RWO next-generation wastewater treatment receives a Celebrity welcome

Posted on 7 November, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

RWO, a leading supplier of intelligent water management solutions, has successfully completed two installations of its next-generation advanced water treatment system (AWTS) – the CleanSewage Membrane Reactor (CS-MBR) for Celebrity Cruises. The sewage treatment plant on the Celebrity Solstice-class vessels, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection, have been upgraded to the CS-MBR system, with an additional three orders placed to complete the fleet-wide upgrade.

RWO’s CS-MBR is a sustainable biological treatment technology that has been designed specifically to minimise a vessel’s impact on the environment, achieve the highest standards for effluent discharge and perform well ahead of regulatory requirements.

The installations upgrade existing RWO MEMROD sewage treatment plants on board the Celebrity Cruises ships, reflecting new regulations for existing vessels operating in Special Areas and anticipate the expansion in regulatory parameters for such vessels from 1 June 2023*. The CS-MBR is fully type-approved as conforming with IMO MEPC.227(64) including the standards of section 4.2 which addresses nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

Nikolaos Kolyvakis, Senior Ship Manager, at Celebrity Cruises commented: “Sustainability is a top priority for Celebrity Cruises and we seek out every opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the highest possible standards in environmental stewardship.”

Lars Nupnau, Business Development Manager, at RWO said: “RWO has developed a strong working relationship with Celebrity Cruises over the last 10 years and we are delighted that the RWO CS-MBR has been selected as part of its Solstice-class upgrade strategy.”

Unique among shipboard AWTS solutions, the CS-MBR treatment process features submerged membranes in their final stage and can remove more than 99% of solids and bacteria, including microplastics and viruses.

“By using membranes in this way, the resulting water is pure enough to be re-used in other ship functions such as laundry or as technical water. The automated cleaning-in-place (CIP) control also makes the system far easier for the crew to operate and extends the membrane lifecycle significantly,” said Nupnau. “If that wasn’t enough, the CS-MBR also has a smaller footprint and uses less energy than comparable systems.”

“The new CS-MBR goes beyond regulatory compliance to minimise environmental impacts and maximise operational efficiency,” added Kolyvakis. “It strongly aligns with Celebrity’s commitment to investing in technologies which help protect the world’s oceans and the communities where we operate.”

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.