Just for you—your exclusive Captain’s Club Newsletter is here
If you’re as excited as we are for the launch of Celebrity Ascent℠ this fall, we’ve got the perfect thing to tide you over. Through our “Countdown to Ascent” video series, you can go behind the scenes and witness first-hand as our most innovative Edge® Series ship yet comes to life. This special six-part video series will take you from the building of this engineering marvel through culinary, entertainment, even crew preparations. Tune in to Episode One right now and join your hosts, Celebrity Ascent Captains Dimitris and Tasos Kafetzis, the first brothers to share the helm of a major cruise ship, as they walk you through the ship’s progress. Now, let’s explore Celebrity Ascent!
Be sure to check out next month’s Captain’s Club newsletter for another exciting episode, so you don’t miss a beat, as we get closer to the big day.
Starting next summer, we’re giving you even more sailings to choose from by doubling our year-round Caribbean sailings. Two of our award-winning ships, Celebrity Beyond℠ and Celebrity Reflection® will call the tropics home all year long. Together, these ships offer everything you could want from an island journey. Shorter 3- and 4-night escapes aboard Celebrity Reflection let you get away any weekend of the year, and longer sailings on Celebrity Beyond will give you even more time to discover the islands and find your bliss. Plus, both ships will take you to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The Caribbean gets even more exciting when Celebrity Ascent makes its debut sailing the turquoise waters. Featuring 32 distinctive restaurants, bars, and lounges, including the newly designed Le Voyage by Chef Daniel Boulud and the inviting multi-deck Sunset Bar, the flavors of the Caribbean have never been more mouthwatering. And with its outward-facing design that connects you even more to the sea and the islands you’ll visit, there’s no better way to experience an island-hopping journey through paradise than aboard your own floating paradise.
The Caribbean is the place to be, and we’re making it easier and more exciting than ever to visit during any season.
Perfect Day and CocoCay are trademarks of Royal Caribbean.
As the 2023 President’s Cruise is currently delighting guests in Alaska, we’re thrilled to announce our next President’s Cruise is going to do the same thing in the tropics. Please join Celebrity Cruises President Laura Hodges Bethge on June 23, 2024, for the ultimate 6-night Caribbean escape aboard award-winning Celebrity Beyond. Sailing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, you’ll visit one of the Caribbean’s most exclusive destinations, Perfect Day at CocoCay, our sister brand Royal Caribbean’s award-winning private island, fun-filled Grand Cayman, and tranquil Bimini. You’ll also enjoy exclusive curated tours, special events, unique gifts, local entertainment and cuisine, surprises, and the opportunity to connect with fellow Captain’s Club members. This is sure to be the sailing of the year, so we hope to see you on board.
Our commitment to a cleaner planet began 30 years ago with our Save the Waves program, a groundbreaking environmental project and first-of-its-kind in the cruise industry. This year on World’s Oceans Day, we strengthened that pledge with our all-new Sea the Future Initiative. Three main pillars define our plan—(S)ustain our Planet, (E)nergize Communities, and (A)ccelerate Innovation—and all will be featured regularly across our brands as we pioneer, innovate, and reach beyond the horizon. Nobody wants clean seas more than we do, and we’re dedicated to delivering the best vacation experiences, responsibly. As we prepare to welcome Celebrity Ascent, our most innovative and sustainable ship ever, we invite you to watch the video and ask you to share it on social media using the hashtag #SEAtheFuture.
When Celebrity Solstice launched, Sylvie and Paul read the rave reviews and decided they had to experience it for themselves. So, in 2010, they booked their first cruise with Celebrity, choosing a seven-day Eastern Caribbean sailing on Celebrity Solstice. “From the moment we boarded, we were simply awestruck by the 12-deck-high atrium, live grass lawn, and the contemporary design…we felt like we were in a five-star hotel, with a timeless boutique design, and first-class personalized service,” Paul told us. They loved the experience so much they booked their next vacation with our Future Cruise team while on board.
In the summer of 2012, Sylvie and Paul embarked once again on Celebrity Solstice, this time on a Mediterranean voyage. It was on this vacation that Paul proposed to Sylvie during a gondola ride on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, right when they passed under the Rialto Bridge. Now that’s romantic! “I had absolutely no clue, in fact, I was giving Paul heck for not sharing the gondola ride with another young couple who were having trouble finding an available gondola,” Sylvie said. “It wasn’t until he started recounting about how we first met that I finally started to connect the dots.” Paul popped the question, and Sylvie said yes. It was a special moment they’d remember forever.
Back on board, they went right to Michael’s Club for a glass of celebratory champagne. The next evening before dinner at the Captain’s Club social hour, Paul and Sylvie were presented with a singing gondolier bear, a gift they cherish as a loving memory to this day. When Donnette, their Captain’s Club Hostess, heard the big news, she reached out to them and provided contact details for Katie Nelson, the shoreside Event Manager for Celebrity Weddings. “Sylvie and I asked ourselves…why not tie the knot at sea? Our love for one another and the sea was unparalleled, so we decided to reach out to the Celebrity Wedding Experience group to learn more about “Nautical Nuptials,” Paul said.
“Andrea was assigned as our Celebrity Wedding Consultant—think of it as having your own Celebrity Wedding Concierge. Every detail was taken care of from bow to stern: marriage license, ceremony, flowers, cake, entertainment, photographer, salon, and dinner reception,” Paul said. With plans signed, sealed, and delivered, they just needed the perfect cruise. They decided on a two-week back-to-back sailing in January 2014 on Celebrity Silhouette®. The first leg would be their wedding voyage, complete with 30 of their friends and family, and the second leg would be their honeymoon.
On the day of our embarkation, they were met by the ship’s event coordinator Sara, who made sure all the wedding details were seamless and stress-free. With everything taken care of, it was time for the ceremony. Captain Dimitris Kafetzis (soon to be Captain of Celebrity Ascent) did the honors. “His graciousness, warmth, and humor were unforgettable,” the couple said. A few days after their wedding, Paul and Sylvie met with Captain Dimitris again, and they enjoyed recounting their big day and hearing about the beauty of his homeland Greece. It was during this conversation that their next Celebrity vacation began to take shape. This August, Sylvie and Paul will be checking off another bucket list destination when they visit the breathtaking Greek Islands on Celebrity Infinity® to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
When asked which is their favorite cruise or port, Sylvie and Paul responded, “It is so hard to say as each port offers different cultures, activities, and dining options. One thing for sure is that each Celebrity ship is as much a part of the experience as the destination is, and above all else, it is the warmth and smile of the crew that makes us feel at home and want us coming back time and time again.”
What a great couple, and a wonderful story. We are so honored to have played an important role in Paul and Sylvie’s wedding, and can’t wait to welcome them back on board this August.
Do you have a story from a Celebrity cruise that 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 super awesome, 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.
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