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| The Celebrity Reflection is scheduled to debut in 2012. // (c) 2011 Celebrity Cruises. |
Celebrity Cruises has modified a portion of its European lineup in 2012 to present a series of new vacations to appeal to wine enthusiasts and those who love the beauty and culture of the wine regions in Europe.
Six of its 11 ships, including the 2012 debut of the Celebrity Reflection, will be sailing in Europe next year offering new Venice homeport offerings and first-time Iceland and Fjords sailings, including seven wine-themed sailings. These replace several of the line’s previously announced Holy Land and Greek Isles/Turkey sailings from Istanbul in 2012.
From Sept. 7 through Nov. 18, 2012, Celebrity Constellation – which completed a $40-million renovation just last year – will present new “Immersive Europe Wine Cruises” from Southampton, England. The new sailings will be open for booking beginning Friday, Oct. 14, 2011.
The new itineraries feature overnight stays in Le Havre (for Paris/Normandy) and Le Verdon (for Bordeaux), France, as well as Bilbao, Spain. Guests also will have the opportunity to enjoy tours and tastings at some of the region’s most renowned wineries.
Onboard, Celebrity’s activities include activities developed in partnership with local wineries, including Rioja tastings, Champagne brunches, Bordeaux samplings featuring up to five wines from well-known Chateaus, Port and food pairing dinners and special events in the ship’s Cellar Masters bar. A seasonal wine package featuring special selections from the region also will be added to Celebrity’s package offerings.
After departing from Southampton, Celebrity Constellation’s new wine-themed 12-night itineraries begin with three consecutive overnight stays: one each in Paris (Le Havre) and Bordeaux (Le Verdon), France, and Bilbao, Spain, and also feature visits to Vigo, Spain and Porto, Portugal. The sailings depart roundtrip from Southampton Sept. 7 and 19; Oct. 1, 13 and 25; and Nov. 6 and 18, 2012. A two-night cruise departing Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Sept. 5, 2012, can be taken on its own, for an enticing little taste of Celebrity’s modern luxury offerings, or combined with the Sept. 7 sailing to create a rich 14-night vacation. The ship’s 15-night transatlantic voyage from Europe to the U.S. now will depart Southampton Nov. 30, 2012, with visits to Paris/Normandy (LeHavre), France; Lisbon, Portugal, and Tenerife, Canary Islands, ending in Miami, Fla.
At the same time, Celebrity is enhancing its presence in the Mediterranean on two of its Solstice Class ships – the new Celebrity Silhouette and flagship Celebrity Solstice .
Five previously announced Holy Land sailings on Celebrity Silhouette in 2012 have been modified to the following:
• 13-night Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Isles cruise departing Civitavecchia (for Rome) Aug. 22, with calls on Naples/Capri and Catania, Sicily, Italy; Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Chania (Souda), Crete and Athens (Piraeus), Greece, and Valletta, Malta, ending with an overnight stay in Venice
• 13-night Italy and Croatia cruise departing roundtrip from Venice Sept. 4, with visits to Koper, Slovenia; Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece; Valletta, Malta; and Sicily (Messina), Bari and Ravenna, Italy, ending with an overnight stay in Venice.
• 12-night Adriatic cruise beginning Sept. 17 with an overnight in Venice, and visits to Koper, Slovenia; Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Valletta, Malta; and Ravenna, Bari, Catania, Sicily, and Naples/Capri, ending in Rome (Civitavecchia)
• 12-night Italy and Croatia cruise departing Rome (Civitavecchia) Oct. 11, with an overnight stay in Naples/Capri, in addition to visits to Bari, Ravenna and Catania, Sicily, Italy; Corfu, Greece; Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; and Koper, Slovenia, ending with an overnight stay in Venice
• 11-night Adriatic cruise beginning Oct. 23 with an overnight stay in Venice, and including another overnight stay in Naples/Capri, with visits to Ravenna and Catania, Sicily, Italy; Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; and Valletta, Malta, ending in Rome (Civitavecchia)
Four previously announced Mediterranean cruises on Celebrity Solstice in 2012, roundtrip from Barcelona, Spain, also have been modified, to offer more ports in the Western Mediterranean, as well as an overnight stay in romantic Venice, as follows:
• 12-night Mediterranean departing May 11, with visits to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Ajaccio, Corsica; Provence (Toulon), France; Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia) and Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), in addition to the overnight in Venice, Italy
• 12-night Mediterranean departing June 28, with visits to Cannes/Monte Carlo, France; Kotor, Montenegro; Dubrovnik, Florence/Pisa, Naples/Capri and Rome, in addition to the overnight stay in Venice
• 12-night Mediterranean departing Aug. 15, and Oct. 2, with visits to Kotor, Dubrovnik, Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia), and Malta, in addition to the overnight stay in Venice
Celebrity is exclusively offering Captain’s Club members an onboard credit of $400 per suite, $225 for each AquaClass or ConciergeClass stateroom, $175 for each veranda stateroom, and $125 for each inside or oceanview stateroom from any nine-night or longer vacations booked between Oct. 14 and Dec. 16, 2011.
In recognition of National Cruise Vacation Week, non-member consumers who book any nine-night or longer Celebrity Europe vacation from Oct. 14-23, 2011, will receive an onboard credit of $250 per suite, $200 per AquaClass or ConciergeClass stateroom, $150 per veranda stateroom, and $100 for inside or oceanview accommodations.
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