Expanding on its Galapagos Islands product, Celebrity Cruises is launching new itineraries and expedition ships, upping the fleet to three. Joining the Celebrity Xpedition are the Celebrity Xploration and Celebrity Xperience in March 2017. The trio of ships will provide six itineraries to 15 islands and over 30 total ports.
In preparation, the eight-stateroom Celebrity Xploration catamaran and 24-cabin Celebrity Xperience yacht will each receive multi-million dollar refurbishments to bring them up to Celebrity Cruises standards. The Xploration features window or veranda accommodations, and both come outfitted with luxurious bedding, LCD televisions and high-speed internet connections. Fine dining will also be crafted by the line’s Michelin-starred chef, delivered by attentive service.
"With more than 12 years in the Galapagos Islands, guests have told us that we are best-in-class at providing award-winning vacations in this unique corner of the world,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “Now we are offering the trip-of-a-lifetime onboard our newest ships with itineraries featuring ports of call we’ve never visited before and experiences that are exclusive to Celebrity. If a modern luxury vacation in the Galapagos Islands wasn’t on your bucket list before, it definitely should be on it now!”
As far as itineraries are concerned, the fleet collectively showcases naturalist-led, award-winning shore excursions on 7- to 15-night journeys. The Celebrity Xperience specifically features 7-, 10- or 13-night all-inclusive sailings to new ports such as Mosquera Islet, Black Turtle Cove, Cerro Brujo, Santa Fe, Darwin Bay and El Barranco.
Its new 13-night Xperiential Travel itinerary begins with two nights in Quito, Ecuador, followed by a 7-night cruise and then another 3-night land program. The post-cruise portion comes with accommodations at Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, a local farm or greenhouse visit to procure food for a specially-prepared regional restaurant meal and similarly, an outing with a local fisherman to get a catch of the day for a seafood dinner.
Alternatively, the Celebrity Xploration embarks on 7-night exclusive charters to new ports like El Barranco, Darwin Bay, Espumilla Beach, Mosquera Islet, Chinese Hat, Kicker Rock, Cerro Brujo, Walls of Tears and Puerto Villamil. Plus, several pre- and post-cruise options are available.
The 100-guest Celebrity Xpedition will also continue to sail on 7-, 10-, 11- or 15-night voyages highlighting Celebrity-exclusive shore excursions, authentic regional cuisine and island protection via the Scalesia Reforestation Project.
— From Cruiseable wire services
