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“Our comeback will be stronger than our setback”: Celebrity Cruises by Annie Cicvaric ONBOARD CELEBRITY APEX — Celebrity Cruises celebrated the long-awaited inaugural U.S. sailing of its flagship Celebrity Apex with a naming ceremony and ceremonial christening in Port Everglades, and Travelweek was there. Like so many events delayed due to the pandemic, the festivities were better late than never. Celebrity Apex’s inauguration was originally scheduled to take place in the UK on March 30, 2020. Delayed 581 days from that original date, this ceremony was definitely worth the wait. Travel advisors gave Celebrity Cruises’ President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, as well as Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO, Richard Fain, a standing ovation for their support and appreciation. In turn Lutoff-Perlo gave a shout-
out to Celebrity’s travel agent partners. “What a journey we've been together over these past 19 months with the trade. I don't think our bond with you has ever been stronger as we've weathered this storm together. Thank you for supporting our comeback, which I promise you will be stronger than our setback,” she said. Lutoff-Perlo led the Celebrity Apex ceremony with the ship’s Godmother, the inspiring Reshma Saujani, who founded the ground-breaking nonprofit organization, Girls Who Code, and wrote the bestselling book, ‘Brave, Not Perfect.’ As part of Saujani’s work with Celebrity Cruises, Girls Who Code and the cruise line will collaborate to offer educational coding programs as part of the Camp at Sea S.T.E.M. experiences onboard Celebrity Apex and sister ship Celebrity Edge. THE EPITOME OF NEW LUXURY Touring and experiencing the ship, it’s clear that Celebrity Apex is the epitome of New Luxury, with innovative and visionary spaces from world-re-
nowned designers. Unique features include: . The exclusive The Retreat with its stunning accommodations, a private restaurant, and an exclusive lounge and sundeck to rival any high-end resort. . The Magic Carpet, soaring cantilevered above the sea and offering guests uninterrupted vistas while sipping cocktails or having dinner. . An unrivalled culinary repertoire of 29 distinct restaurants, bars, and lounges including the brand-new Craft Social Bar, connecting guests to the destinations they will visit like never before. TRAVEL ADVISOR PANEL DISCUSSION Day 2 of Celebrity Apex’s ceremonial sailing included a ‘Conversation with Celebrity’ open forum for travel advisors to voice their thoughts, feedback, concerns and positive reinforcements to the Celebrity Cruise leadership panel, featuring Lutoff-Perlo, Fain and more. Questions ranged from how advisors should navigate the next 12
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japanspecialist.ca 12 | TRAVELWEEK | November 11, 2021
