Celebrity Cruises has a strong focus on the India market, and this was reaffirmed during the first visit of Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president & CEO, Celebrity Cruises to the country recently. In fact one of the Abu Dhabi sailings has been segmented for the Indian market, allowing guests to debark and embark in Mumbai. For Celebrity Cruises the ports of call in India will be Mumbai, Mormugoa and New Mangalore. “As India is such a vast country, you can visit multiple ports and can do a lot of inland travel. We talk about a purpose at Celebrity and what drives us – believe in opening up the world. The India market is very important to us and we want it to grow,” said Lutoff-Perlo, pointing out that they will be talking to port development authorities and the government to develop the infrastructure so that cruise companies can enhance the experience for their guests.
Jo Rzymowska, VP and MD, Celebrity Cruises UK, Ireland & Asia mentioned, “It is such an exciting time for us at Celebrity as this part of the world is becoming more and more important for us.” Ratna Chaddha, CEO, Tirun, remarked, “The prime minister is keen to bring India on the cruise tourism map. That can only happen if companies like us bring cruise ships in.”
Celebrity Cruises is a highly awarded cruise line, having won 110 awards in 2017. It is introducing ‘revolutionary’ Celebrity Edge cruise ship by this year end. “It is a cruise ship like no other – it has been called transformative, innovative and changing the industry. Part of the reason why it is so special is because we have partnered with world renowned designers,” stated Lutoff-Perlo. A video showcased the worldclass services at the touch of a button and pathbreaking features. Suites with endless panoramic views, villas with plunge pools, 29 total restaurants and bars, rooftop garden, spacious outward facing cabanas, et al. “We call Celebrity Edge a ‘heroic ship’ in our company,” she said, adding that in keeping with the spirit, Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is the godmother of the ship.
Celebrity Cruises is investing US$ 400 m from 2019 – 2023 across its fleet. “We feel we are in the middle of a revolution for our brand. We will also have a brand new ship in the Galapagos – Celebrity Flora, which is an all suite class. We have been in the Galapagos since 2004 and wanted to make a statement with the ship,” informed Lutoff-Perlo.