This was published 6 years ago
Celebrity Cruises to introduce newest ships, Celebrity Edge an Celebrity Beyond, as part of 'Revolution'
Celebrity is the first cruise line in the world to offer legalised same-sex marriage ceremonies at sea.
Celebrity Cruises' dynamic chief executive and president, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, was in Sydney recently to announce that Celebrity will be hosting same-sex marriages on board its ships as well investing a massive $US400 million in modernising its entire fleet.
Lutoff-Perlo was here just ahead of Celebrity Solstice's return for its sixth Australasian season and she said that Celebrity is the first cruise line in the world to offer legalised same-sex marriage ceremonies at sea, "effective immediately". The motion follows a transformative vote in Malta, where a majority of the Celebrity fleet is registered, which passed in the country's parliament 66-1.
"Australia is a significant market for Celebrity Cruises, ranking as the third-largest source market worldwide," Lutoff-Perlo said. "More than 50,000 Australians cruise with us each year – both in Australia and overseas – and we're thrilled to be the first line to offer legalised same-sex marriage ceremonies, officiated by the captain, just in time for the new season."
Port city: Porto, in Portugal.
The company's modernisation program – Celebrity Revolution – began with the introduction of its newest ship, Celebrity Edge, which is being built at the STX shipyard in France and is scheduled to set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 16, 2018. The 2918-passenger Celebrity Edge, which boasts first-at-sea features such as a multi-functional moveable deck (the "magic carpet") and cabins with flexible balcony spaces, will be followed by three sister ships in 2020 (Celebrity Beyond), 2021 and 2022.
Celebrity's fleet consists of 12 ships: four in the Millennium class, five in the Solstice class and three in the Xpedition class and between 2019 and 2023 these will be upgraded to include some of the features of the new Celebrity Edge. Staterooms will be redesigned to maximise storage and efficiency and 11,579 cashmere mattresses will be installed; suite guests will have a new Retreat sundeck that promises to rival that of "any high-end resort" and a revitalised Retreat lounge that will offer complimentary drinks, gourmet snacks and live entertainment; and a new OceanView Cafe, offering globally influenced menus and a more "whimsical ambience" will be introduced on Celebrity Constellation, Infinity, Millennium and Summit.
Celebrity Solstice is cruising Down Under until April 2018, sailing 17 itineraries to 34 ports in Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Fiji, the Loyalty Islands and Vanuatu. Highlights include two new Queensland cruises calling at Cairns and Port Douglas and overnight stays in Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne.
Find out more about Celebrity's on-board marriage ceremonies and packages at celebritycruises.com.au
THE PORT Porto, Portugal
WHO GOES THERE River: APT, CroisiEurope, Emerald Waterways, Scenic, Uniworld, Viking. Ocean: Azamara, Celebrity, Cunard, Fred.Olsen, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, HAL, Oceania, P&O UK, RSSC, Seabourn, Silversea, Voyages of Discovery, Windstar.
WHY WE LOVE IT Portugal's second-biggest city, set on the Douro river, has character and a highly photogenic UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town (Ribeira) – but it's not a manicured museum piece.
TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Ocean ships dock at Leixoes Port in the Matosinhos district, which is about 10 kilometres from the city centre, and river ships moor across the river from the city in Vila Nova da Gaia, where the port cellars are located. Although you can walk from your river ship to Porto over the Dom Luis I bridge in about 10 minutes it's worth taking a half-day city tour, whether ship-organised or independent, just to get oriented – then wander around the medieval streets of Ribeira at your leisure to check out atmospheric bars, restaurants and cafes. Porto's main historic attractions are the 12th-century Se Cathedral, elaborate Sao Francisco Church and tile murals at the Sao Bento railway station.
MUST SEE Mercado do Bolhao, a 19th-century covered food market; Serralves Modern Art Museum; the ornate neo-Gothic Livraria Lello bookshop; and a fado performance (ask your Portuguese crew for personal recommendations).
MUST EAT Soups such as caldo verde (kale soup), stews such as cozido a Portuguesa (meat and veg), bacalhau (cod, grilled or boiled) or bacalhau com natas (baked in cream), francesinha (meat sandwich covered with melted cheese in a rich tomato and beer sauce) and of course, custard tarts (pastel de nata).
NEED TO KNOW The weather is dry and sunny from April to September; August can be hot and, because it's the national holiday, major attractions are crowded.
ESSENTIALS visitportugal.com
CRUISE SCEPTIC MYTH: Ship excursions are the only option
REALITY: Research destinations on your itinerary and look for local transport and independent tour operators.
NEWS
Across the ditch
Princess Cruises has ramped up its Across the Ditch Program for the upcoming season, adding more interactive on-board and shore activities to its itineraries. The Matariki Festival will be expanded to offer more opportunities to learn about Maori heritage and participate in traditional customs from authorised, local ambassadors. Guests can also enjoy a traditional hangi dinner, New Zealand lamb and pavlova, and Speights Gold Medal Ale and Steinlager Pure beers. New shore tours include a Piha bush and beach eco tour in Auckland, a Te Puia Thermal Reserve, Maori arts and Agrodome tour in Tauranga, a Canterbury station, Mount Sunday, and Lord of the Rings sights tour in Akaroa, and an Oamaru and Moeraki Boulders tour in Port Chalmers. See princess.com
New shore tours in Australia and Asia
Azamara Club Cruises has launched more than 100 Cruise Global, Connect Local shore excursions in Australia and Asia. The 690-passenger Azamara Journey will spend the next three months sailing from ports such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, visiting exotic destinations such as Celukan Bawang in Indonesia and Goa in India. Azamara Journey arrives in Australia in January 2018, making maiden calls to a number of ports including Albany, Esperance, Fremantle, Kangaroo Island and Adelaide. New excursions include a cycling tour of Hoi An in Vietnam, a temple tour in Bali with lunch in a traditional homestead and a culinary exploration of South Australia's Kangaroo Island. On March 7, Azamara Journey departs on its first world voyage from Sydney to London, the 102-night "bridge to bridge" itinerary. See azamaraclubcruises.com
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