Celebrity Flora offers plenty to fawn over in Galapagos Islands
You probably know Celebrity Cruises (cruise.center/celebrity) best for its fantastic big-ship cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe and beyond.
Celebrity’s ships are some of the most elegantly designed vessels around, with plenty of premium touches and big-ship fun, wrapped up in a package that is classy and affordable.
For more than a decade, though, Celebrity has offered one very unique departure from its winning formula: small-ship, expedition-style cruises to the Galapagos Islands aboard the 100-guest Celebrity Xpedition.
It’s the hidden gem in the Celebrity fleet; one that brings the line’s style of premium cruising to one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet.
Celebrity’s presence in the Galapagos might not be a wellkept secret much longer. The line recently announced ambitious plans to build an entirely new cruise ship intended for expedition cruising in the Galapagos Islands. Known as Celebrity Flora, this 100-guest ship will usher in an entirely new class of vessel for Celebrity Cruises, and open up new options for past Celebrity guests and those looking to cruise to the Galapagos.
“Celebrity Flora marks another example of our revolutionary ship design by allowing the destination and its environment to influence every decision we’ve made,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “From the luxurious all-suite accommodations to industry-first, eco-friendly innovations, we created a ship that brings a new level of luxury, sustainability and natural exploration to the region.”
Celebrity Flora will sail alternating weeklong “inner” and “outer” loop cruises to the Galapagos, creating the possibility for back-to-back 14-day journeys through the islands with almost no port repetition.
Designed expressly for the Galapagos, the ship will feature massive floor-to-ceiling windows in most public rooms and cabins.
The ship’s outward-facing design ensures that the islands are never far from sight. Celebrity is adding some very cool technological features to the ship, like an anchorless positioning system that allows the ship to stay in one spot without the use of potentially damaging anchors; a stargazing platform; in-room water filtration stations that eliminate the need for plastic bottled water; and eco-friendly engines that reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.
“We are very pleased with the announcement of Celebrity Cruises’ decision to build a cruise vessel with cutting-edge technology, designed specifically to operate around our wonderful islands,” said Enrique Ponce de Leon, Ecuador’s minister of tourism. “Celebrity Flora will undoubtedly mark a very important milestone in the tourism development of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, offering highquality and sustainable tourism.”
In addition to a wide variety of on-board lectures and educational programs, Celebrity Flora will be outfitted with an on-board Marina that is equipped to load three Zodiac rafts at once. This will dramatically reduce transportation time from the ship, allowing guests to spend more time ashore. A full expedition program of activities will be available to guests in the Galapagos.
Back on board, Celebrity Flora will have lounges and presentation centres dedicated to the history, wildlife and conservation programs in the Galapagos.
A glass-enclosed observation lounge called the Observatory will let guests admire the islands from high atop their ship, or sit outdoors at the Vista, an openair lounge with 360-degree views and private cabanas.
Building a new ship for operation in the Galapagos is no easy task. The region is one of the most highly regulated cruise destinations in the world, and everything — right down to the food on board and the crew that serves it — must be sourced from Ecuador, with a few exceptions.
Many cruise lines operating in the region simply purchase an older ship already operating in the Galapagos and rebrand it. That Celebrity is creating one from the ground-up in conjunction with its partners in Ecuador is well worth celebrating. The early renderings I’ve seen of the ship look breathtaking.
Celebrity might be known for its big-ship cruises to well-known destinations, but this new announcement sets it on a path to become a serious contender in the premium expedition cruise market as well.
Celebrity Flora will set sail on its maiden voyage May 29, 2019.
Bookings are already open. This is one ship debut that’s almost guaranteed to sell out fast.
Happy cruising. Visit portsandbows.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShipCenters, 1-800-707-7327, cruiseshipcenters. com, for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behindthe-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Aaron Saunders may be contacted directly at portsandbowsaaron@gmail.com.