By
Rebecca Gibson |
Celebrity Cruises is to offer 11 new packages combining European river cruises with overnight city stays and ocean cruises in 2015.
In a cruise industry first, Celebrity is to enable guests to enjoy a European River voyage onboard an Amras Cruises vessel, before embarking on a Celebrity Ocean sailing. The introduction of the packages follows the launch of the Celebrity Explorations programme, which allows guests to pair ocean cruises with destination experiences on land.
“Our guests want to continue seeing more of the world with Celebrity and we are dedicated to providing them with the most destination-rich vacations,” said Michael Bayley, the line’s president and CEO. “By introducing these river-and-ocean cruise packages, travellers can immerse themselves in Europe more so than ever before, with the ease of choosing a vacation package exclusively created by Celebrity.”
Ranging from 16 to 24 nights, Celebrity Explorations’ river-and-ocean cruise packages include a seven-night Amras Cruises river cruise, flights to a major European city near the ocean cruise port, one- to two-night luxury hotel accommodation before guests embark on the ocean cruise, a Celebrity ocean cruise, transfers from the airport to the hotel and the ocean cruise port and access to the Celebrity Cruises Classic Beverage Package.
The 11 new river-and-ocean cruise packages offer guests the opportunity to sail on four European rivers – the Danube, Rhine, Rhone and Seine – onboard Amras Cruises’ Amadeus ships and then board a Celebrity vessel to destinations in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Russia, Turkey and other areas. In total, the packages offer a combination of six river cruises and nine ocean voyages.
Guests can enjoy a 16-night Southern France Sonata with Greece & Turkey holiday, which includes a seven-night river cruise to the French cities of Lyon, Viviers and Avignon onboard Amadeus Symphony, as well as a two-night stay in Athens, Greece, and seven nights sailing to Mediterranean ports on Celebrity Equinox. The journey departs Chalon-sur-Saone, France, on 2 July and ends on 18 July in Istanbul, Turkey.
Meanwhile, those sailing on the 20-night Danube Waltz with Spain & the Canary Islands trip will visit seven different countries. Starting their journey on Amadeus Silver II, guests will sail to the heritage sites of Budapest, Hungary; the Austrian shoreline and Wachau Valley; and historic German cities. They will then fly to London, UK, for a two-night stay, before joining Celebrity Eclipse for an 11-night cruise to Vigo, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; the Canary Islands; and Southampton, UK.
The Classical Rhine with Caribbean Transatlantic voyage will start onboard Amadeus Silver, enabling passengers to call at Amsterdam, Netherlands; Cologne, Germany; and Strasbourg, France. Following an overnight stay in Rome, Italy, guests will board Celebrity Reflection to sail to various Caribbean destinations including St Kitts, St. Maarten. The 23-night journey departs Amsterdam on 15 October and ends in Miami, Florida, on 7 November.
Departing from Paris, France, on 15 October, the Seine Symphony with Israel & the Mediterranean itinerary will enable guests to sail on Amadeus Diamond to visit French châteaus, centuries-old cathedrals and the beaches of Normandy. Travellers will then spend a night docked in Paris and fly into Istanbul, Turkey, to embark on a 12-night cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation to the historic cities of Haifa and Ashdod, Israel; Valletta, Malta; and Naples and Rome, Italy.