Celebrity Xpedition
Celebrity Cruises' owner Royal Caribbean acquired Sun Bay 1, a small luxury vessel built in 2001, earlier this year. In an innovative move, this ship is spearheading Celebrity's Xpedition sub-brand, which will create a new strata of up-market, premium-priced cruises and shore excursions offering travelers unusual cruise experiences in exotic destinations.
The Galapagos Islands is the first and most eye catching of these, and the start-up of the new venture on June 11, 2004 marked the arrival of the first mainstream cruise company to operate around the islands year-round. This option opens up Galapagos cruises, formerly the province of backpacking (or high-end) "adventure travelers." In essence, Xpedition combines the exotica of this type of adventure on a small vessel with some of the amenities and features -- high level of service and cuisine, for instance -- that Celebrity is known for.
And indeed, the joy of the new Galapagos operation is that it combines Celebrity stylishness with local, "small ship" ambience. Crewmembers -- almost entirely Ecuadorian from the captain down -- are sunny, charming and tirelessly obliging. Destination-oriented features are incorporated into the onboard experience, such as a performance of Ecuadorian folklorique preceded by a highly personalized slide show featuring pictures of passengers meeting wildlife during the course of the trip (guests are presented as a complimentary CD to take home).
Contact information:
Website: http://www.celebritycruises.com
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Celebrity Xpeditions banned for two months following illegal shark fishing in the Galapagos Islands
The
regulatory authority of the Galapagos National Park suspended Celebrity Xpeditions from operating tours in the Galapagos Islands for two months as a consequence of an illegal shark-fishing incident.
The authority also ordered Celebrity to pay a fine equivalent to the minimum salaries of 500 crew members. No date was noted for the onset of the two-month suspension. Xpeditions operates in the Galapagos year-round.
Lynn Martenstein, vice president of corporate communications for Celebrity parent Royal Caribbean Cruises, said Celebrity has asked the park authority for a clarification of the charges. After it has received the clarification, Celebrity plans to appeal.
"The Galapagos district attorney cleared the company of any wrongdoing," said Martenstein. "Since we got the ruling, the Galapagos National Park renewed our operating license. The suspension is not final; it is a recommendation. We are entering into the appeal process."
The incident came to light in September 2005 when photographs surfaced of Xpedition crew members holding up freshly killed sharks.
Martenstein added that the crew members who were implicated were “relieved of duty as soon as we learned of the incident” and turned over to Ecuadorian police.
After a "top-to-bottom review of how it happened," Martenstein said the company came up with a list of recommendations it is now implementing.
The recommendations include increasing onboard officer watches, employing full-time security staff, installing security cameras, improving crew education and requiring crew members to sign letters of understanding after training.
Source: www.underwatertimes.com
Should Celebrity Xpeditions be banned for life?
As Ecuadorians who love our country, we believe we should promote responsible tourism within our country specially to the Galapagos Islands which is one of the world most pristine nature sanctuaries.
The purpose of tourism to the Galapagos Islands is to offer local Ilsanders a sustainable means of income
other than fishing and exploiting the unique nature of the Islands.
Tourism to the Galapagos is not about luxury it is about conservation
and this should be very clear.
Please answer our poll and let
us know if you think Celebrity Xpeditions should pay
their negligence with a life banning from the Galapagos
Islands.
Should celebrity xpeditions be banned for life from the Galapagos Islands?
