Celebrity Cruises Marks Australia and New Zealand Return

Posted on 23 October, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Saturday marked a new beginning, as Celebrity Cruises celebrated its highly anticipated return to Australian and New Zealand waters.

On Saturday, the Celebrity Eclipse set sail from Sydney, Australia, on a 12-night itinerary exploring the ruggedly scenic wilderness of New Zealand.

According to a press release, this voyage is the first of 17 sailings departing from Sydney and Auckland through April 2023, and the first for Celebrity Eclipse in Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific waters.

“The return Down Under has been long-awaited but someday has finally arrived! Celebrity Eclipse is the first Celebrity ship to sail this region for 930 days – a momentous occasion for the brand and our team members who have worked so hard to get to this point; and the first of many wonderful sailings ahead,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “Returning to this region is another significant milestone in the industry’s global recovery, as we sail forward into a bright future.”

Celebrity Cruises Vice President and Managing Director of Australia and APAC, Tim Jones, added, “We’ve been patiently waiting for this moment for so long, and to finally see the freshly painted blue hull of Celebrity Eclipse slice through the waters of Sydney Harbour didn’t disappoint. We were one of the remaining major cruise markets to return to service, and we are proud to be contributing to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific tourism industries once more, alongside rebuilding the economy of key coastal communities.

“Continuing our momentum in the region, next year we’ll be taking the guest experience to the ‘Edge’ with the debut season of Celebrity Edge Down Under! It’s the great outdoors that make this region truly exceptional and we can’t wait to welcome an equally exceptional ship that’s been uniquely designed to connect guests with their surroundings. Whether you’re flying Down Under to join us, or stepping aboard from your front door, Celebrity Edge is a chance to explore our exotic landscapes like never before, all while sailing in complete luxury. ”

Celebrity Cruises Announces New Protocols for Sailing

Posted on 23 August, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Celebrity Cruises today announced new protocols for guests sailing from U.S. and European ports by dropping vaccination requirements and simplifying testing guidelines.

Beginning September 5, 2022, all guests, regardless of vaccination status, departing on most sailings from the U.S. and Europe can now cruise as long as they meet local testing requirements to board. Celebrity Cruises will also now accept any commercially available test, including unsupervised self-tests, in many destinations.

“A new world is waiting and I’m thrilled to now more closely align our operations with the rest of the travel industry and open up opportunities for everyone to explore, once again,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “Travel is making its grand comeback and we’re looking forward to the continued momentum from consumers around the world.”

New pre-boarding testing requirements for the U.S. and Europe include:

Fully vaccinated guests no longer need to test to board sailings from the U.S. that are nine nights or less (excluding sailings that visit Canada and Bermuda).
A negative test result from a simple, unsupervised and self-administered test will be accepted for all sailings (excluding sailings that visit Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Greece or New Zealand).
Children under 5 years of age sailing from the U.S. and guests under 12 years of age sailing from Europe do not need to test prior to boarding.

Requirements in Other Regions

While Celebrity Cruises has dropped vaccination requirements, sailings to and from ports in Canada, Australia and New Zealand require all guests ages 12 and up to be fully vaccinated to sail in keeping with country requirements. Galapagos cruises require guests ages 3 and older to be vaccinated.

Silverseas Acquires Crystel Endeavour for $275 Million

Posted on 18 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Silversea Cruises has received court approval for the purchase of the ultra-luxury cruise ship Crystal Endeavor.

Originally delivered to Crystal Cruises in 2021, the ship will be renamed Silver Endeavour when it officially joins the Royal Caribbean Group subsidiary later this month.

The purchase price for the vessel was $275 million and was fully financed through a 15-year unsecured term loan, guaranteed by the German export credit agency, Euler Hermes, with no amortization payments in the first two years.

The fifth expedition ship in Silversea’s fleet of 11, the vessel is scheduled to begin service in winter 2022/2023, spending its inaugural season in Antarctica starting November 2022.

“With Endeavour, we are seeking to grow our world-class fleet to meet the exceptional demand for ultra-luxury expedition cruising, while also enhancing our profitability profile and affirming Silversea’s position as the industry’s leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line,” said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group.

Built to PC6 polar class specifications, the ship can operate all of Silversea’s current expedition itineraries and is designed to take travellers to remote destinations, including both polar regions.

As part of the ongoing RCL Cares program, Royal Caribbean Group will protect the deposits of guests who were originally booked on Crystal Endeavor and make a new booking on one of its brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.

To the extent the Crystal Endeavor guests do not receive their deposits back from Crystal or other sources, the Royal Caribbean Group will refund any amount paid on their new booking up to the number of their lost deposits from Crystal.