Celebrity diverts Eclipse to repatriate holidaymakers
21 April 2010
Royal Caribbean has made changes to its inaugural voyage for new cruise ship, Celebrity Eclipse, to assist passengers stranded by the volcanic ash clouds.
The cruise line has cancelled the first leg of the ship’s launch celebrations – scheduled to begin on 22 April – in order to assist UK holidaymakers whose return from their Easter break has been impacted by flight cancellations.
Celebrity Cruises is now working with UK tour operators to collect stranded holidaymakers affected by the airport closures and subsequent flight cancellations that have affected travellers in Northern Europe and sail them home.
Celebrity Eclipse will arrive in Southampton as scheduled at 9am today 20 April 2010 (UK time) and will depart that evening to Bilbao, Spain, where she is scheduled to arrive in the early hours of Thursday 22 April. Stranded holidaymakers will embark the ship throughout the morning, with the ship then returning to Southampton, arriving late on Friday evening.
The sailing will replace the activities planned during the two-night, round-trip launch celebration cruise from Southampton.
On its new operation, Eclipse will collect delayed holidaymakers who were on package holidays with major UK tour operators. Over 2000 travellers are currently expected to join Celebrity Eclipse in Bilbao.
Richard D. Fain, chairman of Celebrity Cruises and chairman and CEO of its parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said the events affecting air travel are completely unprecedented, and it is in times like these that the global travel industry needs to pull together.
“Collecting stranded British and Irish holidaymakers is a fitting first mission for new ship Celebrity Eclipse – what better way for a ship dedicated to the UK to mark her arrival?”
“We hope that guests initially invited to join the launch celebrations on 22 April will understand the change of plan, and we look forward to welcoming as many of them as possible to the naming ceremony on 24 April instead.”
Celebrity Cruises is working with major UK tour operators to try to assist with their challenge to repatriate as many of their customers as possible. Plans for Celebrity Eclipse remain fluid as the situation regarding re-opening air space continues to change. Celebrity Cruises will continue to make updates as circumstances evolve.