Royal Suspends Fuel Supplement

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. today announced the suspension of its fuel supplement for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, anywhere in the world.

The decision reflects the recently sustained lower price of fuel.

Effective Monday, December 8, guests making new bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, will not be charged the fuel supplement.

Guests already booked on sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, will receive a refund of any fuel supplement paid, as follows:
Guests with existing bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, and who are now paid in full, will have the supplement automatically refunded to them in the form of an onboard credit during their sailing.
Guests with existing bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, and who are not yet paid in full, will have the supplement automatically removed from their outstanding balance. The company reserves the right to reinstate fuel supplement charges if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeded $65 per barrel, on the quarterly milestone dates mentioned in the company’s October 24, 2008, press release.

The company announced on October 24, 2008, that no fuel supplement would be charged for new bookings made on or after November 10, 2008, for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2010, unless there is an upturn in fuel prices. Today’s announcement does not affect those previous terms.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. The company has a combined total of 38 ships in service and six under construction. It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America.

Official Press Release Royal Caribbean dated 5th December 2008.

Celebrity Eclipse Southampton

During one of its preview cruises for travel partners, press and other dignitaries on its new Celebrity Solstice this week, Celebrity Cruises announced that sister ship Celebrity Eclipse – the third in the five-ship Solstice class series – will be based in Southampton, England, in summer 2010, offering cruises to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The ship also will also hold its launch celebrations in Southampton, where the trend-setting new vessel will be showcased extensively to UK and Ireland consumers and trade partners during a week-long event.

“Celebrity Cruises has enjoyed a strong relationship with the UK and Ireland market and experienced steadily increasing guest numbers in recent years,” said Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Investing in the future of that relationship with Celebrity Eclipse homeporting in Southampton is an exciting development for our business. In 2009, we have an enormous opportunity with our two newest ships – Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox – both based in Europe. Our presence will significantly increase in 2010, as Celebrity Eclipse leads the charge to further maximize the potential of the UK and Ireland market.”

Among the ground-breaking features guests can anticipate onboard each 2,850-guest Solstice-class ship include:

• The Lawn Club, a half-acre recreation area featuring real, growing grass.
• A Hot Glass Show in partnership with The Corning Museum of Glass, offering live glassblowing demonstrations.
• Ten widely varied restaurants, including the main “Grand Epernay” dining room, inspired by old Hollywood glamour, and several specialty venues whose unique ambience is expressly designed to complement the first-class cuisine.
• A new category of accommodations, AquaClass, presenting a range of spa-inspired amenities, including dream-enhancing TV programming, a welcome kit with teeth whitening sample, exclusive access to the Mediterranean-influenced specialty restaurant, Blu, and complimentary access to the Persian Garden within the extensive AquaSpa facilities onboard.
• Veranda-category staterooms whose design was inspired by five women selected for their unique travel and hospitality insights.
• Veranda-category staterooms whose design was inspired by five women selected for their unique travel and hospitality insights.

A wide variety of boutiques and shops, such as the by-appointment-only “Boutique C,” featuring the 86-facet Solstice Diamond, available only on Celebrity’s Solstice-class ships.

“The UK and Ireland remain one of the fastest growing cruise markets in the world,” said Robin Shaw, vice president and managing director of Celebrity Cruises’ UK and Ireland operations. “Having the newest Celebrity ship based out of Southampton in 2010, and dedicated to the UK and Ireland, offers a fresh and contemporary alternative to traditional players. Celebrity Eclipse will set new standards in the large ship luxury market and clearly show the ongoing and industry leading commitment of Celebrity Cruises to the UK and Ireland travel industry.”

Bookings for Celebrity Eclipse will open in March 2009. Itineraries for the new ship are expected to offer traditional Mediterranean favorite destinations, popular northern European cities, and shorter cruise options.

Official Press release (abridged) Celebrity Cruises dated 21 November 2008.

Celebrity Solstice Naming Ceremony

Celebrity Cruises today announced the Godmother of the most widely-heralded cruise ship to enter the market this year, Celebrity Solstice. Atypically, she’s not a star of stage and screen; instead, she ’stars’ in a field of enormous importance to Celebrity Cruises: the world’s oceans. Professor Sharon L. Smith, the first ocean scientist ever to serve as Godmother of a cruise ship, will join Celebrity executives today to name the brand’s sleek, 2,850-guest ship in formal ceremonies at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are genuinely privileged to have such a remarkable woman serve as Godmother of this remarkable ship,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman of Celebrity Cruises and Chairman and CEO of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Sharon Smith is exceptional in ways well beyond her academic achievements.”

A magna cum laude graduate of Colorado College, Smith earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke University, holds two additional honorary doctorate degrees, and a master’s degree from the University of Auckland, where she also was a Fulbright fellow.

A biological oceanographer, Smith has traveled the world in research expeditions from Polar Regions to the Arabian Sea. She has devoted her career to studying some of the smallest components of food webs, with a particular focus on zooplankton and how their life cycles are tuned to physical forces, such as daylength in the Arctic or summer monsoons in the Arabian Sea. These tiny, twomillimeter- long animals are the biggest source of protein in the oceans, and all oceanic animals – from seabirds to small fish to whales – are ultimately dependent on them for food.

Smith investigates ecosystems by looking at how ocean physics shape the availability of the food supply, and the effects of global warming on food for birds, fish, and baleen whales, among other animals.

Smith served 15 years at the prestigious Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York, studying coastal ocean environments and the impact of nuclear energy projects. In 1993, she joined the faculty of the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science as a Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries. Recently, she was named Dean of the Undergraduate Program in Marine Science, and also co-directs the university’s Oceans and Human Health Center.
  “If it is possible to eclipse our Godmother’s professional achievements, she has done it in a way that deeply inspires all who know her, as she has conquered cancer…twice,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan.

Due in equal parts to her courage and her instincts as a scientist, Smith overcame cancer in 1993, and again in 1996. Her annual mammogram in 1993 turned up a two-millimeter cancerous lesion, about the size of a pencil point. She opted for a mastectomy, and emerged victorious over the malicious disease. And in 1996, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. But she won that battle, too.

“Women should not feel secure just because there is no family history of the disease,” said Smith. “You have to be your own best advocate and insist on what’s right for you, because you have to live with the possibility of the disease forever.”

Smith’s story is a powerful example of the critical need for basic breast-cancer screenings – and the reason why Celebrity Solstice, in partnership with United Way on November 16, will raise $100,000 for breast cancer programs to assist lower-income women who otherwise couldn’t afford this simple measure that ultimately could save their lives.

This is a disease that affects mothers and daughters, sisters and spouses, and has deep meaning to an unfortunately high percentage of Celebrity Cruises’ employees, guests and travel agent partners,” said Hanrahan. “With our Celebrity brand devoted to offering an entirely genuine experience since its founding, we knew nothing less than someone authentic – a survivor and devoted, outspoken advocate of early detection and research – would do, and we found that in Sharon Smith.”

“All of us at Celebrity Cruises are exceptionally proud and honored to call inspiring ocean scientist, brave cancer survivor, and very special lady, Sharon Smith, Godmother of Celebrity Solstice,” said Fain.

Celebrity Solstice will embark on its inaugural season November 23, on a series of seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. In spring 2009, the stunning new ship will introduce a series of romantic 10 – and 11- night Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Rome.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice – will be joined by Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111.

Official Press Release Celebrity Cruises dated 14th November 2008.

New Shows for Celebrity

Intricate dance steps, powerful vocals, finely tuned acting and sheer musical talent are soon to be the stars of the shows on some of Celebrity Cruises’ ships by the end of this year. Three new shows on Celebrity Millennium, one new show on Celebrity Century and three previously announced new shows on Celebrity Solstice, have each been created specifically for the tastes of Celebrity’s guests.

Celebrity Millennium’s new shows began running earlier this month. Celebrity Cruises partnered with Qdos Productions, an entertainment production company based in England, to create them. “Simply Ballroom” is a Las Vegas-inspired dance sensation that capitalizes on the popularity of current television dance competitions. The passion of the tango, the majesty of the waltz and sizzling Latin rhythms are presented in fabulous costumes by our world-class ballroom dancers. “Boogie Wonderland” is based on the original 1970s musical from London’s West End that has entertained audiences worldwide by recalling the glittery nuances of disco from that decade. The third new show to play on Celebrity Millennium, “iBroadway,” brings to life some of the greatest Broadway hits in a spectacular new format featuring a large replication of an MP3 player.

Beginning with the November 10, 2008 sailing on Celebrity Century. “Liverpool Knights” will take to the stage. Created in partnership with Mike Moloney Entertainment, an entertainment production company based in Las Vegas, the show offers a mix of a bit of the Beatles, a dash of Monty Python and a touch of Austin Powers. Set in 1964 and staged around a premise that a romance is flourishing between youngsters doing their best to impress one another with song and dance, the show is peppered with classic British humor.

When the brand-new Celebrity Solstice sets sail later this month, three original shows designed exclusively for the ship will dazzle guests. Created in partnership with POET Theatricals, which is led by Michael McPherson and Patrice Marques. McPherson and Marques come from backgrounds that include both performance and production with Franco Dragone, Circo Luci, FOUR: Spirit of the Elements, and the creation and production of the first worldwide touring show of the Lido de Paris. “Solstice” is a European-style theatrical circus built around the clash of day and night. It includes vocalists, physical comedy, breathtaking group acrobatic and aerial performances and other specialty acts, in a celestial celebration. “Ghost Light” depicts the eve of an old Broadway theater’s closing. The cast performing the venue’s final show reminisces about all the productions the theater has hosted, leading to the venue to illuminate once again, in celebration of Broadway favorites past and present. When “Pulse” is onstage, guests aren’t likely to sit still when this show’s central character, “Rhythm Man,” ignites a motion and vocal spectacular driven by the widely varied music and instruments that create the beat.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice – will be joined by Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111.

Official Press Release Celebrity Cruises dated 6th November 2008.

Celebrity Solstice Debut

South Florida residents and visitors interested in seeing the cruise industry’s most eagerly awaited ship of the year will have their chance Monday, November 3, when Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice sails into Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The ship is expected to arrive at the Port Everglades sea buoy at approximately 6 a.m., and will be dockside by approximately 7 a.m. Ideal viewing platforms include Fort Lauderdale Beach and surroundings, while residents with waterfront condominiums can enjoy a bird’s-eye view.

Celebrity Solstice upon arrival will be fully “dressed” with vibrant flags flying above its industry-first half-acre Lawn Club, Hot Glass Show, and one of the highest percentages of verandas in the business, not to mention the wealth of attributes found inside the sleek, 122,000-ton ship.

Soon after its arrival, Celebrity Solstice will serve as the perfect platform for Celebrity Cruises’ first Global Sales Meeting, followed by a series of exclusive, two-night preview cruises for invited travel agents, press and other dignitaries.

Celebrity Solstice will be named in formal ceremonies on November 14, and will embark on its inaugural season November 23, on a series of seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. In spring 2009, the stunning new ship will introduce a series of romantic 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Rome.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice – will be joined by Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111.

Official Press Release Celebrity Cruises dated 31st October 2008.

Celebrity Solstice Delivered

The most widely heralded cruise ship to enter the market this year, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice, was delivered today at a ceremony in Emshaven, Netherlands, marking the formal transfer of the ship – the first in a class of five – from shipbuilder Meyer Werft to Celebrity Cruises. The ship will begin its transatlantic voyage October 25, with arrival in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., anticipated November 3.

“With its innovative, half-acre Lawn Club with real, growing grass; the Hot Glass Show offered through our alliance with The Corning Museum of Glass; 10 widely varied restaurants, including four in the specialty category; stylish, spacious staterooms whose design was influenced by a panel of five women with unique travel and hospitality insights; and, of course, the intangible attribute found on every Celebrity ship – extraordinary service – Celebrity Solstice is the perfect manifestation of what the Celebrity brand is all about,” said Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan.

“We are indebted to the countless, highly dedicated individuals who have brought this spectacular ship to this point, and who have shared our passion for innovation, and our dedication to excellence,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Celebrity Cruises’ parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Soon after its arrival in Fort Lauderdale on November 3, Celebrity Solstice will serve as the perfect platform for Celebrity Cruises’ first Global Sales Meeting, followed by a series of exclusive, two-night preview cruises for invited travel agents, press and other dignitaries. Celebrity Solstice will be named in formal ceremonies on November 14, and will embark on its inaugural season November 23, on a series of seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. In spring 2009, the stunning new ship will introduce a series of romantic 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Rome.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice – will be joined by Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit Celebrity Cruises website.

Official Press Release Celebrity Cruises dated 24th October 2008.

Royal Cut Fuel Supplement

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. today announced that the company’s fuel supplement will no longer apply to new Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises bookings made on or after November 10, 2008, anywhere in the world, for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2010.

This decision takes into consideration the recent reductions in global fuel prices. The company has also established specific guidelines that will determine whether fuel supplement refunds will be provided for sailings that begin in 2009 and later, which were booked prior to November 10, 2008, if fuel prices remain below a specific price threshold.

For 2009 sailings and 2010 sailings booked before November 10, 2008, the company will determine on a quarterly basis whether fuel supplements will be refunded. Refunds, in the form of an onboard credit, will be provided if the closing price of West Texas Intermediate fuel is $65 or less, at the closing time of the New York Mercantile Exchange, two weeks prior to the beginning of the upcoming calendar quarter. When those conditions are met, an onboard credit will be provided to all guests on sailings that begin during the upcoming calendar quarter.

The dates on which the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel will be measured, and the quarters during which refunds could apply are:

Fuel Price Determination Date           Quarter of Possible Fuel Supplement Refunds
 
December 18, 2008                                    First quarter 2009 
March 18, 2009                                          Second quarter 2009
June 17, 2009                                             Third quarter 2009
September 17, 2009                                   Fourth quarter 2009
December 18, 2009                                    First quarter 2010
March 18, 2010                                          Second quarter 2010
June 17, 2010                                             Third quarter 2010
September 17, 2010                                   Fourth quarter 2010 

The company will continue to closely monitor the movement of global fuel prices and recognize that an upturn in those prices could necessitate the reinstatement of a fuel supplement.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. The company has a combined total of 38 ships in service and six under construction. It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America.

Official Press Release Royal Caribbean dated 24th October 2008.

Celebrity Cruises Shopping Program

 Celebrity Cruises has launched a new shopping program, and as of today, it is open for business 24 hours a day. “Shop Celebrity” is an online portal that allows consumers and travel agents to order a wide variety of items for delivery either onboard or at home. “Shop Celebrity” also includes the launch of Celebrity’s new amenity program, “Gifts by Celebrity.”

“Shop Celebrity”offers a wide range of Celebrity Cruises logo items and apparel, gifts and memorabilia, as well as culinary delights, spirits, wine and soda. Within the portal, consumers and travel agents also have the opportunity to order from partner websites: LeapFrog® School; timetospa® and Celebrity VineyardsSM, which includes products by Riedel® Crystal, the world-renowned manufacturer of wine glasses that offers comparative wine workshops on Celebrity’s ships.

“Based on feedback from our guests and travel agent partners as well as the growing popularity of online shopping in today’s marketplace, we wanted to create a virtual experience reflective of the bricks-and-mortar shopping experience that we offer on our ships,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity’s vice president of hotel operations and onboard revenue. “The complete Shop Celebrity program offers something for everyone, anytime, whether they want to surprise a friend or a client with an onboard gift, or whether they want stylish keepsakes for themselves or others.”

Shop Celebrity includes a comprehensive new amenities program named “Gifts by Celebrity,” which is comprised of three categories:

• “Shop Aboard,” where consumers or travel agents can purchase items for themselves or gifts for others, that will be delivered onboard during a particular sailing. Travel agents are eligible for a 10% discount when placing “Shop Aboard” orders by phone, and will soon have access to a unique, agents-only website that will offer the same discount. The discount applies exclusively to gifts that the travel agents are buying for their clients who are sailing with Celebrity.
• “Shop Ashore,” where consumers or travel agents can purchase items to be delivered to Celebrity guests’ homes or offices either before or after a cruise. Items can be delivered throughout the continental United States and to select cities around the globe.
• “Group Gifts by Celebrity,” which offers a wide variety of items that consumers, travel agents and meeting planners can order, for delivery to affinity and incentive groups sailing with Celebrity; these items can be delivered before, during or after a cruise. Groups also have the opportunity to add their logo to certain items that include the Celebrity logo. A volume discount is available online.

Cruise enthusiasts are encouraged to “Shop Celebrity”

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top ten “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit Celebrity Cruises website.

Official Press Release Celebrity Cruise dated 14th October 2008.

Celebrity Solstice Sets Sail

The most widely heralded ship to enter the cruise market this year, Celebrity Solstice, departed Meyer Werft shipyard yesterday in Papenburg, Germany, as the largest ship ever built by the longtime shipbuilder. In a milestone event known as “The Conveyance,” the 2,850-guest Celebrity Solstice made its way down the River Eems, as tens of thousands of area residents lining the river banks cheered and photographed the historic event.

“This is a very momentous occasion for Celebrity Cruises,” said the brand’s President and CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Celebrity Solstice is the perfect manifestation of what the Celebrity brand is all about: extraordinary service, spectacular dining, and fabulous style and design. And as the first in a series of five Solstice-class ships, it’s a vivid example of the growth and momentum of the Celebrity brand, and our commitment to meet our guests’ and travel agent partners’ demands for more vacation options with Celebrity.”

Among the wealth of attributes guests will find only on Celebrity Solstice are:

• The industry’s first Lawn Club, a lush, half-acre recreation area with real, growing grass.
• The industry’s first Hot Glass Show, with live glassblowing demonstrations presented in association with The Corning Museum of Glass.
• Larger staterooms, with design inspirations offered by a panel of five women, hand-picked for their unique travel and hospitality insights.
• 10 varied restaurants, ranging from the dramatic, two-level “Grand Epernay” main dining room with a sweeping wine tower, to four exquisite specialty restaurants, to several stylish, casual venues.
• An entirely new category of accommodations, “AquaClass,” designed to offer a spa vacation experience at sea rivaling the best of those on land.
• A state-of-the-art theater and stage design, with three new leading-edge shows custom-designed for Celebrity with Poet Theatricals, in their first cruise line partnership.

“There also is the intangible attribute which is consistent across the Celebrity fleet, and that’s the extraordinary, anticipatory service our phenomenal staff offer our guests every day,” said Hanrahan.

Celebrity Solstice will be berthed in Eemshaven, Netherlands, from September 29 to October 24, with two separate sea trials planned during that period, in addition to crew arrivals, training, provisioning and finishing work onboard. The ship will depart Eemshaven October 24 on a transatlantic voyage, with arrival in Fort Lauderdale planned for early November, followed by a series of promotional cruises for invited travel agents, press and other dignitaries. The ship will be named in formal ceremonies on November 14, and will begin its maiden season November 23, with a series of alternating 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, calling on San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, and Tortola during this Fall and Winter. Celebrity Solstice presents a series of romantic 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises from Rome beginning in Spring 2009.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top ten “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit Celebrity Cruises website.

Official Press Release Celebrity Cruises dated 29th Septembber 2008.

Celebrity Announce New Itineraries

Celebrity Cruises today announced new itineraries for Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Mercury, presenting guests with new cruise vacation options from the historic coastal cities of Baltimore, Maryland, and Charleston, South Carolina, along with the brand’s popular Caribbean cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Correspondingly, the line announced plans to discontinue its Australia and New Zealand cruises previously scheduled for late-2009 and 2010 on Celebrity Millennium.

“Australia and New Zealand are charming and beautiful destinations, and we’re confident we’ll return again as our brand and fleet grows,” said Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Currently, though, our travel agent partners and guests have repeatedly said they want more options to sail with Celebrity from the Eastern seaboard, where our brand was founded, and still has a very large and loyal base of cruisers. So, we’re pleased to present some very attractive new cruise vacations from that region.”

Celebrity Millennium Takes on Celebrity Mercury’s Territory:

The 2,038-guest Celebrity Millennium will cap its 2009 season in Alaska with cruises previously scheduled for the 1,898-guest Celebrity Mercury, offering more capacity on the popular sailings. The itineraries will reflect those previously announced for Celebrity Mercury, with the addition of a 12-night wine-themed cruise departing from Vancouver on September 28, 2009, followed by an eastbound, 16-night Panama Canal cruise on October 10, 2009, from San Diego to San Juan, where Celebrity Millennium will offer a series of 10- and 11-night Southern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from San Juan, beginning October 26, 2009. Ports of call on the Southern Caribbean itineraries include Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao, Aruba, St. Croix, St. Kitts and Dominica, with slight variations between the 10- and 11-night sailings.

Celebrity Mercury Offers New Options on the Eastern Seaboard Celebrity Mercury will sail a 17-night Panama Canal cruise from San Diego on October 23, 2009, ending in Baltimore. There, from November 2009 to February 2010, the ship will present a series of new 12-night Eastern Caribbean cruises visiting St. Thomas; St. Kitts; Antigua; St. Maarten, and Tortola, as well as four 9-night cruises visiting Charleston; Key West, Fla., and Cococay and Nassau, Bahamas.

Celebrity Mercury then will present a series of 10- and 11-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages from Charleston from February through April 2010, with visits to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Tortola on the eastern series, and Key West; Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico, and Nassau on the western lineup.

Official Press Release (Abridged) Celebrity Cruises dated 22nd September 2008.

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