Celebrity Cruises has announced new details regarding the Celebrity Flora, the cruise line’s new Galapagos Islands-bound ship. Three newly announced partnerships by the line include a conservationist who will act as the ship’s godmother, a designer and a university specializing in marine and atmospheric sciences.
Yolanda Kakabadse will serve as the new ship’s godmother. A prominent environmental leader and a global champion of sustainable development and biodiversity preservation, Kakabadse is a former Minister of Environment for the Republic of Ecuador and a former president of both the International Union for Conservation of Nature and World Wildlife Fund International. She is also a member of Champions 12.3.
Celebrity has also announced that the new ship will be equipped with cutting-edge oceanographic research equipment known as Oceanscope, building on the cruise line’s more than 20-year relationship with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. The system will track and map the region while measuring sea-surface temperatures and gathering data critical to research prediction of El Niño and La Niña. All findings gathered by Celebrity Flora will become open source data, globally accessible to research.
Finally, the cruise line has partnered with interior and furniture designer Adriana Hoyos, a native of Ecuador. Drawing inspiration from her heritage and her travels, she will design pieces highlighting sustainable materials in the ship’s Discovery Lounge, Penthouse Suites and Marina.
The new partnerships are in addition to the cruise line’s previously announced agreements with Francesca Bucci of New York City-based hospitality design firm BG Studio International, who was responsible for the ship’s design, and marine scientist Dr. Ellen Prager, who created the ship’s exclusive onboard programming.
The 100-guest Celebrity Flora is designed specifically to sail the Galapagos, with an outward-facing design concept offering 360-degree views and all-suite accommodations, all of which will have personal attendants and 50 percent of which will be Sky Suites with Infinite Veranda. The ship will also have a “glamping at sea” experience, new dining venues, an open-air stargazing platform, ecological seminars and custom-designed Novurania yacht tenders, as well as a number of features aimed at boosting energy efficiency.
The new ship will sail from Baltra year-round on an alternating series of seven-night inner and outer loop itineraries, as well as a selection of 10-, 11- and 16-night packages, which include either pre- or post-cruise expeditions. The first sailing departs June 30.
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