancing television programming, a welcome kit with teeth whitening sample, the option to dine in the exclusive restaurant, Blu, dedicated to guests staying in AquaClass accommodations and complimentary access to the Persian Garden within the onboard extensive AquaSpa facility
• Rooms based on the design inspirations of five women selected for their travel and hospitality knowledge
• Over 90 percent of the accommodation onboard Celebrity Eclipse will be outside staterooms, and 85 percent will have a balcony

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its USD $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history.

For more information see www.celebritycruises.co.uk, call 0845 456 0523 or talk to an ACE accredited travel agent.
 

Papenburg, Germany: Travelling through 40-45 metre-wide locks normally reserved for canal boats, and on aqueducts over an autobahn (motorway), several roads and railways - all backwards and early in the morning - is just the first day of work for new 2,850-guest ship Celebrity Eclipse. 

The 122,000-GRT ship travelled 42km along the River Ems from the inland Meyer Werft ship yard in Papenburg, Germany; began preparations to set sail just after dawn and pushed back from the ship yard’s pier on 11 March to commence sailing through the day on the way to the sea in Emshaven, the Netherlands. 

 To witness the next solar eclipse, you have to wait until 11 July, 2010. But if you’re in the area of Papenburg, Germany, you can see Celebrity Eclipse right now.

The third in Celebrity Cruises' $3.7-billion Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Eclipse showed off her sleek profile on Sunday as she emerged for the first time from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Celebrity Eclipse will enter service on 26 April and following two "short break" cruises, will offer a series of Canary Islands, Scandinavia/Russia and Spanish Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Southampton, U.K. The new ship will offer Caribbean itineraries from Miami beginning in November.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its USD $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history. 

Celebrity Cruises has announced plans to bring art historian, TV personality and syndicated newspaper columnist, “Dr Lori” onboard Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Equinox’s March 29, 2010 itinerary. During the cruise, guests will have the opportunity to find their own hidden treasures by having their antiques’ approximately valued, free of charge.

 

Dr Lori will be conducting a series of presentations as part of Celebrity Life, Celebrity Cruises’ onboard enrichment programme. Celebrity Life offers guests the opportunity to explore their tastes and enhance their knowledge, through three areas of focus: “Savour,” with a culinary and wine emphasis, “Discover,” with an educational/entertainment/language-learning focus and “Renew,” with a spa/wellness theme.

Guests planning to sail on the 29 March 2010 sailing are encouraged to bring personal items onboard. The daily in-stateroom newsletter will offer information about the times and locations of Dr Lori’s presentations.

The 11-night “Ultimate Caribbean” cruise departing Fort Lauderdale (Florida) on 29 March will call at George Town (Grand Cayman), Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama), Puerto Limon (Costa Rica), Roatan (Honduras) and Cozumel (Mexico) before returning to Fort Lauderdale (Florida).

For more information, please visit www.celebritycruises.com/DrLori. Dr. Lori is an award-winning TV personality and TV talk show host with a Ph.D. in art history. A certified fine art and antiques appraiser, Dr. Lori is also a nationally syndicated columnist with columns appearing in 86 publications, an editor of several lifestyle magazines, and an author with 30 books to her credit. Dr. Lori does not appraise antique and collectible stamps, coins, currency, musical instruments (or guns or other weapons, which are prohibited from being brought onboard). Items that are extremely fragile, that may be difficult to carry, or that are particularly subject to damage from exposure to an ocean-going environment should not be brought onboard.

Celebrity Cruises will not carry or otherwise handle these personal items for its guests. Each guest brings such items onboard at their own risk.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its USD $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history.

For more information see www.celebritycruises.co.uk, call 0845 456 0523 or talk to your local ACE accredited travel agent.

 Celebrity Cruises will be welcoming its first ever competition winner from a promotion that took place entirely within the micro-blogging service Twitter to an exclusive preview of the new ship, Celebrity Eclipse, in March this year.

Tweeter @CharlotteWil wowed with judges with the winning tweet of “With Celebrity close to home, many places I will roam. With AquaSpa, Crush & a lawn at sea, I think Eclipse was designed for me!”

Judges from the @CruiseCriticUK twitter feed, the cruise tweeter and blogger @CaptGreybeard, and the official @CelebrityUK twitter feed sifted through the entries and chose @CharlotteWil’s for its ability to combine key information about the new ship, its deployment from the UK, and a play on the Celebrity Cruises brand strapline ‘Designed for you.’

The winner will be treated to a money-can’t-buy place onboard the ‘conveyance’ of the new ship Celebrity Eclipse – a dramatic 26 mile journey from the Papenburg ship yard in Germany along the River Ems to Eemshaven in The Netherlands.
 
With the twitter profile @CharlotteWil, the winning tweeter is Denise Wills from Polgooth, Saint Austell in Cornwall who entered the competition after seeing the details on Cruise Critic. Denise, her husband and daughter are massive cruise fans.
 
Commenting on her win, Denise said:
 
“My family and I are so incredibly excited. As a massive Celebrity Cruises fan I know what a big deal it is to be part the ship’s first ever trip from the ship yard. This is going to be the absolute trip of a lifetime – I just cannot wait.”
 
Judge @CaptGreybeard, the cruise blogger for the Daily Mirror at http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/ explained why @CharlotteWil was chosen:
 
"What a lot of clever Twits out there, if that's the word. The standard of entries eclipsed my expectations and it was a tricky task choosing the best. The winner can look forward to being treated like a true celebrity on an unforgettable journey down the River Ems on Celebrity Eclipse, and I hope she'll be Tweeting all the way."
 
Fellow judge, Kelly Ranson, editor for www.cruisecritic.co.uk and the @CruiseCriticUK twitter feed added:
 
““It was great to see that so many people had used the competition to try out Twitter, and learn more about cruising within this social network. We loved the clever cruising puns, the knowledge of all things Celebrity Eclipse, and just the general excitement around a new cruise ship. We were impressed with how much entrants were able to say in 140 characters!"
 
The River Ems trip - termed a conveyance by Celebrity Cruises - takes place in mid-March 2010, over a month before the new ship arrives in the UK for the first time for its inaugural celebrations and naming ceremony in Southampton.
 
The sailing takes place backwards, and the new ship must navigate locks in the River Ems where there are only a few meters to spare either side. The lucky winner will be one of only a handful of people to enjoy the once in a lifetime experience. They, and their guest, will join the Celebrity Cruises management team and a few VIPS for the transit on the River Ems.
Celebrity Eclipse is scheduled to arrive in Southampton on 20 April 2010. The ship will be named in the city on 24 April 2010.

Onboard features on the new ship include a real grass lawn at the Lawn Club, a glassblowing show and studio developed with The Corning Museum of Glass; 10 unrivalled dining venues, and widely varied entertainment, including shows with breathtaking aerial acts.

New internet café allows guests to surf the web, shop and learn

MIAMI – 18 February 2010 – When Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse launches in April, guests will find the first “Celebrity iLounge” onboard. Designed to offer what guests said they wanted most in an internet café: easy access to the internet, inspiring classes and new products.

The Celebrity iLounge is composed of three main areas: a series of 26 workstations where guests can check their email, or print boarding passes; a retail space offering cruisers the opportunity to see and try out the latest MacBooks®, iPods® and accessories; and an enrichment centre where staff will offer guests tips on Mac or iPod usage.

“Our new Celebrity iLounge is a direct expansion of our new ‘Designed for you’ brand platform, and our commitment to listen to our guests and offer experiences expressly designed for them” said Celebrity Cruise’s President and CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Our surveys show that our guests rely heavily on the Internet for research, learning and staying in touch, so we think this new offering will be a big hit, as will the contemporary online classes offered through the ‘Discover’ series of our inspiring and enriching ‘Celebrity Life’ experiences.”

The Celebrity iLounge will offer a series of engaging new courses designed to suit its guests’ interests – including do-it-yourself photo books, movie editing and web design, through programmes including iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and iWeb. And whether guests are savvy or novice users of Mac or iPod products, Celebrity Cruises certified staff will be well-equipped to assist, following more than 125 hours of training in operating systems, applications and products.

Guests eager to expand their collection of merchandise will also find the Celebrity iLounge an enticing venue. As an authorized Apple reseller, Celebrity Cruises will have products available for guests to purchase, including iPods, MacBooks and essential accessories.

Located on deck six of Celebrity Eclipse, the Celebrity iLounge will house the 26 MacBook Pro’s, classroom and retail area, in addition to display pods, a 56-inch flat-screen TV for use during classes and an accessible workstation.

The Celebrity iLounge will feature on Celebrity Silhouette, which launches in 2011, and the fifth ship in the Celebrity Cruises Solstice Class fleet, which launches in 2012.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its USD $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest newbuild commitment for a single brand in industry history.

For more information see www.celebritycruises.co.uk, call 0845 456 0523 or talk to a travel agent.

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