Celebrity Cruises is to restart operations with the Celebrity Millennium cruise ship. The vessel will homeport in the popular eastern Caribbean port of St. Maarten. Are we now seeing a shift away from U.S. homeports?
Celebrity Millennium Out of St. Maarten
Celebrity Cruises has announced its comeback and it’s not out of the United States. After more than a year of suspended operations, the cruise line will begin cruises in the Caribbean this June.
So the Celebrity Millennium will begin sailings from her new homeport of St. Maarten on June 5, 2021. She will offer seven-night itineraries departing through August.
Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said:
“Returning to the Caribbean after more than a year away is such a significant moment for us. It marks the measured beginning of the end of what has been a uniquely challenging time for everyone. We have been in constant contact with the leadership of St. Maarten these past months to support each other and share learnings and best practices.
That we’re able to offer people the opportunity to safely vacation onboard the revolutionized Celebrity Millennium, is incredible, and that we will sail from the magical island of St. Maarten is very special. I am forever grateful for the support and collaboration of the St. Maarten Government.”
There will be two different Caribbean itineraries Celebrity Millennium will offer. One week-long itinerary will include calls at Aruba, Curacao, and Barbados. The other itinerary will include visits to Tortola, St. Lucia, and also Barbados.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever declared:
“Having a major cruise line such as Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises homeport here is a significant economic milestone for St. Maarten. It’s an historic agreement, the fruit of continuous dialogue and a testament to the strength of our longstanding relationship”
“Celebrity Cruises homeporting here will help rejuvenate our economy and drive opportunities for our people. I would like to thank the management team at the Royal Caribbean Group for their commitment to St. Maarten and their confidence in the Ministry of TEATT as a reliable and responsible partner. I look forward to the successful re-launch of their Caribbean cruising.”
The sailings will be open for booking from March 25, 2021. Guests can take advantage of special air and sea pricing offering exceptional savings on all Summer 2021 St. Maarten sailings starting at $1,999* per person for a veranda stateroom.
The offer applies to new bookings and flights must be booked through Flights By Celebrity and prices include airfare and taxes.
Who Can Cruise?
So the big question is, who can go on the cruises out of St. Maarten? Adults will need to be vaccinated before being allowed to cruise, but children under the age of 18 will also be able to sail as long as they have a negative test result within 72 hours before embarkation.
There will be strict health protocols in place to make sure guests and crew remain safe. Parent company, Royal Caribbean group has developed measured with guidance from the joint Healthy Sail panel with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
