Celebrity Cruises to Debut Galapagos-Specific Ship in 2019

Celebrity Cruises will add its first ship specifically designed to sail the Galapagos, Celebrity Flora, in May 2019.

Celebrity President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo made the announcement during the CruiseWorld conference in Fort Lauderdale this week.

And here it is – the moment we’ve been waiting for! Here’s Celebrity President & CEO @LisaLutoffPerlo with one of our most exciting announcements yet! #CelebrityFlora. When Evolution meets Revolution. https://t.co/qjttQ575m3 Call our #Galapagos experts to book: 1-888-751-9303 pic.twitter.com/arfuBRZMqa

— Celebrity Cruises (@CelebrityCruise) November 16, 2017

The ship is expected to carry about 100 passengers, making it the smallest ship built by any Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. brand.

“Never before had we had a project that would allow us to create a design with a oneness with the environment,” Kelly Gonzalez, vice president of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said in a video accompanying the announcement.

The ship is currently being built for guests to be able to create a strong connection to the Galapagos during their sailings. 

Flora’s penthouse suite with floor-to-ceiling windows.

“We focused quite heavily on the glass, the windows, and created an outward-facing connection no matter where you are on the ship,” she added.

According to Gonzalez, all of the ship’s suites will showcase floor-to-ceiling windows, and 38 of the 50 suites will have glass windows in their bathrooms that will allow sunlight to come in.

Half of the ship’s rooms will feature the virtual balcony that will debut as part of Celebrity’s fleetwide renovation, Celebrity Edge.

Flora’s open-air lounge on its deck, called the Vista, which features a jacuzzi and private cabanas.

Celebrity Flora will also have a small pool, two restaurants, two lounges, stick-style cabanas on its top deck, and the largest Penthouse suites of any ship sailing the Galapagos.

To extend that connection to the Galapagos, all of the ship’s furniture will be sourced from local furniture manufacturers.

“The Galapagos is a pristine, beautiful place in the world and it is our desire and intention to preserve that,” Lutoff-Perlo said.

When it enters service, Celebrity Flora will take the place of Celebrity Xpedition, which is currently sailing Galapagos itineraries. It will visit year-round from Baltra Island.

Celebrity Xpedition will then move to itineraries that are now being sailed by Celebrity Xperience and Celebrity Xploration, both of which are likely to be removed from Celebrity’s fleet.