Announcement Tomorrow

[CaroleSP]

Maybe I should check and see if I have RCL mail. I'm too old for this waiting and now to make matters worse, I have to go to work. Bummer. I needed a news flash to start the day with a smile.

[xplrcrzn]

OK-it's now the day after tomorrow.

[SheilaNC]

Are you trying to torture us? No hints???? Must be a Chanukah present :)

[Barry ATL]

I have always loved a good tease... but this is getting ridiculous. :D

[darrencantwait]

wow, nothing happened overnight? I was just thinking, if they are going to make a big announcement about Solstice, why wouldn't they wait one more week for the actual Winter Solstice? Hmmmm Are we going to be hanging for a week now?

[lipping larry]

the quikest way to find out what is going in with rc to go to rcl (stock) and read their news releases:D

[kelmac]

Celebrity Cruises Expands 'Celebrity Expeditions'; Adds Celebrity Quest to Exotic Brand Extension

Here it is::)

MIAMI, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Celebrity Cruises has takenanother significant step in its quest to expand the "Celebrity Expeditions"extension of the brand. Celebrity Quest will join Celebrity Expeditions in2007, pairing new avenues for delivering the "Celebrity Treatment" withexotic new itineraries for the vessel and its sister ship, CelebrityJourney. The three-ship class includes Celebrity Xpedition, which hassailed in the Galapagos Islands since 2004. "Rounding out the Celebrity brand has been a strong focus for ourcompany, and the expansion of Celebrity Expeditions furthers that strategicobjective," said Celebrity's President Dan Hanrahan. "Celebrity Quest,Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Xpedition combined represent a naturalextension of the brand as we move into new markets with tailored-to-marketproducts." The 710-guest Celebrity Quest - most recently sailing as Blue Moon,owned by Pullmantur - will join the Celebrity Expeditions fleet in October2007. Like Celebrity Journey, which sets sail in May 2007, the vessel'ssmaller size allows for greater versatility in deployment, allowingCelebrity to offer guests exceptional destination experiences, while adding32 new ports to the line's itinerary portfolio. With those, the Celebritybrand next year will call on 247 ports. "These smaller, upscale ships are the perfect complements to thepremium destinations they'll visit, while offering the best of what theCelebrity brand is all about - unparalleled service, extraordinary diningexperiences, revitalizing spa programs, truly exotic destinations andexceptional shore excursions," said Hanrahan. Unique to Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Quest will be a moreexclusive guest experience, with two specialty restaurants, 15 classes ofaccommodations, butler service and concierge amenities in every stateroomand suite, and expanded spa services, including in-room offerings. Both Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Quest will undergo a combined$35-million revitalization during separate one-month drydock periods toincorporate 32 new suites on each ship, entirely new bedding and softgoods, and a variety of Celebrity's most popular signature elements,including the Martini Bar, Cova Cafe, Sushi Cafe, Michael's Club jazz/pianobar, casino, Boutique C, AquaSpa by Elemis, Acupuncture at Sea andOnline@Celebrity. Celebrity Journey will sail seven-night Bermuda cruises from Maythrough October 2007, then will present an exceptional series of 12- to18-night cruises in remote areas of Antarctica, Brazil, the Chilean Fjordsand other faraway regions of South America, from October 2007 through April2008. Celebrity Quest will make its first sailing under the CelebrityExpeditions banner in October 2007, introducing a series of 12- to 14-nightCaribbean sailings featuring several first-time ports of call, includingthose in St. Barts, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Turks & Caicos, followed by aseries of 14-night Eastbound and Westbound Panama Canal itinerariesfeaturing some of the most exotic destinations in Colombia, Costa Rica,Nicaragua and Panama. Additionally, each port will feature a new, immersiveseries of shore excursions. Fortifying the Celebrity fleet remains a strong focus for the company,with the expansion of Celebrity Expeditions falling on the heels ofannouncements for three extraordinary new ships - Celebrity Solstice,Celebrity Equinox, and a third Solstice-class ship, launching in 2008, 2009and 2010, respectively. Setting the stage for the build-up was a$55-million revitalization of Celebrity's Century, completed in May. Central to Celebrity's recent expansion was the agreement betweenCelebrity's parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), and theshareholders of Madrid-based cruise and tour operator Pullmantur S.A.,signed in August, to buy all the company's capital stock. In October, RCCLannounced plans to swap Celebrity's Zenith with Pullmantur's Blue Dream,renamed Celebrity Journey, which enters service in Bermuda in May 2007.RCCL completed its purchase of Pullmantur on November 14, 2006. "Only two months ago, we pledged to realize increasingly greatersynergies as a result of our new partnership," said Pullmantur GeneralManager Alfonso Lopez Perez. "This is a vivid and significant outgrowth ofthat pledge, and of our shared goal to provide guests with a wide varietyof cruising options worldwide." Celebrity Quest was constructed in France and entered service inNovember 2000 as R7. Like Celebrity Journey, the ship is 30,277-grt and has355 staterooms. Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruiseexperiences with highly personalized service, authentic five-star dining,and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Bermuda,California, Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, Mexican Riviera,Panama Canal and South America, and will begin sailing in Australia and NewZealand in 2007. Noted for "The World's Best Large Ships," as voted by thereaders of Conde' Nast Traveler (February 2006 Cruise Poll), Celebrity'scurrent fleet will be joined by Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Quest in2007, Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, and a thirdSolstice- class ship in 2010. For more information, call your travel agent,dial 1-800- 437-3111 or visit the Celebrity web site athttp://www.celebritycruises.com.s.server=server()s.channel="News Release"s.pageName="Celebrity Cruises Expands 'Celebrity Expeditions'; Adds Celebrity Quest to Exotic Brand Extension"s.prop2="104"s.prop3="12-14-2006"s.prop4=""s.prop5=""/************* DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! **************/var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code);//-->SOURCE Celebrity Cruises

[pamkev]

Okay Carole which one should we try first!

[darrencantwait]

I love the news. Those itineraries sound awesome, and I think the R-class ships will be a nice compliment to the X fleet.

 

So, for those of you on this thread that seem to know WAAAAY more than me about X and ships in general, any chance X could have the Solstice keel laying ceremony on December 21: the Winter Solstice? Not sure if it has been long enough since the first steel cutting. Just curious.

[darrencantwait]

sorry for the duplicate post.

[SheilaNC]

Kel,

Thanks for the info. We're so fortunate to be sailing Journey on her 3rd cruise. Now if we can just afford the new itineraries. Can't wait to report back our experience next May and, hopefully, to plan one for the following year on Quest!!

[denb]

the quikest way to find out what is going in with rc to go to rcl (stock) and read their news releases:D

The link for this is on Celebrity's 'Investor Relations' link within the 'About Celebrity' link at the bottom of their home page.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

I posted a new thread, to make sure everyone has the latest information. Click on the link here. The first post has a direct link to the Press Release.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=454967

[Texed]

Thanks Andy!

[DancerOT]

This sounds great for X and all...but what about us poor people who want to go the Carribean?? We want some love too!