Celebrity Cruises has officially launched the revolutionary new Celebrity Flora, a 100-guest, all-suites mega yacht that’s poised to connect travelers to the Galapagos Islands like never before.
Just a few months ago Celebrity Cruises surprised the world with the unique design of Celebrity Edge and now the cruise line is doing it all over again with Celebrity Flora, the first expedition mega yacht specifically designed for the Galapagos Islands.
“Every once in a while, a unique ship comes along in the industry and changes things, and Celebrity Flora is that ship” – Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Travelers looking to explore the extraordinary Galapagos Islands on board Celebrity Flora will arrive to the ship’s Marina on custom-designed Novurania yacht tenders. The seamless sea-to-shore experience will leave guests feeling like they are boarding a high-end yacht for a week of adventure.
Darwin’s Cove, located next to the Marina, houses the Guest Relations area where guests check in before heading to their suite and where they can go for any questions they may have during the sailing. It also houses the Naturalist Center where guests can go to learn more about the unique archipelago and its famed flora and fauna.
Deck 4 is home to the Seaside Restaurant, the Discovery Lounge and the Sunset Lounge.
The Seaside Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an upscale casual atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, offer stunning vistas to complement the mouthwatering meals.
Celebrity’s own Naturalists provide presentations and briefings on the remarkable destination in the Discovery Lounge. Here guests can learn all about the activities and excursions they have the opportunity to participate in during their cruise. The Naturalists and crew members also assist in personalizing the experience in the islands to ensure the vacation is exactly what guests hoped for.
The Sunset Lounge, at the back of Celebrity Flora, features a plunge pool where guests can slip into for a muscle-soothing soak, shaded areas to escape the rays and sunning places to catch them.
The intimate outdoor area features cozy, eco-conscious furniture, including chaise lounges, that invites guests to sink in and reflect on the day’s activities or gaze at the views while enjoying a cocktail.
The all-suite luxurious accommodations, on Decks 5 and 6, surround guests with every creature comfort, including service provided by personal attendants. The accommodations range from Sky Suites with Veranda or with Infinite Veranda (330 square feet) to the 337-square-foot Premium Sky Suites with Infinite Veranda, a 559 square feet Royal Suite – featuring a separate living area, bedroom and private veranda, to the luxurious Penthouse Suites. With up to 1,288 total square feet of indulgent home-away-from-home comfort, these are the largest, most luxurious suites sailing the Galapagos islands.
The Oservatory on Deck 7 overlooks the bow of Celebrity Flora and offers guests an inviting area to cozy up with a book from the onboard library. The space is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows for stunning views to make the guests feel connected to the environment.
Also on this deck is Celebrity Flora’s second restaurant, the Ocean Grill. The outdoor casual dining space offers panoramic views during the day and stunning, starlit skies at night. Here guests have every opportunity to enjoy both the destination and Celebrity’s culinary expertise, from grilling up the highest quality, sustainable seafood from the area for lunch to what Celebrity calls Dinner Under the Stars.
The Vista at the back of the ship offers an open-air hideaway and the ultimate place for unwinding. Here guests can exhale in the jacuzzi, sink into a luxurious, cocoon-style lounger with a favorite book (or drift off for a recharging nap), get comfortable in one of the private cabanas to enjoy cocktails with new friends, or just enjoy some quiet time.
Private Galapagos Glamping cabanas on Celebrity Flora offer guests a once-in-a-lifetime camping experience on the top deck of the luxury yacht that allows them to dine, drink, and yes, even sleep under one of the most spectacular night skies in the world.
Deck 8, the Stargazing Deck, is designed for looking skyward at night while offering unobstructed, panoramic views of the islands during the day.
RESEARCH AND SUSTAINABILITY
The launch of Celebrity Flora has given the cruise line the opportunity to blend exploration and research by making Flora the first vessel in the Galapagos to be equipped with cutting-edge oceanographic research equipment, known as Oceanscope. The program builds on a more than 20-year relationship with University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science that benefits from a cruise ship’s consistent itinerary to create a perfect and cost-effective way for scientists to gather and measure ocean circulation dynamics.
The system will track and map the region while measuring sea-surface temperatures and gathering data critical to research prediction of El Niño and La Niña. All findings gathered by Celebrity Flora will become open source data for scientists around the world and anyone with a passion for this information.
Celebrity Flora is also one of the most energy-efficient ships in its class, with a 15-percent reduction of fuel consumption and equivalently fewer air emissions, thanks to the introduction of an advanced propulsion system, hull configuration and specially designed diesel engines.
By leaving less of a footprint, Celebrity Flora is making a huge mark on the cruise industry
Celebrity Flora’s dynamic positioning is a first in the Galapagos. It has anchorless technology, which maintains the ship’s position while protecting the sensitive sea floor system, with zero speed stabilizers promising smooth sailing throughout.
Celebrity Flora has in-room water filtration stations and the ability to reuse air conditioning condensation to provide water to the shipboard laundry facilities. Reverse osmosis equipment is used, so the ship can process sea water into fresh water to supply 100-percent of her needs. Plus, any materials that can be recycled, reused or donated will be as part of a strict waste management system.
Celebrity Cruises is also joining forces with EarthEcho International to introduce a comprehensive and customized youth strategy, designed to empower a new generation of environmental advocates both in the local communities of the Galapagos, as well as aboard Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Xpedition in the region.