PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten,
June 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- With celebration and fanfare, Celebrity Cruises'
much-anticipated return to cruising became a reality today, as the
new-luxury Celebrity Millennium set sail from the
picturesque Caribbean port of
Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Both a
first for the industry in North
America and the first of Celebrity's fleet to return to
sailing, Celebrity Millennium embarks on a seven-night
itinerary visiting the treasured islands of Aruba, Barbados and Curacao, thrilling guests who have waited 15
months to experience the wonders of the world by sea.
The sailing also represents the first time Celebrity Cruises has
homeported in St. Maarten, one of
the most beautiful and vibrant Caribbean islands, where the cruise line now
begins sailing Eastern and Western
Caribbean itineraries through August.
"Today, we sail, again! This is such a significant moment for
our company, our industry and the Caribbean. That this day has finally arrived
for our guests and our crew is truly special – beyond words,
really," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo,
President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. "I am so happy to have our
crew back onboard doing what they love and providing amazing
vacations and service to our guests. I also am extremely grateful
to the leadership of the St.
Maarten government for their vision and support to make this
moment happen. What an honor to now be the first to
enthusiastically say, once again – 'Welcome Aboard!'"
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome our guests back to relax
and start enjoying the travel experiences they've been craving all
this time. Once onboard, they will discover reimagined
accommodation, spa and entertainment offerings, along with
considered and thoughtful health and safety measures," said
Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations
Brian Abel. "The end result of
all that we have implemented will make cruises one of the safest
ways to explore the world, while enjoying a wonderful and
uncompromised vacation experience."
Celebrity Millennium Captain Theodoros Zakkas added,
"For the past several months, I had the privilege of maintaining
this beautiful ship with a small 75-person crew. Today, with a full
crew who were all smiles as we welcomed our guests onboard once
again, has been very emotional for me. It has been a beautiful and
historic homecoming, one that everyone involved – guests and crew -
will never forget."
Healthy at Sea
Celebrity Millennium sails with enhanced health and
safety standards that are the culmination of more than a year of
diligent work with public health authorities, government agencies
and its Healthy Sail Panel of scientific, medical and public
health leaders.
In addition to launching its phased restart with reduced
capacity to allow for more natural spacing, Celebrity has leveraged
technology to create new arrival, departure and muster safety drill
procedures; and updated onboard and shoreside experiences to
reflect new standard health and safety practices; all with the
well-being of guests, crew and the communities visited by Celebrity
ships at the forefront of the planning process.
With the new measures, guests return to experiencing all of the
distinctive touches they have come to love and expect from a
Celebrity cruise: industry-leading ship design with impeccably
stylish accommodations and remarkable outdoor spaces; unparalleled
culinary experiences in captivating environments; impeccable
hospitality elevating personal, friendly service to an art form;
and a penchant for wellbeing woven into every aspect of the onboard
experience.
As guests and crew work together to promote onboard health and
safety, some of the new measures include:
- Vaccinated Sailings – Celebrity will sail in the
Caribbean with a vaccinated crew
and at least 95% vaccinated guests.
- Staggered Arrivals and Departures – Terminal arrivals
and departures will be staggered by appointment, with guests having
the ability to select their preferred times based on travel
plans.
- Contactless Transactions – Celebrity's digitally
advanced mobile app* transforms the decades-old
large-group-gathering Muster safety drill into a personal eMuster
experience that guests can complete on their mobile device or
interactive stateroom TV, avoiding large group gatherings. The app
also expedites the boarding process; and allows guests to read
menus and book dining reservations and shore excursions via their
smartphone.
- Appropriate Face Coverings – During the Terminal
check-in and check-out process, all guests 2 years of age and older
will be required to wear an appropriate face covering. Once
onboard, and unless otherwise stipulated by local governments,
masks will not be required in accordance with recent CDC guidance
for sailings with vaccinated crew and guests.
Celebrity's new measures may evolve in keeping with current
public health standards and may vary in accordance with local
guidance in the destinations visited. Guests are encouraged to
regularly check the guidance on all health and safety measures
across the entire Celebrity Cruises vacation experience at
CelebrityCruises.com/healthy-at-sea.
Cruise with Confidence
Providing travel flexibility,
Celebrity's Cruise with Confidence policy allows guests who
have booked by July 31, 2021 to
cancel for any reason up to 48 hours before departure on sailings
through Sept. 30, 2022 and receive a
100% credit for a future cruise.
Celebrity Millennium guests are also the first to
experience Celebrity's new 'Always IncludedSM' approach
where Wi-Fi, drinks and gratuities are always included in the
cruise fare.
Sailing Forward
Celebrity Cruises has announced plans
to sail eight of the 14 ships in its fleet as part of its phased
restart. Celebrity Millennium will soon be joined by:
Celebrity Apex – sailing the Aegean beginning
June 19; Celebrity Edge –
sailing the Caribbean from
Ft. Lauderdale, FL on June 26; Celebrity Silhouette –
sailing the UK coastline as of July
3; Celebrity Flora – returning to the
extraordinary Galapagos islands as of July3, followed by the
award-winning Celebrity Xpedition and intimate
16-passenger Celebrity Xploration on July 24, and September
18, respectively; and sailings to Alaska from Seattle begin July
23.
For more information on all of the new sailings offered by
Celebrity Cruises, visit
CelebrityCruises.com/2021-2022-cruises.
About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X"
is the mark of a fleet of 14 award-winning ships redefining luxury
cruise travel with cool, contemporary design and accommodation;
dining, spa, and entertainment experiences for modern tastes; and
culturally rich and diverse destination experiences, all
complemented by warm, personalized service. Celebrity has pioneered
many industry firsts at sea, including the first use of solar
panels on a cruise ship; the first to eliminate the use of plastic
water bottles; the first American female captain of a cruise ship;
the first-ever all-female bridge and officer team sailing; the
first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship;
and one of the first legal same-sex weddings performed at sea.
Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world, Celebrity
journeys to all seven continents, visiting nearly 300 destinations
in more than 70 countries. Celebrity Cruises is one of five cruise
brands operated by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group.
(NYSE: RCL).
Celebrity Cruises is applying the recommendations of
the Healthy Sail Panel of public health and scientific
experts to provide a safer and healthier cruise vacation
on all of its sailings. Health and safety protocols,
regional travel restrictions and clearance to visit ports of call,
are subject to change based on ongoing evaluation, public health
standards, and government requirements. U.S. cruises and
guests: For more information on the latest health and travel
alerts, U.S. government travel advisories, please
visit https://www.celebritycruises.com/travel-alert or
consult travel advisories, warnings or recommendations relating to
cruise travel on applicable government websites.
*App Availability subject to device limitations and features and
may vary by ship, device or service provider. Message and data
rates may apply. Coverage not available everywhere. Guests under 18
need their parents' permission first.
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SOURCE Celebrity Cruises