TO achieve a stronger footing in the growing Asian cruise market, Celebrity Cruises is expanding its collection of short sailings in the region come 2016 and 2017 to give Asian travellers a taste of what the company can offer in Alaska and Europe where the majority of its deployment is.
A number of themed cruises will be conducted during Asian festive periods such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival and extended holiday seasons like the Japanese Golden Week in end-April and the Chinese Golden Week in October.
However, Kelvin Tan, commercial director, Asia Pacific of Celebrity Cruises, is quick to point out that the company “is not becoming an Asian cruise line”.
“Although Celebrity Cruises has been attracting a growing number of affluent Asians to cruise in Alaska, Europe and Caribbean, we realise that the brand is not as familiar among Asians as other cruise brands with ships homeported in this region. To remedy this, we are offering short cruises as a sampler for Asian travellers who’ve not cruised with us,” Tan explained, adding that the ships will feature the same style of entertainment, quality of cuisine and standard of service as those serving the longer cruises farther afield.
Also joining the itinerary in 2016 and 2017 are a seven-night Greece and Italy sailing out of Istanbul, departing June 18 and July 16 next year on the Celebrity Equinox, and several Middle Eastern cruises out of Abu Dhabi on the Celebrity Constellation, calling at Dubai, New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai (India), and Khasab (Oman). A nine-night programme will depart on December 10, 2016 and January 2, 2017, while A 12-night version will set sail on November 28, 2016. A 14-night option will be available on December 19, 2016.
Tan remarked: “We are pioneers of these programmes. We are the first to offer an Italy and Greece cruise that will be homeported in Istanbul – cruises to this region typically starts out in Italy. We are also the first and only cruise line to homeport in Abu Dhabi. The Middle East cruises are also our first.”
