Celebrity Cruises takes delivery of Celebrity Beyond
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 06 April 2022 06 April 2022
Today Celebrity Cruises’ President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo honored the thousands of engineers, architects, designers, contractors, shipyard employees and Celebrity Cruises teams as the brand took delivery of Celebrity Beyond, the third and most luxurious ship in the fleet’s Edge Series, and a true game changer for the travel industry. The moment was particularly special as it marked the company’s first physical delivery ceremony since the pandemic.
As part of the historic moment, Lutoff-Perlo was joined by Royal Caribbean Group’s President and CEO Jason Liberty and the ship’s captain, Kate McCue, as they officially took ownership from the shipyard and completed the traditional changing of the flags, hosting a celebratory ceremony onboard Celebrity Beyond while docked in the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The momentous occasion was celebrated alongside other Celebrity Cruises executives, shipyard officials including General Manager Laurent Castaing, and Beyond’s 1,400 crew members from over 60 different countries.
“The delivery of Celebrity Beyond today marks our ongoing commitment to growth and innovation; today, we celebrate the future of travel and its possibilities,” said Liberty. “This incredible ship, on this long-awaited day, signifies our commitment to investing in the future of the travel industry, as well as the ship building industry in Europe. We are so grateful to the Chantiers de l'Atlantique team; our own Newbuild and Celebrity Cruises team; our loyal guests and trade partners, and everyone who has contributed their time, resources, creativity and loyalty. We look forward to what’s to come as the travel industry grows to new peaks.”
“We could not be happier to officially welcome Celebrity Beyond into our fleet with the first physical delivery since the pandemic, celebrating this momentous occasion with our exceptional crew and partners at Chantiers de l'Atlantique,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “With its innovative offerings that reach far beyond expectations from some of today’s most talented designers, artists and creative minds, we believe that Beyond speaks to the growing trend of people seeking new luxury experiences that are personalized, effortless and meaningful. We are seeing a continued desire to travel as business steadily increases, and we see Beyond leading the cruise industry into the next era of luxury. We are more than ready to welcome our guests onboard and show them just how incredible this ship is!”
“Celebrity Beyond is a true new ship. We have worked hard, in a spirit of strong collaboration and even during the pandemic, to achieve this result,” said Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “Celebrity Beyond is one of the exceptional ships that will be remembered.”
Celebrity Beyond’s maiden voyage will depart on April 27, 2022, from Southampton, England, for a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting Bordeaux, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Seville, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, Spain.
It will then offer a variety of Mediterranean journeys including nine-night Italian Riviera and France itineraries and 10-night Greek Isles itineraries through early October, when it then heads to the Caribbean.
Hurtigruten Group strengthens partnership with significant investment in Metropolitan Touring
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 30 March 2022 30 March 2022
Hurtigruten Group has acquired a significant minority stake in Metropolitan Touring, one of South America’s leading travel companies and pioneers in the Galápagos Islands.
The long-term investment sees Hurtigruten Group take a 24.9% share in the company with headquarters in Quito, Ecuador, and further demonstrates Hurtigruten Group’s global growth ambitions in the adventure travel market.
CEO of Hurtigruten Group Daniel Skjeldam said: “This investment signifies our growth journey and we are delighted to invest in Metropolitan Touring, a proud South American company that mirrors our expedition heritage and sustainability values. It is a unique opportunity for us to contribute to a more meaningful partnership, where we can expand quickly, strategically and deliver on our vision for the future together.”
The strategic partnership broadens Hurtigruten Group’s portfolio of products in iconic, natural destinations, reinforcing its position as a leader in sustainable adventure travel.
“Hurtigruten Group share our passion for the wonders of South America and we are excited by the prospect of this partnership which brings together two companies that have a common long-term vision of our industry’s power to do good in the world. As we continue the post-Covid recovery, this announcement will bolster South America’s position as an exciting travel destination on the global stage, bringing its stunning natural and compelling cultural attractions into sharper focus for today’s responsible traveller,” Metropolitan Touring CEO Paulina Burbano de Lara said.
Hurtigruten Expeditions, the world’s largest expedition cruise company and part of Hurtigruten Group, is offering year-round expedition cruises, in close cooperation with Metropolitan Touring, visiting the fabled archipelago’s most spectacular sites on board the 90-guest Santa Cruz II.
Its guests can already explore spectacular land-based South America adventures before or after their voyage, such as the iconic Machu Picchu, the Cotopaxi national park and the vibrant city life of Quito. The strengthened partnership will broaden opportunities to further expand into more unique land-based programmes and excursions.
Formula 1 announces MSC Cruises as a Global Partner ahead of the 2022 season
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 21 March 2022 21 March 2022
Formula 1 has welcomed MSC Cruises as a Global Partner for the 2022 season. The multi-year deal, which began at the FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2022, will see Swiss-based MSC Cruises, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing cruise brands, become the Official Cruise Partner of Formula 1.
MSC Cruises and Formula 1 are collaborating to bring some of MSC’s most technologically advanced and glamorous ships port-side during select Grand Prix weekends, enabling MSC Cruises’ impressive fleet to complement the high-end experience of Formula 1 and drive global visibility for its brand.
Through this unique partnership, MSC Cruises will be able to leverage Formula 1’s growing global fanbase to showcase its extensive offering of quality vacations at sea and bring the thrill of Formula 1 to MSC Cruises’ global audience as its ships sail to more than 100 countries around the world and host guests representing more than 185 nationalities.
As global leaders in their respective fields, MSC Cruises will also unite with Formula 1 to continue to drive toward sustainable change. Both companies have committed to becoming Net-Zero Carbon and are pioneering state-of-the-art environmental technologies and solutions.
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, said: “We are thrilled to announce MSC Cruises as a new Global Partner of Formula 1, bringing together two truly global brands. It is a perfect partnership with both of us focused on delivering the best experience for our fans and customers globally and combining entertainment, luxury, and service. We are both committed to sustainable solutions, and MSC’s insight and expertise perfectly complement our global offering and will continue to enhance our brand.”
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman commented: “There is a strong shared ambition between us and F1 as we are both committed to investing in research to accelerate the development and adoption of next-generation technologies – both maritime and environmental in our case – to build the future of our industries in a sustainable way. We are both working to continuously improve environmental performance with a clear vision to build a lasting legacy for future generations. We are looking forward to developing our relationship together as this exciting season unfolds.”
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