Celebrity Eclipse Returning to South America For 2023-2024 Season

The Celebrity Eclipse is heading to South America for a four-month deployment program, December 2023 – April 2024, visiting 16 destinations offering a 14-night Antarctica cruise and a 12-night Argentina and Patagonia sailing.

Destinations on the deployment program include Valparaiso, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and even the tip of Antarctica. 

Those who want to visit Machu Picchu will enjoy the 16-night repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Chile which includes two overnights in Lima, Peru.

“The power of travel expands our horizons, introduces us to other cultures, and opens us up to truly fulfilling experiences. Celebrity takes its guests to far-reaching corners of the globe while enjoying unrivalled luxury travel adventures,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “We have so much planned for 2023, and we’re really looking forward to sharing the culture and charm of the world with our guests as they Journey WonderFULLSM with us.”

Celebrity Apex Sails from Greece with Guests Onboard

Celebrity Edge passing the baton of being the Celebrity Cruise Flagship

The new Celebrity Apex is officially in service with guests as the new vessel sailed out of the Port of Athens today to begin her maiden voyage and first summer season in the Aegean.

That moment came as Celebrity Apex sailed out of port at 8:30p.m. local time.

The company’s return to the Aegean is all the more poignant given Celebrity Cruises’ proud Greek heritage, according to a press release.

Founded in 1988 by the Chandris family of Greece, the company later became a part of the Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises is still rooted in its Greek origins today, with 70% of marine officers across the fleet, hailing from Greece with more than 40 Captains and Chief Engineers, including the Captain of Celebrity Apex, Dimitrios Kafetzis.

“After all this time, what a dream come true for everyone onboard this exquisite ship in one of the world’s most breathtaking regions. Her sail-away today is a meaningful moment for our guests, our crew and our company. I think we are all having ‘pinch me' moments,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “Returning to sailing in the Aegean, where it all began for us, and after such a long time, is also very special for me and for the Celebrity Apex crew. Greece has always held a special place in our hearts, and, now, even more so, as we sail forward to experience all of its wonders, once again.”

Guests travelling on the Greek Islands and Cyprus itinerary will have the chance to visit Rhodes, Mykonos; Santorini and Limassol. 

“Today is a very proud day for me and one I will never forget. Not only do I return to the sea, but I do so in my home country and with an incredible crew. I was born and raised right here in Piraeus, less than a mile from our Athens homeport, and grew up dreaming of sailing this coastline at the helm of a ship. I was born and raised right here in Piraeus, less than a mile from our Athens homeport, and grew up dreaming of sailing this coastline at the helm of a ship. It is truly an honour to captain the newest Celebrity flagship and to welcome our first guests back on board,” said Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis.

Celebrity Apex sails with a vaccinated crew and at least 95% vaccinated guests. 

 

LISA LUTOFF-PERLO: 'LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING IN THE COVID CLOUD'

As Celebrity Cruises plots its return, with new sailings announced for the Caribbean, European and UK waters this summer, president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo tells Tom Parry how the line is looking beyond the pandemic.

“I honestly don’t know if I can put it into words,” beams Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

 

Despite the early morning interview, the excitement from Celebrity Cruises’ president and chief executive seems to fizz through her video screen – and for good reason.

 

Within a matter of weeks the line has revealed restart plans for the UK, Europe and Caribbean - including the launch of its second Edge-class ship, Celebrity Apex, out of Athens.

 

In the UK, Celebrity Silhouette – fully “revolutionised” after a multimillion-pound renovation infused with Kelly Hoppen redesigns and the British debut of its Always Included all-inclusive fare – will cruise from Southampton in July.

 

When we meet over Zoom in the last week of March, Silhouette has just joined an ever-growing fleet of ships due to sail UK shores this summer.

 

But Lutoff-Perlo, rather aptly clutching an Edge-branded mug as she chats, says she is confident Celebrity’s offering will stand out in the “crowded space”.

 

“The brand we’ve built up and our positioning of ‘new luxury’ – I think the British consumer really understands that. We’re not worried about all the other brands out there. Celebrity is a special brand that stands for a lot and that will serve us well this summer.”

Silhouette will cruise from Southampton in July as Celebrity makes its UK restart

SAFETY FIRST

One obvious point of difference compared with other lines is Celebrity and sister line Royal Caribbean International’s vaccination policy for these summer sailings. Unlike other lines, both require adults to be fully vaccinated, while under-18s must provide negative PCR results.

 

Lutoff-Perlo says the approach – backed by Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel – is “something that’s important right now” to instil confidence.

 

“We’re trying to be agile and do what we believe is the right thing to do at this time, so we can start up and everybody can have a wonderful vacation and feel like they’re in a healthy and safe environment”, she adds.

 

Lutoff-Perlo has herself recently received her second vaccine dose.

 

“When I got my second shot, I felt liberated. I carry my little vaccination card around with me – it’s like a badge of honour,” she grins.

The ship has been fully “revolutionised” after a multimillion-pound renovation

Capacity levels also reflect a cautious approach, with sailings starting at around 50% occupancy. “It will start lower than it will end,”

 

Lutoff-Perlo insists. “We’ll start to slowly but surely ramp up to somewhere in the 50, 60, 70% range.

 

“We want to prove that a cruise is a very controllable environment where people can have the healthiest and safest vacation in the world.”

 

She contrasts the onboard measures being prepared to wider tourism regulations in her resident state of Florida. “Tourists are not wearing masks; they don’t need to be vaccinated. I look at that and think: ‘This is OK?’ But yet it’s not OK for cruising to operate [in the US]…”

 

Her assessment of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) lack of progress in green-lighting sailings is admirably diplomatic amid growing frustrations from stateside cruise bosses and political leaders in recent weeks.

 

“I don’t believe [the CDC] are ignoring the industry on purpose as they’ve had so much to focus on, but I believe it’s time [to act], and they’re taking notice.”

 

TIME TO REFLECT

Talk of restarts is a welcome tonic compared with this time last year when Covid’s ever-tightening grip saw the March launch of Celebrity Apex in Southampton cancelled and its fleet begins a prolonged suspension.

 

I ask Lutoff-Perlo how she has coped during the enforced shutdown and where her and her team’s efforts have been focused. Echoing Royal Group chief Richard Fain’s “Never let a good crisis go to waste” mantra, she says she has coined one of her own: “Wake up and look for the silver lining in the Covid-19 cloud”.

For Lutoff-Perlo, this silver lining was having the time to explore and develop new strategies and onboard experiences.

 

“I thought, ‘we can’t just be focused on this pandemic, we need to focus on our future’. That was very different from what was going on in the rest of the industry – other brands were just focused on what it was going to take to come out of the pandemic.

 

“We were trying to say, ‘OK, we’re going to come out of this – but who do we want to be when that happens?’” Lutoff-Perlo admits her leadership style has also adapted to suit the challenges.

 

“Things that are innate in me as a leader have had to be amplified, and others de-amplified. I’ve always led with my head and a lot of my heart and I think those things have been inversed this past year.

 

Kate McCue named as the cruise industry’s first American female captain

Kate McCue named as the cruise industry’s first American female captain

BY DAVID FISKE, DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

Thanks to http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/

Kate McCue has become the first American female captain in the cruise industry, taking the helm of Celebrity Cruises‘ Celebrity Summit.

A graduate of California State University’s the 37 year-old from San Francisco will captain the 91,000 gross ton cruise ship on itineraries sailing between the eastern United States and Bermuda. Most recently she was a Master Mariner with Royal Caribbean International.

As a captain she will be responsible for the safe navigation of the ship and the on-board experience of its 2,158 guests and 952 crew members.

McCue has 15 years of experience in the maritime industry, managing ship logistics while sailing worldwide itineraries, including Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and along the Panama Canal. She also served as a maritime leader while sailing several transatlantic and repositioning cruises.

This appointment is the latest in Celebrity Cruises’ aim of advancing the role of women in leadership. In January 2014 Jo Rzymowska became the UK Managing Director for the cruise line and in December 2014 Lisa Lutoff-Perlo was named President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said “From the first time I met Kate, I looked forward to this moment, when I could extend my congratulations to her for being such a dynamic and highly respected leader who will continue to pave the way for women in the maritime industry. Of all the great moments throughout my career, this is at the top of my list. I am both honoured that Kate accepted this position, and proud of the way our team continues to transform the way people think about Celebrity, and about cruising in general.”

Kate McCue said “Becoming the first female American captain of a cruise ship has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember. The honour is amplified by being the first at a company like Celebrity Cruises. The cruise industry is ever-evolving, from the ships and the itineraries, to our guests’ expectations for vacation experiences. Celebrity has a history of delivering on each of these and I am thrilled to be a part of it.  I look forward to working with an amazing team and the exceptional leadership who bring the Celebrity Cruises vision to life every day.”

Captain Kate McCue will begin her new role on Celebrity Summit in August 2015.

There have been several female captains appointed in recent years. In May 2007 Royal Caribbean International appointed Karin Stahre-Janson as its first female captain. In April 2010 Sarah Breton became the first female captain of a cruise ship in Britain for P&O Cruises, and later in December Cunard appointed Inger Klein Olsen as captain of Queen Victoria.

(Photo credit to Celebrity Cruises)

Celebrity Cruises to go mainly with bundle pricing

Celebrity Cruises is set to roll out a permanent change to its pricing structure, starting July 6.

The new system builds on Celebrity's 123Go! promotion, which offers a menu of perquisites, such as free gratuities, beverage packages or an onboard spending credit.

The pricing structure, to be called Go!Big, Go!Better, Go!Best, adopts the rhythm and language of the 123Go! promotion, but Celebrity is emphasizing that it is not a temporary campaign.

The structure will be applied to nearly all inventory from Oct. 1, 2015, through April 2017, the most distant announced deployments.

Celebrity began describing the new structure to agents in a series of webinars that started on June 27.

Guests can choose among four perquisites: a Classic beverage package, free gratuities, unlimited internet or a $150-per-person spending credit.  All oceanview, balcony and suite accommodations will be priced at minimum with the choice of one perquisite built in.

In effect, cruise-only pricing at Celebrity will be eliminated, except for inside cabins.

A Go!Big price includes a choice of one option, while Go!Better includes a choice of two. Go!Best provides all four, and substitutes a Premium beverage package for the Classic package.

Celebrity said that the Go!Best option makes it the first premium segment cruise line to provide all-inclusive pricing. Although a shore excursion is not included, as it is with some all-inclusive luxury cruise products, the onboard credit can be applied to excursions, Celebrity said.

As with 123Go!, a buyer of a bundled fare that has a third or fourth guest in their cabin will receive nonalcoholic drink packages and 90 minutes of free Internet for those guests, Celebrity said.

The new pricing will not apply to Celebrity's Xpedition ship or to transatlantic and transpacific crossings.

By bundling the non commissionable items into the standard fare, Celebrity is effectively raising the commissions that travel agents can earn selling most Celebrity cabin categories.

It said the structure is also good for consumers because buying the perquisites separately would cost more than the bundle. 

Celebrity said that with the introduction of the Go!Big, Go!Better, Go!Best pricing structure, the 123Go! promotion launched in 2013 will be retired.

Donra Ritzenthaler, Celebrity's senior vice president for sales, trade sales and service, said the new pricing was more than two years in the making. Among the internal debates was whether it should be rolled out as a promotion or brand strategy.

In the end, the line’s CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, said “the team was aligned” on a pricing strategy. “We wanted to raise the bar.”

Ritzenthaler and Lutoff-Perlo tested the waters with the concept by giving a sneak peak of the strategy to large accounts early last month.

Upon hearing the plan, World Travel Holdings co-president Brad Tolkin said he liked the “crisp and clean” simplicity of it.

“Are specialty restaurants over and above [the price of the cruise]?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lutoff-Perlo responded. “But the onboard credits would get that covered.”

“We needed to completely change what’s going on,” Ritzethaler told Tolkin. “Our guiding principles were to give consumers ultimate choice, raise APDs (average per diems) and make it easy.”

When the strategy was outlined to him, Vacations To Go president Emerson Hankamer said he felt it was “a very strong, proactive thing for the trade.”

Although his company focuses on attracting consumers with the prospect of low prices, he understands the attraction of value-adds, even when they represent an alternative to lowering prices. 

“If you load up with amenities but the price is high, you’ll get a higher-quality customer who spends more,” he said.

Celebrity Introduces “World Class Bar”

Celebrity Introduces “World Class Bar”

by: cruiseindustrynews.com

Celebrity Cruises has introduced what it calls the world's first permanent World Class Bar. According to the cruise line, the bar space onboard Celebrity Eclipse provides "interactive and luxurious" drinks experiences created by world class-certified mixologists.

Celebrity said it is renowned for its highly skilled and engaging bartenders, and partnering with a premium drinks company provides the cruise lines' mixologists with exclusive menus that feature cutting-edge cocktails, promising to deliver the ultimate high-end drinks experience for vacationers. The World Class Bar debuted on the Celebrity Eclipse and will soon be followed by bars onboard Celebrity's four remaining Solstice Class ships.

"Our award-winning culinary program gives guests the opportunity to indulge in new tastes and experiences during their vacation, and the World Class Bar will do this by offering the very best of mixology, custom-created craft cocktails and expert bartenders," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. "World Class is at the forefront of contemporary cocktail culture, which is a perfect fit for Celebrity as we continue to bring modern luxury to affluent vacationers."

Longtime executives promoted to lead Celebrity, Royal Caribbean

By Jerry Limone

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) has named Michael Bayley president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, transferring to the company’s largest brand from the helm of Celebrity Cruises.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo replaces Bayley as Celebrity’s president and CEO, promoted from her position as Royal Caribbean’s executive vice president of operations.

Each executive has 30 years of experience in the industry.

Bayley had been Celebrity’s president and CEO since July 2012. At that time, Bayley had been promoted from his position as Royal Caribbean’s executive vice president of operations, and Lutoff-Perlo was promoted to replace Bayley.

The top spot at Royal Caribbean International had been vacant since April, when Adam Goldstein was promoted to president and COO of the parent company.

In a statement, RCCL said Bayley “delivered strong results” at Celebrity “while building the company's ‘modern luxury’ positioning, which resonated successfully with Celebrity's sophisticated customer base.”

RCCL said Lutoff-Perlo “played a critical role in the recent successful launch of Quantum of the Seas.”

Quantum of the Seas float-out features 30-foot pink bear

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas was floated out of its construction berth at the Meyer Werft shipyard sporting a 30-foot pink bear on a top deck.

The sculpture, entitled “From Afar,” is part of the ship’s 2,980-piece art collection. It is formed from 1,340 stainless steel triangles, weighs eight tons, and is intended to provoke thoughts about “What Makes Life Worth Living,” the theme of the ship’s art collection, according to Royal Caribbean.

“The pieces we have commissioned for Quantum of the Seas are stunning, engaging and, in some cases, completely unexpected,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, executive vice president of operations at Royal Caribbean.

The 18-deck, 4,180-passenger Quantum will undergo two months of finishing before being delivered. It’s first voyage is scheduled for mid-November in New York.

Quantum’s China deployment reflects a new economic reality

By Tom Stieghorst

The decision to make Shanghai the home for Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas has immediate implications for U.S. travel agents who had been looking forward to selling the ship’s originally scheduled cruises from South Florida and New Jersey.

The Shanghai deployment is the clearest sign yet that the U.S. and Europe will have to compete for the future attention of a cruise industry they’ve grown accustomed to thinking of as their own.

“We were in a two-theaters-of-operation mode for the last 20 years,” said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Now, its North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.”

In addition to China, Australia is getting strong support from North American cruise companies.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president for operations, said the plan had always been an Asia deployment for one of its upcoming ships.

“We have clearly accelerated that with the decision to send Quantum to Asia,” she said.

In its announcement, Royal Caribbean said Quantum would sail year-round from Shanghai on three- to eight-day cruises to Korea and Japan.

Details about the itineraries will be available in a month or two, said Christopher Allen, Royal Caribbean’s assistant vice president of global deployment and itinerary planning.

Goldstein said the Chinese market has evolved from being in research-and-development mode to one that is contributing to the company’s profitability.

He said that even without the ability to sail to Japan from China, due to political tensions between the two countries, 2013 was a profitable year for China-sourced business.

Royal Caribbean has been sailing the Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas from China. Although the addition of the 4,200-passenger Quantum will increase Royal Caribbean’s capacity in the market by 66%, Goldstein said he’s confident it will sell.

“This year, there’s more of a desire by [Chinese] travel agents and tour operators to go to Japan,” he said.

China has grown at a blistering pace, as has its outbound tourism, Goldstein said. “The Chinese have a very strong belief that they have emerged as an economic powerhouse,” he said, adding that the feeling they should be at the forefront of every industry comes along with that.

Goldstein said that the tourist experience in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Shanghai is world-class, so the positioning of a top-of-the-line ship there is seen as only natural.

Although he has said several times that Caribbean countries need to take heed of the global competition for ship calls, Goldstein said the Quantum announcement was less a reflection on the Caribbean market than a sign of the new world economic order.
That order might not be good news for U.S. travel agents, who typically profited from the power of a line’s newest ship to fill fast and command premium prices.

U.S. agents, particularly those in South Florida, benefited from that effect when Royal Caribbean introduced its last new Oasis-class vessels, the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, based in Fort Lauderdale.

The move of the Quantum to Asia means a new lineup of Royal Caribbean ships in important East Coast ports.

After the Quantum leaves New Jersey in May 2015, it will be succeeded by the Liberty of the Seas until November.

The Anthem of the Seas, which will debut in the summer of 2015 doing European cruises from Southampton, England, will then take up the New Jersey routes to Bermuda and the Caribbean.

Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales, trade support and service, said she had already heard from some agents in the Northeast U.S. who want to have clients sail on all three New Jersey-based ships in one year.

“They feel like they’re getting the trifecta,” Freed said.

But Fort Lauderdale, which had announced itself as the winter home of the Anthem, will have to make do with the Navigator of the Seas, along with its monopoly on the Oasis-class ships.

Royal Caribbean officials took pains to say that New York, South Florida and China are all important markets. As Royal Caribbean becomes more global in its deployment, the key will be to strike the proper balance, said Lutoff-Perlo.

“North America is always at the forefront of everything we think about because it is such an important market for us now. Always has been and always will be,” Lutoff-Perlo said.

One area that has lagged in Royal Caribbean’s deployment is the U.S. West Coast, particularly Los Angeles. Freed said that the line hoped to be back one day, but noted that itinerary options were somewhat limited.

Allen added: “I think that that’s a market we will continue to review and continue to look at the opportunities, and when the time is right we’ll be excited to come back to the West Coast.”

The decision to move the Quantum to China shed new light on the announcement of “Dynamic Dining,” which eliminates the main dining room on the Quantum for five smaller, alternate dining venues, a style more in tune with Asian preferences.

Lutoff-Perlo said that during a 50-day repositioning cruise from New Jersey to Shanghai in 2015, workers would modify the retail, gaming and galley areas of the ship to adjust for Chinese tastes.

She said that a press conference in Shanghai to announce the Quantum’s commitment to China was heavily attended and lasted a long time.

“The world is changing. How our ships are sourced is changing,” Lutoff-Perlo said. “The fact that these ships are popular all over the world is much different now than it has been in the past.”

Royal Caribbean certified by autism group

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean International said it is the first cruise line to win fleetwide certification from Autism On the Seas, a group that helps families with autistic members with their vacations.

The certification requires that a cruise line make certain accommodations for autistic passengers, including special staff training.

The guidelines also include providing sensory related toys, autism-friendly modification to youth activities, autism-friendly movies, priority boarding, dietary offerings (including gluten-free and dairy-free), and several modifications to services for groups of guests with disabilities.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Royal Caribbean's executive vice president of operations, said the cruise line has been working with Autism on the Seas for more than seven years.

The organization is taking a staff cruise on Serenade of the Seas on March 8.

On its website, Autism on the Seas said it also works with Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Line.