Celebrity Cruises is raising the bar for cruising from the UK
The award-winning Celebrity Apex, curated by world-renowned designers including Kelly Hoppen CBE, to homeport in Southampton for the first time in 2024 Uniquely combining distinctive design with world class service, the relaxed luxury cruise brand sets sail with a new standard for holidays from the UK SYDNEY - Celebrity Cruises has announced that for the first time, one of its industry-transforming Edge Series ships will homeport in Southampton, UK for its entire 2024 season. The second ship in the line’s award-winning Series - Celebrity Apex - will replace the recently-revitalised Celebrity Silhouette, opening up a new way for British guests to explore Europe in style. The exciting news brings one of the brand’s newest and most innovative ships directly to British shores, signalling the importance of the UK market in the fast-recovering cruise industry. “This truly is an exciting moment for us. Having one of our award-winning Edge Series ships sailing from Southampton will offer an experience like no other from the UK, connecting guests to the world around them through the innovative outward-facing design and visionary spaces these celebrated ships are known for,” said Lisa Lutoff Perlo, President & CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “Celebrity Cruises continues to redefine cruising, taking our guests to the world’s best places on the world’s best places.” Celebrity Cruises Vice President & Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Jo Rzymowska, added, “The UK has always been integral to the success of our brand, and homeporting Celebrity Apex from Southampton underlines our commitment to this market and is testament to the strength of local consumer demand, supported by our formidable travel partners. There is huge appetite from UK guests who share our curiosity for people, places and cultures, and our passion for opening up the world through a love of travel. I’m looking forward to welcoming even more of our guests on board Celebrity Apex when she raises the bar for cruising from Southampton in 2024.” Following feedback from travel partners, Celebrity Cruises is announcing its UK deployment two weeks in advance of launch date for the first time, to allow agents to pre-register interest from mutual guests to be the first to book Apex’s fabulous itineraries in 2024. To support its travel partners in selling Celebrity Apex from Southampton, the line is committed to hosting 600 agents on board Apex in 2023, from ship visits to the brand’s much-loved Seminars at Sea. Additionally, agents will be supported through a suite of training and marketing tools via Celebrity Central including a dedicated training webinar; “Be the first to book” banners for agents to use on their own websites; fact sheets, talking points, website banners, itinerary flyers, and ready-to-use print adverts. Agents will be further supported by new training modules featuring Celebrity Apex from Southampton available soon on Celebrity Passport, plus agents selling Celebrity Apex can earn up to £20 per booking on all 2024 Apex bookings via Celebrity Rewards. With four-to-13-night sailings from May to November 2024, travellers can delight in the beauty and culture of awe-inspiring Europe, whether for a short multi-city break or an extended adventure at sea. Brand new for the line from the UK, Celebrity Apex will head to the peak of Europe on a 12-night Norwegian Fjords and Arctic Circle cruise. Travellers will revel in the jaw-dropping scenery of the region’s capital, Tromso, as well as Norway’s northernmost city, Honnigsvag, offering breathtaking natural beauty from hiking its lakes and forests under the midnight sun to watching humpback whales lobtail and leap in its cold waters. Much further south, a new addition to Celebrity’s itineraries from Southampton include the stunning island of Ibiza, boasting an eclectic landscape of traditional and modern culture, a vibrant culinary scene and mesmerising beaches in the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Offering a unique approach to cruise ship design, the award-winning Celebrity Apex features a collaboration of globally renowned designers including British powerhouse Kelly Hoppen CBE; beloved American designer Nate Berkus; the acclaimed Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku; and Tom Wright whose visionary spaces provide the canvas for a relaxed luxury resort at sea. The result of their collaboration is an onboard experience that stands apart from anything else at sea - the exception being her equally stunning sisters, Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Beyond. Guests onboard can expect to enjoy:
Also in 2023, fans of Celebrity Silhouette can continue to enjoy this popular ship as she sails a variety of beautiful European itineraries from Southampton from May to October. Guests can delight in the magical city of Reykjavik (Iceland); the stunning medieval city of Cagliari (Sardinia) and the dramatic landscapes of Ponta Delgada (Azores), amongst many others. And what’s more, from 1st November to 5th December 2022, agents can earn up to £50 Celebrity Rewards points per booking on all 2023 sailings, across all stateroom categories. For more information on all sailings available on Celebrity Apex for her spring/summer 2024 season, as well as a full suite of training, toolkits and marketing support, please visit celebritycentral.co.au |