What is “Celebrity Cruises”?
A: Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami,
Florida and a
wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group.
When was Celebrity Cruises founded?
A: In April 1988 as a subsidiary of the Greece-based Chandris Group to
operate upmarket cruise ships to Bermuda.
Chandris had been involved in cruise traffic since the
1960s, and during the late 1980s the company operated in the United States
market under what brand name?
A: Chandris Cruises.
Chandris Fantasy Cruises targeted what?
A: The lower end of the cruise passenger market, with fleets consisting of
second-hand ocean liners.
Celebrity Cruises came into existence when, in April
1988, Home Lines, at the time one of the world's leading premium cruise
lines, was sold to whom?
A: Holland America Line.
Home Lines' ships had held two of the five contracts
offered by the Government of Bermuda to cruise lines, giving the ships what?
A: Priority berthing arrangement and unlimited access of sail to the islands
in exchange for the ships sailing to Bermuda between April and October each
year.
Although these contracts were highly valued, Holland
America Line decided to withdraw the former Home Lines ships from this
service, leaving what?
A: An opening for two new ships to gain access.
Chandris wanted to acquire the contracts, but the
Government of Bermuda was only willing to award them to what?
A: Upmarket cruise lines, which Chandris Fantasy Cruises was not.
In order to gain the Bermuda Government contracts,
Chandris created Celebrity Cruises and immediately began what?
A: Negotiating with the Bermuda Government in April 1988.
As a result of the negotiations, Celebrity Cruises was
awarded the contract for what?
A: For two ships for a five-year period beginning in 1990.
In order to fulfill the contract, Chandris Fantasy
Cruises' Galileo was rebuilt at Lloyd Werft,
Germany in 1989, re-entering
service as what?
A: Meridian for Celebrity Cruises in February 1990.
The second ship, Horizon, that had been ordered in 1988
as a replacement for Amerikanis in the Chandris Fantasy fleet, was
transferred to whom?
A: Celebrity Cruises fleet, entering service in May 1990.
In late 1990 Celebrity Cruises placed an order for a
sister ship of the Horizon, delivered in 1992 as what?
A: Zenith.
In 1997, the Chandris family sold its interests in
Celebrity Cruises to whom?
A: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.
This led to the formation of what?
A: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (later Royal Caribbean Group) as a holding
company to keep both brands separate, and the renaming of Royal Caribbean
Cruise Line to Royal Caribbean International.
During the same year Celebrity Cruises took delivery of
what?
A: The first Century-class vessel, Century, that was followed by Galaxy in
1996 and Mercury in 1997.
Following the delivery of the Mercury, the Meridian was
sold to whom?
A: Singapore-based Sun Cruises.
Between 2000 and 2002 Celebrity took delivery of a
quartet of new ships, the gas turbine-powered and aptly named what?
A: Millennium-class ships Millennium, Infinity, Summit and Constellation.
