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Celebrity Cruises News

08 Nov 2023

Celebrity Ascent Delivered to Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Ascent, the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises' Edge Series (Photo: Celebrity Cruises)

Celebrity Cruises announced it has taken delivery of its latest newbuild, the 141,420 GT Celebrity Ascent, built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. The fourth cruise ship in the line's Edge Series, Celebrity Ascent is 1,073 feet long with a 128-foot beam, 27-foot draft and capacity for up to 3,260 passengers. Equipped with Wärtsilä engines and ABB Azipod propulsion, the vessel cruises at speeds up to 22 knots."Celebrity Ascent features all the innovative and award-winning Edge Series signature experiences that launched a new era in cruise ship design…

12 Apr 2023

Celebrity Cruises Names Hodges Bethge President

Laura Hodges Bethge (Photo: Royal Caribbean Group)

Royal Caribbean Group announced Laura Hodges Bethge will take over as president of its Celebrity Cruises brand, succeeding Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who will transition to vice chair, external affairs for Royal Caribbean Group, effective May 1.Hodges Bethge, currently Celebrity Cruises' executive vice president, shared services operations, has been with the company more than 23 years and has held senior positions in many different areas including product development, hotel and marine operations, sales, marketing, product innovation, market development and investor relations.

29 Mar 2023

Wärtsilä to Supply Methanol Dual-fuel Engines to New Edge Series Cruise Ship

Wärtsilä methanol engines offer a route to maritime decarbonisation. © Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä will supply methanol dual-fuel engines for Celebrity Cruises’ latest ship, the fifth vessel in the company’s Edge Series.The OEM will convert two Wärtsilä 46F engines to allow them to utilize methanol as fuel - the second such conversion it has undertaken and the first for this engine type. By adding methanol as a fuel option, emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter are significantly reduced.The full Wärtsilä scope includes two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines capable of operating with methanol as fuel…

16 Dec 2022

Silversea Cruises Names Barbara Muckermann President & CEO

Barbara Muckermann (Photo: Silversea Cruises)

Barbara Muckermann, currently chief commercial officer at Silversea Cruises, will become the company’s next president and CEO, and will join parent company Royal Caribbean Group’s executive committee, effective January 1.Muckermann will succeed Roberto Martinoli, who will assume the role of senior advisor to Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO Jason Liberty.She becomes the second woman to lead one of Royal Caribbean Group’s three wholly-owned brands, and joins Celebrity Cruises president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, and Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley.

31 Oct 2022

Celebrity Leaps Ahead of Regs with new RWO Wastewater Treatment Systems

Celebrity Solstice. Image courtesy Celebrity

RWO recently completed two installations of its next-gen advanced water treatment system (AWTS); the CleanSewage Membrane Reactor (CS-MBR), for Celebrity Cruises. The sewage treatment plant on the Celebrity Solstice-class vessels, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection, have been upgraded to the CS-MBR system, with an additional three orders placed to complete the fleet-wide upgrade.RWO’s CS-MBR is a sustainable biological treatment technology that has been designed to minimize a vessel’s impact on the environment…

31 Aug 2022

Royal Caribbean Will Be Industry's First to Use SpaceX’s Starlink High-speed Internet

Royal Caribbean first trialed SpaceX’s Starlink on board Freedom of the Seas. (Photo: Royal Caribbean Group)

Royal Caribbean Group this week revealed it will be the industry's first cruise ship operator to implement SpaceX’s Starlink for onboard broadband internet service for guests and crew fleetwide.The cruise giant said on Tuesday it will immediately begin installing Starlink high-speed, low-latency connectivity on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of its brands going forward. Initial installations…

28 Jul 2022

Royal Caribbean's Loss Narrows

© Jillian Cain / Adobe Stock

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group (RCL.N) on Thursday reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss as bookings rebounded and travelers splurged on cabanas, spa treatments and watches while onboard.The world's second-largest cruise line operator is the latest company to report good results as travelers, free of restrictions related to COVID-19, spend heavily on rental cars, airline tickets and hotels."Despite concerns about the U.S. and global economy, high inflation and amid geopolitical uncertainty…

19 Apr 2022

Celebrity Beyond Departs Chantiers de l’Atlantique Shipyard

(Photo: B.Biger / Chantiers de l’Atlantique)

Celebrity Cruises’ newest cruise ship Celebrity Beyond has departed the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France en route to Southampton, U.K. where the newbuild is slated to commence its maiden voyage later this month.The third in a series of five Edge Series luxury cruise ships ordered by Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruises—each reportedly worth $1 billion—the 140,600 GT Celebrity Beyond was delivered on April 6 and departed France on April 15.The 327-meter-long vessel was ordered in 2016…

12 Apr 2022

Seafarers’ House to Honor Carnival's Arnold W. Donald

Arnold W. Donald (Photo: Carnival Corporation)

Arnold W. Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation & PLC, has been selected as the recipient of Seafarers’ House International Golden Compass Award for 2022. The award is given each year to those who have achieved distinction in the maritime world, those whose vocation or avocation has been the sea, or those who have ministered to or otherwise assisted seafarers.Donald grew up in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans with 27 foster brothers and sister. His parents’ generosity made a significant impact on his life.

03 Mar 2022

Royal Caribbean Joins Rivals Canceling Sailings to Russia

© ymgerman / Adobe Stock

Cruise operators Royal Caribbean Group and Viking Cruises canceled sailings to Russia on Wednesday, joining their rivals and many Western brands in suspending operations in the country after its invasion of Ukraine.Celebrity Cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean, said it was removing Russian port city St. Petersburg from upcoming itineraries, adding that it would visit other Scandinavian ports in its place.Silversea Cruises also said it would re-route summer voyages scheduled to stop in Russia and Ukraine, while Royal Caribbean International said it had canceled its visits to St.

03 Mar 2022

Royal Caribbean Orders Engine Maintenance Machines from Chris-Marine

(Photo: Royal Caribbean International)

Chris-Marine USA, LLC reports it has been chosen by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) to supply critical engine maintenance machines for several Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises vessels throughout 2022.The Scope of Supply includes over 65 Chris-Marine machines such as CPM (Surface Grinding Machine), VRL (Valve Seat and Recess Lathe), VSL (Valve Seat Lathe) and DGL (Deglazing Machine) which are critical to proper engine maintenance on board the ships.“We are very proud that Royal Caribbean Group has selected us as one of their partners in engine maintenance…

16 Feb 2022

US CDC Eases Warnings for Cruises as New COVID Infections Fall

© Yevgen / Adobe Stock

The U.S.

07 Feb 2022

Royal Caribbean's Return to Profit Delayed by Omicron Surge

© Silverpics / Adobe Stock

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group said on Friday the lightning spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant would delay its return to profitability by a few months, another blow for one of the companies worst affected by the pandemic.The bleak prediction, as well as a larger-than-expected quarterly loss, sent Royal Caribbean's stock down 4% and also weighed on shares of rivals Carnival Corp and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.The Omicron surge has in recent months forced cruise operators to change their trip itineraries and even cancel voyages…

31 Dec 2021

Royal Caribbean Bookings Take a Hit as Omicron Fears Worsen

© Joni / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Group said on Thursday it was grappling with a drop in bookings and a rise in cancellations as COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.U.S. cruise ships have been gradually returning to the seas since late June, but an increase in Omicron cases has sparked calls for a temporary ban on cruising, including from Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.Since the Celebrity Cruises parent resumed operations from U.S.

10 Nov 2021

Royal Caribbean's Long-time CEO Fain to Step Down

(Photo: Royal Caribbean)

Royal Caribbean Group's Chief Executive Officer, Richard Fain, is stepping down after more than three decades with the U.S. cruise operator that is still recovering from the slump caused by the coronavirus crisis.Finance chief Jason Liberty will takeover as CEO, Royal Caribbean said on Tuesday, and will be tasked with taking the company back to pre-pandemic levels as sailing operations slowly restart more than a year after operations were suspended.Fain was one of the key leaders…

29 Oct 2021

Royal Caribbean Revenue Disappoints as Delta Variant Hits Ticket Sales

© ymgerman / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Group missed market estimates for quarterly revenue on Friday, as people were apprehensive about going on cruises due to the fast-spreading COVID-19 Delta variant.Cruise ships have been sailing from U.S. ports again since late June with mostly vaccinated guests and crew, but some onboard cases and a spike in COVID-19 infections have raised worries about the industry’s fortunes in the near term.Regular testing has helped cruise lines ensure isolated cases of the novel coronavirus do not become a full-blown outbreak, even as the response to resumption of U.S.

27 May 2021

CDC Approves Royal Caribbean Cruise for June, First Since COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control said it had approved one cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to resume sailing in June, more than a year after U.S. cruising was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge will depart from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on June 26, the cruise company said. It will be the first U.S. departing cruise in a more than a year with paying passengers.“Cruising from the U.S. is back!” Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Group chairman and chief executive officer said in a statement.The CDC said it is committed to working with the cruise industry and ports to resume cruising in…

19 Jan 2021

Royal Caribbean to Sell Azamara Brand for $201 Million

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group said on Tuesday it reached a deal to sell its Azamara brand to private-equity firm Sycamore Partners for $201 million in cash, as it grapples with biting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.Sycamore Partners will acquire the entire Azamara brand, including its three-ship fleet—Azamara Quest, Azamara Journey and Azamara Pursuit—and associated intellectual property. In conjunction with the transaction, Azamara Chief Operating Officer Carol Cabezas has been appointed President of the brand.Royal Caribbean said it will incur a one-time, non-cash impairment charge of approximately $170 million, but claimed…

06 Oct 2020

Royal Caribbean Extends Suspension of Sailings until November 30

© Debbie Ann Powell / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has extended suspension of sailings until November 30, excluding those originating from Hong Kong, the U.S.

02 Sep 2020

Foreship Appoints Sward to Head US Operations

Benjamin Sward, CEO of Foreship LLC (Photo: Foreship)

Naval architecture and marine engineering company Foreship Ltd has appointed Benjamin Sward as President of Foreship LLC to take responsibility for the company’s U.S. activities. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sward will also oversee Foreship’s Seattle operation.The appointment sees a return to Foreship for Sward, who served the company as a Naval Architect and Project Manager between 2015-2018 and led a variety of upgrade projects for high-profile cruise clients such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises.

10 Jul 2020

Royal Caribbean Takes Full Ownership of Silversea Cruises

A Silversea Cruises cruise ship -Credit: Fincantieri

Royal Caribbean Group has acquired the remaining shares of Silversea Cruises, a specialist in the ultra-luxury and expedition cruising, after previously buying a two-thirds share of the cruise line in July 2018.The remaining one-third stake held by Heritage Cruise Holding Ltd. was paid for in the form of 5.2 million shares of Royal Caribbean Group common stock, which represents about 2.5% of the total common stock."Silversea has been a great fit for our company from the very first day," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

22 Mar 2021

Royal Caribbean to Return to the Caribbean with Vaccinated Guests in June

© travelview / Adobe Stock

Some of Royal Caribbean Group’s cruises will resume sailing in the Caribbean in June with vaccinated adult guests, ending a year-long hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.Adventure of the Seas and Celebrity Millennium ships will also have vaccinated crews and accept children under the age of 18 with a negative COVID-19 test, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises said on Friday.“Returning to the Caribbean ... marks the measured beginning of the end of what has been a uniquely challenging time for everyone…

22 Mar 2021

Royal Caribbean Sells Its Azamara Brand

Cruise giant Royal Caribbean Group said it has completed the sale of its Azamara brand to private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $201 million in cash. The sale, which was announced earlier this year, includes Azamara’s three-ship fleet and associated intellectual property.Miami-based Royal Caribbean said the the deal allows it to focus on expanding its core brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises as it continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 cruise pause.“This creates huge opportunities for all parties,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “In fact, as we are inking this deal today, Azamara already has added a fourth ship to their fleet.