Celebrity Cruises Introduces New Itineraries for First Asia Season
Celebrity Cruises Introduces New Itineraries for First Asia Season
Celebrity Cruises has introduced new Asia itineraries for winter 2012-13, its first season in the region. The itineraries will be aboard the Celebrity Millennium, which Celebrity plans to “Solsticize” in April 2012. In Asia, the ship will visit nine countries new to the brand, including Vietnam, Thailand and China.
Celebrity’s inaugural Asia season will consist of a series of 14-night, open-jaw cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong. Overnight stays will include Singapore; Bangkok; Ho Chi Minh City and Halong Bay, Vietnam; and Hong Kong. The season also will include two 14-night sailings roundtrip from Singapore with overnight stays in Bali, Indonesia, in January 2013.
Bookending Celebrity Millennium’s core Asia season will be two trans-Pacific voyages. The westbound cruise will coincide with the total solar eclipse in November 2012. Guests will be able to view the eclipse while at sea, when sailing from Fiji to New Zealand. In April 2013, Celebrity Millennium will reposition from Hong Kong to Shanghai on a cruise featuring overnight calls in Hong Kong and Beijing (Tianjin), China. The ship will then continue eastbound across the North Pacific to Alaska and will call at various ports in China, Japan and Russia.
The ships also will offer cruise tours, which combine a cruise with a five-night pre- or post-cruise escorted land package out of Hong Kong. The cruise tours will feature trips to Xian and Beijing to view the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Great Wall of China. All of these packages are escorted by a local tour director and include hotel accommodations, transportation, select activities breakfasts and some additional meals.
While sailing, a variety of shore excursions will be available, including overnight stays in port. Examples of these include a two-night overland experience from Bangkok to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia. During cruises that include an overnight stay in port at Halong Bay, an overnight shore excursion includes a visit to the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Celebrity also recently announced additional expansion in the Eastern Hemisphere. The 2,850-guest Celebrity Solstice will be the newest Celebrity ship to sail a full winter season in Australia/New Zealand in 2012-13. More details will be available on April 8, when bookings for Celebrity’s new 2012-13 Asia itineraries will open for booking. Members of Celebrity’s Captain’s Club loyalty program will be eligible to receive up to $600 savings per stateroom when booking 2012-13 Asia itineraries before July 29, 2011.
