Tag Archives: Celebrity Xpedition

Celebrity building the Flora, a small ship for Galapagos cruises

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The Celebrity Flora will debut in May 2019.FORT LAUDERDALE — Celebrity Cruises has designed a new ship for use in the Galapagos, a rare newbuild in the market and at 100 passengers the smallest ship parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has ever built.

Celebrity president Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said that only in a market with such high demand and limited supply would the economics of building a ship of that size make sense for a brand like Celebrity.

“On a per-berth basis, it’s really hard to get a return on these ships,” Lutoff-Perlo said. “The Galapagos is different.”

The Vista will be the Flora's top-deck area.
The Vista will be Flora’s top-deck area.

The number of ships that can operate in the Galapagos is restricted by the Ecuadoran government and the size is limited to 100 passengers or less, so prices tend to be relatively high.

A seven-night Galapagos cruises on the Celebrity Xpedition is listed on Celebrity’s website starting at $4,399 per person.

The news was announced at CruiseWorld, Travel Weekly’s conference here.

The new ship, named Celebrity Flora, will be built in a Dutch shipyard and debut in May 2019. Lutoff-Perlo declined to say how much it will cost but said it is a fraction of Celebrity’s bigger ships.

The Celebrity Flora will take over itineraries now offered on the 100-passenger Xpedition, which will take on itineraries of two smaller ships, the 48-passenger Celebrity Xperience and the 16-passenger Celebrity Xploration. The two small ships will likely be sold, Lutoff-Perlo said.

A rendering of the Darwin Deck Bar on the Celebrity Flora.
A rendering of the Darwin Deck Bar on the Celebrity Flora.

Although it will carry the same number of passengers, the Flora will be twice the size of the Xpedition, allowing for more features. “We’re able to do more outdoor spaces and more public space for our guests,” Lutoff-Perlo said.

It will have a small pool, which Xpedition does not, and two restaurants and two lounges, where Xpedition has one each. There will be more crew space so the Flora will have one naturalist for every 12 guests, up from a 1:16 ratio on Xpedition.

Opting for a new ship enabled Celebrity to design storage space in the hull for three Zodiac boats that are stored on deck on the Xpedition. The Flora’s two 1,288-square-foot Penthouse suites will be the largest in the Galapagos.

The design of the ship will be consistent with the new Celebrity Edge and other larger Celebrity ships, but with an emphasis on the neutral, natural and organic, Lutoff-Perlo said. Lounges, suites and restaurants will have floor-to-ceiling windows to facilitate wildlife viewing.

The Flora will be the smallest ship ever built by Celebrity parent RCCL.
The Flora will be the smallest ship ever built by Celebrity parent RCCL.

About 50% of the accommodations will incorporate the virtual balcony concept that will debut on the Celebrity Edge.

Celebrity’s emphasis on facing out toward the ocean will be reflected in all beds being positioned to face a window.

The top deck will have four stick-style cabanas that will be available for day rental and for sleeping out on deck under the stars.

Celebrity Flora will sail year-round from Baltra Island. Bookings open today.

Celebrity acquiring ships to expand Galapagos cruising

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Celebrity Cruises will expand its Celebrity Xpedition brand in the Galapagos islands by acquiring Ocean Adventures.

Founded in 1999, Ocean Adventures has two vessels: the 48-passenger Eclipse and the 16-guest catamaran Athala II. The expansion gives Celebrity more capacity in the Galapagos, where the government requires ships to carry 100 passengers or less.

Celebrity has sailed in the Galapagos since 2004 when it created the Celebrity Xpedition brand for the destination. It has operated a single ship, the Xpedition, in the Galapagos until now.

After the acquisition, the two Ocean Adventure ships will continue to offer their current onboard experience until a scheduled drydock in January 2017, after which they will offer Celebrity’s service, food and amenities. All existing Ocean Adventures bookings and block space commitments will be honored and will remain unchanged, regardless of the date of sailing, Celebrity said.

The Xpedition accommodates 98 passengers. It sailed from 2001 to 2004 for Sun Bay Cruises under the name Sun Bay 1.

Celebrity Xpedition banned from Galapagos National Park

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Celebrity Xpedition banned from Galapagos National Park

Celebrity Cruises is in trouble with local authorities from the Galapagos Islands for transporting frozen lobster tails out of season.

As a result, the Celebrity Xpedition has had its licence revoked for entering Galapagos National Park, something that has resulted in the cancellation of a June 2nd cruise to the destination.

While the suspension is temporary, reports suggest that Celebrity does not yet know if its June 9th sailing will be allowed to go ahead.

Affected passengers have been provided with a full refund, as well as a 50 per cent discount for future Xpedition cruises and reimbursements for airline change fees.

It is thought that 12kg of frozen lobster tails are at the centre of the dispute. Celebrity says that the seafood was purchased legally during season from Park-certified fishermen.

Although the cruise line says that National Park officials confirmed this, the regulations suggest that all such produce must be consumed within five days of the end of season.

Celebrity says that it was not aware of this recent change to regulations, which it says was not publicised until after the company had already been cited. As well as the suspension, Celebrity was fined $2,000 (£1,311).

Nisha at Sea