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. ”
For its first full winter season since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Celebrity Cruises is deploying a total of nine ships in the Caribbean. In addition to the new Celebrity Beyond, two other Edge-Class ships and four Solstice-Class vessels will be sailing in the region during the winter.
The season will also see the premium brand offering varied itineraries in Australia, South America, the West Coast and the Galapagos.
Cruise Industry News looked into the company’s full deployment for the Winter of 2022-2023. Here’s the breakdown:
Caribbean and Bahamas
Celebrity Millennium Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests Built: 2000 Homeports: San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Fort Lauderdale (United States) Length: Three to ten nights Itineraries: Seven-night cruises to Southern and Eastern Caribbean departing from San Juan, in addition to varied itineraries departing from Fort Lauderdale in December and January Sailing Season: October 15 to April 15
Celebrity Summit Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests Built: 2001 Homeports: Miami (United States) Length: Four and five nights Itineraries: Short cruises to Key West, Mexico, the Bahamas and more Sailing Season: October 27 to April 22
Celebrity Silhouette Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,886 guests Built: 2011 Homeport: Miami (United States) Length: Four to ten nights Itineraries: Short cruises to Key West, Mexico and the Bahamas, in addition to ten-night voyages to Eastern Caribbean visiting St. Croix, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and more Sailing Season: November 3 to April 10
Celebrity Beyond Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 3,260 guests Built: 2022 Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) Length: Five to eight nights Itineraries: Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Honduras and more Sailing Season: November 4 to April 16
Celebrity Constellation Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests Built: 2002 Homeport: Tampa (United States) Length: Five to ten nights Itineraries: Southern, Western and Eastern Caribbean sailing to Panama, Mexico, St. Maarten, Colombia, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Grand Cayman and others Sailing Season: November 6 to April 7
Celebrity Edge Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,900 guests Built: 2018 Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) Length: Four to 11 nights Itineraries: Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal visiting St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Bonaire, Curaçao, Aruba and more Sailing Season: November 7 to April 7
Celebrity Apex Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,900 guests Built: 2020 Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) Length: Six to eight nights Itineraries: Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting Mexico, Grand Cayman, Belize, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and more Sailing Season: November 12 to April 15
Celebrity Reflection Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 3,030 guests Built: 2012 Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) Length: Five to eight nights Itineraries: Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean visiting Aruba, Jamaica, Mexico, Bahamas, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and more Sailing Season: November 13 to April 16
Celebrity Equinox Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,850 guests Built: 2009 Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) Length: Nine to 11 nights Itineraries: Southern, Western and Eastern Caribbean visiting Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Barbados, Martinique, Antigua and more Sailing Season: Year-round
Australia and New Zealand
Celebrity Eclipse Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,850 guests Built: 2010 Homeport: Sydney (Australia) Length: Three to 13 nights Itineraries: Varied itineraries visiting New Zealand, Fiji, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, Tonga and more Sailing Season: October 22 to April 19
South America
Celebrity Infinity Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,950 guests Built: 2001 Homeports: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Valparaiso (Chile) Length: Nine to 14 nights Itineraries: Brazil, Patagonia, Antarctica, Falklands and more Sailing Season: December 12 to April 4
West Coast
Celebrity Solstice Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,850 guests Built: 2008 Homeport: Los Angeles (United States) Length: Seven and eight nights Itineraries: Mexican Riviera and Pacific Coast visiting Cabo San Lucas, Catalina Island, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Monterey, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara and more Sailing Season: September 24 to April 22
Galapagos
Celebrity Flora Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 100 guests Built: 2019 Homeport: Baltra (Ecuador) Length: Seven nights Itineraries: Galapagos Expeditions sailing to Rabida Island, Puerto Egas, Elizabeth Bay, Las Bachas and others Sailing Season: Year-round
Celebrity Xploration Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 16 guests Built: 2007 Homeport: Baltra (Ecuador) Length: Seven nights Itineraries: Galapagos expeditions visiting Black Turtle Cove, Sullivan Bay, Calega Tagus, Punta Espinoza and more Sailing Season: Year-round
Celebrity Xpedition Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 100 guests Built: 2001 Homeport: Baltra (Ecuador) Length: Seven nights Itineraries: Galapagos expeditions visiting North Seymour, South Plaza, Santa Fé Island, Puerto Ayora, Bahia Post Office and more Sailing Season: Year-round
Transport Canada has announced that starting October 1, 2022, all COVID-19 border requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation requirements will end for all travellers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea, according to a statement.
Prior to this cruise guests were required to download and use the ArriveCAN app and provide proof of vaccination plus a negative COVID-19 test result.
“We applaud these decisions by Transport Canada to make visiting the country easier and more convenient for all guests sailing our popular Alaska and Canada/New England itineraries, and look forward to welcoming everyone on our incredible Alaska and Canadian cruises,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “Alaska and Canadian cruises are among the most desired vacation options in the world, and we look forward to welcoming everyone who’s waited the past three years for this market to fully open.”
According to Transport Canada, a set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States.
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