Oct 06
Celebrity Cruises Collaborates With The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® to Help Raise Funds, Awareness
Effort kicks off with Gilt City sell-out of tickets to first-ever, unique culinary event on newest ship
“We are incredibly passionate about not only raising awareness about breast cancer, but also looking to the future and what we might be able to do to help prevent the disease,” said Dan Hanrahan, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “Our Solstice Class ships changed the game, in terms of cruise ship design and experiences. All of our Solstice Class godmothers have been breast cancer survivors who have accomplished great things. Now, we hope to play a small part in not only honoring these remarkable women, but also in changing the landscape of the field of breast cancer research, by raising money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, one of the world’s leading breast cancer non-profits with a mission that offers hope for a future without breast cancer.”
Celebrity has shaped a robust lineup of ways for its guests to help support BCRF. From donating $2 from the sale of each copy of its rich lifestyle book, Excite The Senses, during the month of October, to the creation of an exclusive non-alcoholic pink cocktail for sale onboard with $3 per drink to go to BCRF, to the auction of one-of-a-kind handblown pieces of glass from its industry-first Hot Glass Show on three Solstice Class ships with proceeds to go to BCRF and more, the activities will present vacationers with an easy way to feel even more satisfied with their vacation experiences. Celebrity will introduce additional activities and offerings in the coming months.
The first activity to go public was a Gilt City sale of tickets to an exclusive two-day cruise package on Celebrity’s newest ship, Celebrity Silhouette, during her stateside debut in New Jersey in November. Participating guests will enjoy a host of activities focused on culinary exploration – one of the cruise line’s mainstays – in the form of a magnificent dinner hosted by Celebrity Cruises Master Chef Jacques Van Staden, showcasing Celebrity’s award-winning cuisine, and also featuring the cuisine of top chefs Claudia Fleming, Andrea Reusing, Lee Anne Wong, Daisy Martinez, and Alex Guarnaschelli.
“As the son of a woman who spent six years battling breast cancer, I’m extremely devoted to this cause,” says Nathan Richardson, President of Gilt City. “Bringing the worlds of food and travel together is an incredible way to support the efforts of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. These five inspiring female chefs promise to create an epicurean experience unlike any other – one that complements Celebrity Cruises’ already outstanding culinary program.”
With a $700 donation from each package to go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Celebrity Cruises will donate a minimum of $50,000 to BCRF.
Tickets to this exclusive epicurean adventure were $900 per couple and include all meals, cocktails, and wine. They were sold exclusively on www.giltcity.com/newyork/celebritycruises and sold out in less than nine hours.
Excite The Senses is available for purchase at www.giftsbycelebrity.com.
Sep 21
First Steel Cut For Norwegian Breakaway
Papenburg, Germany – Sep 21, 2011 —
The first piece of steel was cut today at MEYER WERFT in Papenburg, Germany for the construction of Norwegian Breakaway, the first of two new Freestyle Cruising® ships for Norwegian Cruise Line, set for delivery in April 2013. The first plate of steel took four minutes to cut by a plasma torch in the yard’s state of the art facility. This plate will become a supporting part of the double bottom in the middle of the new ship.
“Today’s steel cutting marks the start of construction for Norwegian Breakaway, our next generation Freestyle Cruising ship, that will captivate and amaze our guests,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer. “We are extremely pleased with the progress we have made so far in planning this incredible vessel. We now look to the capable and talented team at MEYER WERFT to bring this ship to life.”
The Breakaway class ships, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, will each be 144,017 gross tons and will have approximately 4,000 passenger berths. These ships represent an opportunity for the Norwegian guest to “break away” from the routine of work, school, and daily stress, and find a true respite at sea. The new ships will take the best of the best from all of Norwegian’s existing ships, drawing on the line’s experience of having launched 10 ships in the past 10 years ? starting with Norwegian Star and Sun in 2001 and culminating with the launch of Norwegian Epic in 2010. The ships’ names were chosen from 230,000 entries received in “Norwegian’s Cruising for Names” contest held in conjunction with national newspaper USA Today.
The shipyard’s managing directors Bernard Meyer and Lambert Kruse, as well as Aloys Meemann, project manager, attended the steel cutting ceremony in the laser center. “We are very happy to build these innovative ships for Norwegian and to continue our long lasting relationship,” said Meyer. “We can guarantee to deliver a cruise vessel with an exceptional interior design, extremely comfortable staterooms and the highest technical standards.”
To date, the company has revealed details on all of the ships’ staterooms which combine the form and function of the line’s Jewel class ships’ staterooms with the modern and contemporary design touches of Norwegian Epic. A rich mix of stateroom options will be available including the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers, the re-introduction of Oceanview staterooms, Balcony and Mini-Suites, along with Spa Balcony, Mini-Suites and Suites in close proximity to the spa. The ship also features The Haven by Norwegian, comprised of 42 suites at the top of the ship and 18 additional suites located throughout the ship.
The company expects to release details on Norwegian Breakaway’s inaugural itinerary in the near future. Further information on Norwegian Breakaway can be found at www.ncl.com/breakaway.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a 44-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the introduction of Freestyle Cruising which has revolutionized the industry by allowing guests more freedom and flexibility.
Today, Norwegian has 11 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed cruise vacation on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea. The Company has two 4,000-passenger vessels on order for delivery in spring 2013 and spring 2014.
Norwegian’s largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship, Norwegian Epic, debuted in June 2010. Norwegian Cruise Line is the official cruise line of Blue Man Group, appearing for the first time at sea on Norwegian Epic, as well as the official cruise line of Legends in Concert, , Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos, Gibson Guitar, and Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids. Cirque Dreams® & Dinner is also featured on board Norwegian Epic as the first show of its kind at sea under a big top.
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Sep 15
Celebrity Cruises Collaborates With “NERDEL” and The Nerdel Company to Make Wellness Education Fun for Young Vacationers
With theircool, contemporary design with warm spaces, inviting staterooms and personalized service, Celebrity Cruises’ ships offer modern luxury, an ideal backdrop for wellness-themed experiences that help guests rejuvenate, relax and recharge. With a playful twist, Celebrity is now bringing children into its wellness lineup by collaborating with The Nerdel Company to offer a new, interactive program featuring activities themed around healthy choices and starring a puppet named NERDEL, known for his endearing, lovable “personality.”
“We know our guests’ vacation time is precious, which is why we focus on delivering a luxurious, relaxing and fun experience onboard,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations. “From the sumptuous, spa-inspired AquaClass staterooms to the healthy gourmet cuisine in our AquaSpa Cafes, from our rejuvenation seminars to our fitness classes, we offer our adult guests a number of ways to include wellness in their vacation experience, and now we’re looking to do the same for our younger guests, in a truly enjoyable way. By teaming with NERDEL and The Nerdel Company to offer unique and engaging games and activities, we are hoping to play a part in instilling wellness-focused values in children by empowering them with the knowledge that they need to make better nutritional choices and take charge of their physical fitness, from an early age.” Live puppet performances, puppet workshops, children’s puppet performances and lessons on the art of puppeteering will be at the core of Celebrity’s onboard NERDEL activities for “Shipmates” (children from ages three to five) and “Cadets” (children from ages six to eight) spending time in Celebrity’s Fun Factory. Children also will have the opportunity to explore The World of NERDEL, which includes a custom-designed Celebrity Cruises activity book with crossword puzzles, word searches, matching games, coloring and more. The World of NERDEL also offers Celebrity’s young guests the opportunity to explore their musical side through custom-designed and standard sing-along songs. Celebrity’s emphasis on culinary exploration also has been integrated into its Fun Factory activities, and the NERDEL activities onboard will also include a video by the “Chef Mangel” (pronounced Mahn-gell) puppet, followed by a healthy pizza-making class. Developed by a team that has included doctors, nutritionists, chefs, fitness professionals, educators and entertainment experts, The Nerdel Company aims to address the issues of children’s obesity, hunger, fitness and health in an educational and entertaining way. The World of NERDEL also has a land-based component that children can continue to enjoy after their vacation. From iPad applications, an interactive website – www.nerdel.com – and animated presentations, NERDEL can continue to play a positive part in Celebrity’s youngest guests’ continued learning about how to make healthy choices. “We are truly honored to be working with Celebrity Cruises,” Dr. Marc Kesselman, Chairman and CEO, The Nerdel Company, said. “It’s a wonderful match to join forces with a vacation company that leads the industry in engaging onboard experiences, to bring the highest quality of children’s programming and edutainment to Celebrity’s upscale brand.” Celebrity introduced its NERDEL program on the brand-new Celebrity Silhouette, which debuted in Europe this summer, and plans to launch the program on its other ships by October 15, 2011, with the exception of Celebrity Xpedition, the 92-guest mega-yacht sailing year-round in the Galapagos Islands. |
via Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. : Investor Relations : RSS Content.
Sep 14
Keel Laying of CELEBRITY Reflection
Celebrity Reflection Keel
Fifth Ship of the Series Begins to Take Shape
Papenburg, 13 September 2011 – Today, the keel laying of Celebrity Reflection was celebrated at the MEYER WERFT. The ship is the fifth in a series the shipyard is building for the cruise line Celebrity Cruises. Doing the honors of placing the obligatory coins under the first block in the grand hall of building dock II was Mr. Jarmo Laakso, the cruise line’s Project Director. Said block, with a weight of about 500 tons, a length of 20 meters and a width of 36 meters, was lifted into the building dock with an 800 ton crane.
Celebrity Reflection’s energy balance is on par with the other ships of the series: All electric consumers operate with high energy efficiency, while special underwater paints with greatly improved resistance reduce the required propulsion power. Heat exchangers make use of the generated warmth, and the extensive heat- and cold recovery system implemented on the predecessors can be found on this ship as well. For the lighting, highly efficient illuminants and a large number of LED lights will be used.
The predecessors Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse and the recently delivered Celebrity Silhouette are successfully established in the market and are still pioneers in the energy efficiency sector.
With the keel laying of the fifth ship in the Solstice series, MEYER WERFT and Celebrity Cruises celebrated the tenth ship the yard is building for the cruise line. Their collaboration started in 1988 with the new building of the Horizon. It is taken as a good sign that the first and- for now- last ship have the same yard numbers: Horizon has S 619, Celebrity Reflection S
via Meyerwerft Website.
Sep 14
Norwegian Breakaway And Norwegian Getaway Selected As Names For Norwegian’s New Ships
Miami – Sep 13, 2011 —
Norwegian Cruise Line (“Norwegian”) has selected the winning names for its two new Freestyle Cruising® ships: Norwegian Breakaway, launching in April 2013, and Norwegian Getaway, launching in April 2014. The names were selected as the culmination of its “Norwegian’s Cruising for Names” contest held in conjunction with national newspaper USA Today.
Norwegian felt these names best reflected the innovation of the brand along with the freedom and flexibility of the line’s signature Freestyle Cruising and invoked the feeling that these ships will provide a “break” at sea from the stress of everyday life. Breakaway is defined as “a departure or break from routine or tradition” and Getaway is defined as “a place where one escapes for relaxation, vacation, etc.”
“We felt Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway epitomized both our Freestyle Cruising philosophy and our belief that these ships will offer a true respite, whisking our guests away from their everyday routines and delivering the ultimate cruise vacation,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer
The contest winners are Kimberly Powell of Lafayette, Louisiana, who first submitted Norwegian Breakaway, and Dennis Hultman of Vienna, Virginia, who first submitted Norwegian Getaway. Powell took her first cruise in August on Norwegian Spirit and loved the experience. She is a self-proclaimed “news junkie” and thought it would be fun to enter the contest when she saw it on USA Today’s site. Hultman is an avid cruiser and also reads USA Today daily.
Both Powell and Hultman will receive a trip for two to Norwegian Breakaway’s inaugural festivities, including the Christening Ceremony (date/location yet to be determined). The trip includes round-trip coach airfare for two, ground transportation, balcony stateroom accommodations (double occupancy), on-board meals, as well as government taxes and fees.
The contest entry period ran from July 18 to August 14, 2011, during which 230,000 entries were received. For the official contest rules and details on the prizes, visit www.cruisingfornames.usatoday.com.
The Breakaway class ships will each be 144,017 gross tons and will have approximately 4,000 passenger berths. These ships represent an opportunity for the Norwegian guest to “break away” from the routine of work, school, and daily stress, and find a true respite at sea. These new ships will take the best of the best from all of Norwegian’s existing ships drawing on the line’s experience of having launched 10 ships in the past 10 years ? starting with Norwegian Star and Sun in 2001 and culminating with the launch of Norwegian Epic in 2010. To date, the company has revealed all of the ships’ staterooms, which include the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers, along with The Haven by Norwegian, comprised of 42 suites at the top of the ship.
Further information on Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway can be found at www.ncl.com/breakaway.
Norwegian Cruise Line
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