Celebrity Ascent^SM, our newest and most innovative ship, is set to join the fleet next month. We’re in the home stretch, and can’t wait to share with you some of our amazing final preparations. In episode four of our Get Ready with Us video series, you’ll explore all the amazing onboard activities and experiences we are working on just for you. From jaw-dropping production shows and pop-up performances to lively games shows and late-night parties, Celebrity Ascent offers excitement for everyone-morning, noon, and night. Go behind-the-scenes now, and see all the fun that awaits on your sailing. 

Recently, Celebrity Ascent lived up to its name, reaching the highest of its construction milestones with the successful completion of its first open ocean sailing. Led by our brother captains, Dimitrios and Tasos Kafetzis, along with nearly 200 crew members, the ship completed a series of maneuverability skills designed to test its operational capabilities—which it passed with flying colors. Celebrity Ascent will offer all the design features and amenities you’ve come to love on the first three Edge® Series ships, and raises the bar with newly designed restaurants and culinary experiences, reimagined entertainment venues, and much more.

Get excited: Celebrity Ascent is arriving in Fort Lauderdale in just a few weeks, and there’s still time to be among the first to sail aboard this amazing ship.

On October 8th President of Celebrity Cruises, Laura Hodges Bethge and her team joined Celebrity Equinox for six nights in the Caribbean. To fully understand the guest experience, they were busy morning, noon, and night going to all the guest activities, trying out all the restaurants, joining Celebrity shore excursions, talking with guests onboard, and more. And to fully understand the crew experience, they changed into their uniforms to serve food in Luminae, answer calls at Guest Relations, make drinks at the Pool Bar, seat guests in the Main Dining Room and help guests book their adventures at the shore excursion desk and spa. They capped off the week with a beautiful lunch in Blu with all Zenith members on board.

The week was well worth-it. As Laura shared, “There are things that you just can’t see and feel from the office in Miami. Getting out on the water with our guests and crew was illuminating. I always knew our crew are the heartbeat of our brand, but boy did they exceed my already high expectations. And, I always learn so much from our guests. We took away so much and are very excited to put this experience into action!"

Last month, we announced The Retreat® Lounge was once again available for Zenith members to enjoy. And now, we’re happy to announce that Elite Cocktail Hour will be held in designated lounges on select evenings.* Beginning in January, Elite and above members can enjoy two of these special events on sailings between five- and seven-nights, and three on voyages of eight-nights or longer. Elite Cocktail Hour will be available at different bars and lounges on all other days of your sailing. Be sure to check your Captain’s Club Welcome Letter, and don’t miss this exclusive member favorite.

_{*Lounge location subject to change}

Experience the holidays like never before in one of the world’s most awe-inspiring places, the Galapagos Islands. Join us on an all-inclusive vacation where you’ll have everything you need to discover these breathtaking volcanic islands and the extraordinary creatures who call them home. Few places in the world have remained as unspoiled as the Galapagos Islands, and we’ll spoil you wildly while you visit them. Our stunning Celebrity Flora® is the first all-suites, 100-guest ship designed exclusively for sailing these islands, and now it’s the first and only Forbes Travel Guide Star-Rated resort at sea in the region. You can also choose the ship that put us on the map in the Galapagos Islands, our award-winning, 48-guest Celebrity Xpedition®, or our most intimate escape, Celebrity Xploration®, reserved for only 16 guests. There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than on a Galapagos Islands journey. 

And if you book by December 31, 2023 you can save 20% on the vacation of a lifetime.* Check out the fantastic sailings you can enjoy for the holiday season.

In this month’s Member Spotlight, we’re all about romance, and can’t wait to tell you about Captain’s Club member Brandon Morine, and his Caribbean wedding sailing on board Celebrity Beyond.

Brandon first heard about Celebrity Cruises from his parents, who had sailed with us multiple times. “They were planning a cruise for March 2022, and we thought it would be a great cruise to join them,” Brandon told us. So, he and his partner Colin booked a stateroom, and they enjoyed their first Celebrity Cruise with his family aboard Celebrity Apex. “We were so impressed by the ship’s design, the friendliness of the crew, the delicious food, and the incredible entertainment,” he said. As fate would have it, Brandon and Colin were engaged prior to the sailing, but they hadn’t made concrete plans. That all changed once they boarded. “We hadn’t considered getting married on a cruise ship. But after being on board that week, we knew it was the perfect place for us, and we started to plan our at sea wedding,” Brandon said.

Brandon and Colin love traveling, and they got engaged in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. They knew they wanted a destination wedding, but had a tough time narrowing down the location. After their cruise, they immediately knew this was the right plan for them. They decided on an Eastern Caribbean sailing aboard Celebrity Beyond, and spent close to a year working out the details with the Celebrity Wedding department. “Not only was planning a wedding at sea less stressful, but we’d also get more time with our friends and family who were going to attend—55 in total—than we would at a more traditional wedding,” Brandon said.

The crew and Captain Dimitrios made the week very special for them. Everything for the wedding was planned on board, from photo services to the wedding party’s salon appointments to floral arrangements. “They were so attentive to our every need, and went above and beyond to make our wedding perfect.” Brandon and Colin chose The Rooftop Garden for the ceremony, which included several readings by friends and family. It was a big event, with guests lining up along the walkways to share in the celebration. After their nuptials, the festivities continued with a cocktail reception and cake cutting in Eden, followed by a private dinner in Le Petit Chef, which was made extra special, because the restaurant’s French theme tied in perfectly with the couple’s engagement in Paris. As if the wedding wasn’t enough to get excited about, the entire party loved everything about the ship and the islands they visited. The sailing was such a success that many of their guests, who had never sailed before, immediately booked their own future Celebrity cruise. “It truly felt like a vacation for everyone, and we will cherish the memories we made for the rest of our lives,” Brandon said. 

So, what’s next for Brandon and Colin? Two more Celebrity adventures, naturally. “The first is a cruise on Celebrity Apex to Key West, Belize, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman,” Brandon said. “And the second will be a Mediterranean sailing on Celebrity Ascent for our belated honeymoon. We’re so excited to celebrate our one year of marriage and honeymoon back on board a Celebrity cruise.” We’re so happy to have incredible guests like Brandon, Colin, and every one of his 55 friends and family who joined them on their wedding cruise. We wish you all the very best and look forward to welcoming you back on board soon.

Do you have a story from a Celebrity cruise that makes you glow just thinking about? Well, here’s your chance to share it with your fellow members. Tell us about your special sailings, celebrations, excursions, and moments, and what made them unforgettable, and if selected, you’ll be featured in a future Captain’s Club newsletter. Just fill in the survey linked below and tell us all about why your cruise was the best. We can’t wait to read the responses.

^{_{Terms & Conditions:}}

^{_{Galapagos Loyalty Discount Offer (“Offer”) applies to new bookings made October 1 through December 31, 2023 (“Offer Period”) for select Galapagos sailings departing 10/01/23 – 12/28/25 (“Offer Cruise”).}}

^{_{*20% Savings Offer (“Galapagos Savings Offer”) provides 20% off the Standard Rate cruise fare for the first and second guests in the same stateroom on 7-Night, 10-Night, 11-Night, and 16-Night sailings. No promo code required.}}

^{_{©2023 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.}}