38 CRUISE NEWS
G.O.A.T! Simone Biles named Godmother for Celebrity Beyond
10 MINUTES WITH BEN BOULDIN
EXCITEMENT and anticipation hung in the air as Celebrity Cruises’ G.O.A.T, and newest and most luxurious
ship, Celebrity Beyond, set sail from
Fort Lauderdale on Friday 4 November, kicking off its inaugural Caribbean season.
Headlining
the sailing’s highly-anticipated festivities was the ship’s official naming ceremony, led by her lauded Godmother and inspirational female powerhouse, Simone Biles – a G.O.A.T. in her own right – a 19-time World Champion, seven-time Olympic Medallist and most decorated American gymnast in history. Helmed by the barrier-breaking Captain Kate
McCue, the first and still only woman to be named captain of a “Mega” cruise ship, Celebrity Beyond’s much-anticipated arrival to the U.S. ushers in a new era of cruising for the industry; coming on the heels of Celebrity’s new brand campaign that defines what a relaxed luxury resort at sea is. As it kicks off its inaugural season with rotating Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries visiting the sun-drenched beaches of Grand Cayman and picturesque vistas of Puerta Plata, guests will recharge as they are treated to luxury hotel-style accommodation, Michelin-level dining, and world-class wellness amenities. “I can think of no one better to be the Godmother
of this incredible ship than the G.O.A.T. herself – Simone Biles,” said Jason Liberty, President and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises. “This ship’s beauty, power, and resilience sets the standard by which all others will be measured. Simone’s determination, progressive nature, empowered attitude, and grace in the face
of challenges make her such an inspiration to so many around the world. All of these attributes are why Simone Biles is perfectly suited to watch over Celebrity Beyond’s journey.”
“I’ve been waiting for this day to arrive for a long time and I am ‘Beyond’ excited to be able to share her with our guests. She is the gold standard by which other ships are built and embodies the meaning of relaxed luxury,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises President and CEO. “She is ‘FULL’ of wonder and excitement and our guests will undoubtedly feel reconnected to the world around them as they visit new destinations and immerse themselves in culinary experiences and wellness amenities not found anywhere else at sea.” Alongside Liberty, Lutoff-Perlo and other Celebrity
Cruises executives, Simone Biles officially named Celebrity Beyond in a beautiful ceremony attended by 2500 lucky guests and media, capped by a live performance from award-winning singer and songwriter, Leona Lewis. Simone Biles follows Reshma Saujani of Girls
Who Code and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who previously inaugurated Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Edge, respectively. Both women are renowned for their advocacy of women everywhere, inspiring them to soar above their limits.
Silversea Cruises Confirms Anticipated Return To Asia
while Endeavour Gets Solo Travellers Godmother! SILVERSEA Cruises has confirmed its highly anticipated return to Asia, with four ships—Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Spirit, and Silver Muse—scheduled to sail in the region between December 2022 and May 2023. The intimate, 596-guest Silver Muse will become the cruise line’s first ship to sail in Asia since March 2020 when she departs Singapore on December 2, 2022. Highlights of Silversea’s season will include calls in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, among others, combining opportunities for deep travel to both iconic cities and lesser-visited destinations. “We are delighted to confirm our return to Asia from December 2022, offering guests the luxury of choice with four ships sailing in the region,” says Barbara Muckermann, Chief Commercial Officer, Silversea Cruises. “Asia has long constituted an important sailing region for Silversea Cruises and our guests are eager to return to this enriching, rewarding continent with us.” Enjoying the finest service at sea aboard Silversea’s
ultra-luxury ships, which are among the most intimate yet spacious ships to sail in the region, guests will be immersed into Asia’s varying cultures and landscapes, discovering the continent’s most enriching experiences, and engaging with local communities. Silversea’s upcoming Asia season, which comprises 25 voyages that range from 10 to 20 day. Meanwhile, Silversea Cruises has named Felicity Aston MBE as the Godmother of its new ship Silver Endeavour, the world’s most luxurious expedition vessel. A celebrated polar explorer, author, television presenter, and climate scientist, Aston became the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica in 2012, as well as the first person to traverse the continent by muscle power alone. Aston has since been awarded the Polar Medal and has been appointed MBE for services to
exploration. A long-respected maritime tradition, the ship’s Godmother blesses the vessel for good fortune during its official naming ceremony. Aston will officially name Silver Endeavour as part of an intimate ceremony in Antarctica—to be held in the days before the ship’s inaugural voyage, departing on November 21.
In a career that has spanned over 20 years, Aston has undertaken many challenging expeditions in the world’s most extreme environments – often as the leader of groundbreaking trips, including that of the first British women’s team to cross the Greenland ice sheet, as well as record-breaking teams of women on ski expeditions to both the South and North Poles. Aston’s longest and most formative tenure in Antarctica involved a 39-month stint at the Rothera Research Station from 2000, where she was monitoring climate and the ozone layer as a meteorologist for the British Antarctic Survey. Now based at the National Oceanography Centre and University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, where she is investigating airborne microplastic pollution on polar sea ice, Aston’s work has plugged data gaps, reshaping scientific understanding. In 2023, Aston will be continuing her leadership of the B.I.G. (Before It’s Gone) North Pole expedition, a long-term project to collect material for crucial Arctic Ocean sea ice research. Aston has published five books about exploration and her expeditions; co-presented two BBC documentaries; and has been featured in top publications, including National Geographic, Vanity Fair, and Marie Claire. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London and The Explorers Club in New York, as well as an elected member of the Society of Women Geographers.
BY ERIN ENGLISH
erin@nitravelnews.com
NI Travel News’ Erin English caught up with Ben Bouldin, Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa and CLIA Chair at the recent ABTA Conference in Morocco to find out what 2023 looks like for Royal Caribbean and why cruising has boomed pre- pandemic.
What does 2023 look like for Royal Caribbean?
“Exciting, well exciting in terms of we’ve got all ships back. So technically speaking, we should be full speed all ships for the full year. We’ve got Icon of The Seas coming in the not to distance future. This is particularly exciting in Ireland and Northern Ireland in terms of a product that our customers based there are going to love, in a destination we know they love. So, I think from that point of view it’s going to be exciting news. Then we’ve got Utopia coming after that, pretty quickly after that actually. Utopia will be the next oasis class. So, we’ve got lots coming down and because we managed to continue our pipeline of new hardware going despite the pandemic. What we are starting to see is the excitement from that. The sexy factor of the cruise industry will start to come back as these new ships will be incredible. What we’ve also seen this year is people just flocking to come on a cruise this summer, the demand has been phenominal. The Royal ships have all sailed at full capacity since July, all summer and it bodes really well. The bit I’m working through is, what is the booking curve going to be? September has been quite heavily impact with everything that’s going on. Normally, that is the start of Mini Wave, initially. So, I think, there is a lot of eyeballs on the January, February and March wave programme and really getting that right. I think, if we get that right, 2023 is going to be really exciting.”
Just touching on the Belfast charter for Wonder of the Seas, how successful have these charters been?
HURTIGRUTEN Expeditions are marking 20 years of sailing in Antarctic waters by sharing a series of previously unseen photos captured during their first Antarctic voyage that set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina on November 8, 2002. From huge colonies of wild penguins to behind- the-scenes moments onboard the images show a glimpse into the incredible journey taken by crew and guests. These never-before-seen images were captured by Dr John Chardine, 70, an avid explorer and photographer based on Canada’s east coast, who boarded the first sailing as an expedition staff member and continues to work onboard Hurtigruten. Expeditions ships today. After having travelled the world with his numerous roles on expedition ships,
“The best charter we’ve ever done. Actually, second best as that charter sold out in about ten weeks. The charter we have put on for next year to Bologna, that sold out even quicker. Some of those sailings have gone already and I think the other thing is because we pivoted the product. “Rather than do the same product again, the people who done it last year and loved it and have gone ‘oh, I don’t want to do that again because it’s the same thing,’ because we’ve offered a different product and a different itinerary. People have gone ‘oh, that’s brilliant, let’s do that again. We can go to where they are going to take us from Belfast this year.’ So that is working really well. Northern Ireland is probably, thinking of the UK and Ireland as a collection of regions, Northern Ireland is probably the most buoyant part of the UK and Ireland mix as of right now. This is exciting. I think that charter has got a lot of momentum. The momentum it built last year and the continuing that this year, it has really played its part. “
Why should holidaymakers from Northern Ireland choose Royal Caribbean for their next cruise holiday?
For consumers, I think we offer pheonomal value.
We are trying to make it as easy and as safe and reassuring for the customer. I think by controlling our own air, it gives people peace of mind, it’s a fixed price. They can be confident that what they sign up for will be the price they pay. We’ve had the benefit of being able to add drinks at the time of booking. So, you really can have confidence that you’ve booked your holiday and it’s done. I would encourage everyone to take a look at Royal Caribbean’s website or to visit any of your local travel agents to understand a bit more. Whether it’s from Barcelona, Rome or even the Caribbean. We’ve got some phenominal options.
Hurtigruten Expeditions Mark 20 Years of Sailing in Antarctic
there is still something incredibly special about his memories of this expedition and what it meant for all those onboard. The expedition ship, MS Nordnorge, had sailed
south from the Norwegian coast – where Hurtigruten was founded and operated Arctic expedition cruising since 1896 – with a handpicked crew best suited for the challenge ahead. “For some of us, it would also have been our first time sailing to Antarctica, and that really made it feel like an expedition in its truest sense,” says Chardine. “We knew that if we accomplished our mission, it would change everything about how the company was currently operating. As I look back now, 20 years later, I’m so proud to have been part of that team!”
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