Celebrity Cruises says that its latest ship, Celebrity Equinox, has departed for the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, capping an exciting eight weeks that according to Celebrity saw the new-luxury brand lead the industry with eight ships back in the water during that time.
Celebrity Cruises says that it restarted the North American cruise industry this summer on 5 June with Celebrity Millennium sailing the Caribbean from St. Maarten and quickly followed on 26 June with Celebrity Edge, the first ship to sail from a U.S. port in more than a year.
The recently ‘revolutionised’ Celebrity Equinox’s first sailing features a seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary visiting the beautiful ports of St. Maarten and St. Thomas, along with Nassau, Bahamas and she then rotates between Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said, “With each new ship that goes in the water, I’m overwhelmed by the palpable sense of reconnection on board for both our guests and our crew – with each other, their families and the world,” adding, “Being together, again, and absorbing the beauty around us is what we’ve all dreamed about for over a year, and now it’s really wonderful to be a part of our guests’ aspirations to travel again.”
Brian Abel, Celebrity’s senior vice president of hotel operations said, “Bringing a large cruise ship back into service isn’t as easy as turning the ignition key”, adding, “It’s a multi-dimensional process that involves moving and training crew, large-scale procurement, mechanical adjustments, destination outreach, port availability, sales and marketing and so much more,” and “I couldn’t be more proud of the Celebrity team’s accomplishment”, adding, “We were ready and we successfully executed this herculean effort with finesse to welcome our guests back onboard for the Celebrity experience they know and love.”
With today’s sailing, eight of the 14 ships within the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet have returned to sailing in 2021 and are full steam ahead taking guests to the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska and the Galapagos, including:
- Celebrity Millennium, returning to service as the first ship to sail in the Caribbean on June 5 from St. Maarten. In early July, Celebrity Summit took over the service, allowing Celebrity Millennium to reposition for the Alaska season.
- Celebrity Apex, the newest addition to the Celebrity fleet, made her world debut in Athens on June 19, with seven-night sailings to the Greek Isles. The cruise marked a historic return to Greece for the company founded there 33 years ago.
- Apex’s sister ship, Celebrity Edge, made history as the first ship to sail from a U.S. port in over a year, restarting the U.S. cruising industry.
- On July 3, Celebrity Silhouette began taking guests from Southampton, UK around and along the British Isles and coastline.
- Celebrity Flora®, the luxurious, state-of-the-art mega-yacht, fulfilled guests’ bucket lists as it resumed sailing the magical Galapagos Islands on July 4. She was followed into the water by the award-winning Celebrity Xpedition® on July 24.
- And, on July 23, Celebrity’s long-awaited return to the incomparable natural wonders of Alaska began as Celebrity Millennium embarked on a journey to the Last Frontier.
Celebrity says voted in 2020 as “Best Service in the Large Ship Category” at the Cruise Critic Cruiser’s Choice Awards, Celebrity Equinox part of a $500-million fleet-wide modernisation program that has made big waves in the cruise world, with guests enjoying elevated design concepts, including The Retreat®, a private resort-within-a-resort for suite guests that includes The Retreat® Sundeck and The Retreat® Lounge.
In addition, Celebrity says she boasts:
- Contemporary staterooms and suites featuring Celebrity’s eXhale bedding with its luxurious Cashmere™ mattresses;
- Stunningly reimagined restaurants, bars, and lounges offering captivating culinary experiences;
- Over 40 handcrafted boutique beer selections, creative cocktails and a wide selection of a la carte, gourmet comfort food and bar bites at Craft Social;
- A half-acre lawn of real grass at the relaxing and aptly-named Lawn Club, perfect for trying outdoor games like croquet, or simply basking in the sunshine.
Celebrity says it has established new health and safety measures in accordance with guidance from public health authorities, government agencies, and its own team of health and safety experts to provide guests with the peace of mind to fully enjoy their voyage.
All Celebrity ships will sail with a vaccinated crew and although Aussies cannot sail on them yet, requirements for non-U.S. guests vary and more details can be found by visiting https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea.
Guests are encouraged to regularly check the guidance on all health and safety measures across the entire Celebrity Cruises holiday experience as they will evolve in keeping with current public health standards.
Finally Celebrity says that in simplifying the luxury holiday experience, Wi-Fi, drinks, and tips are now ‘Always IncludedSM’ on every Celebrity cruise and Celebrity’s “Cruise with Confidence” program provides flexible cancellations and the best price guarantees.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones, Cruise Editor, Global Travel Media and Global Cruise News.
