History of Celebrity Cruises in Timeline

Celebrity Cruises, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is a cruise line owned by Royal Caribbean Group. Founded in 1988 by the Chandris Group, it merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1997. Celebrity Cruises is known for its premium cruise experiences and destinations worldwide.

April 1988: Celebrity Cruises Founded as Chandris Group Subsidiary

In April 1988, Celebrity Cruises was established as a subsidiary of the Greece-based Chandris Group, with the aim of operating upmarket cruise ships to Bermuda. At the time, Chandris also operated Chandris Fantasy Cruises, which catered to the lower end of the cruise market.

April 1988: Negotiations with the Bermuda Government

In April 1988, Chandris created Celebrity Cruises and commenced negotiations with the Bermuda Government to acquire cruise contracts.

April 1988: Home Lines Sold to Holland America Line

In April 1988, Home Lines, a leading premium cruise line, was sold to Holland America Line, which created an opportunity for Celebrity Cruises to gain access to Bermuda cruise contracts.

1988: Celebrity Cruises Founded

In 1988, Celebrity Cruises was founded by the Greece-based Chandris Group.

1988: Horizon Ordered

In 1988, the Horizon was ordered as a replacement for Amerikanis in the Chandris Fantasy fleet.

1989: Rebuilding of Galileo

In 1989, Chandris Fantasy Cruises' Galileo was rebuilt at Lloyd Werft, Germany, for Celebrity Cruises.

February 1990: SS Meridian Enters Service

In February 1990, the rebuilt Galileo re-entered service as the SS Meridian for Celebrity Cruises.

May 1990: Horizon Enters Service

In May 1990, the Horizon, initially ordered for Chandris Fantasy, was transferred to the Celebrity Cruises fleet and entered service as the line's first purpose-built new ship.

1992: Zenith Delivered

In 1992, Celebrity Cruises took delivery of Zenith, a sister ship to the Horizon.

1996: Century Debuts

In 1996, the Century, the first ship of the Century class, debuted, marking the last ships designed under the Chandris family management.

1997: Merger with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

In 1997, Celebrity Cruises merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

1997: Chandris Family Sold Interests

In 1997, the Chandris family sold its interests in Celebrity Cruises to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, leading to the formation of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which was later renamed Royal Caribbean Group. After the sale, the Meridian was sold to Sun Cruises.

2000: Delivery of Millennium-class ships

In 2000, Celebrity took delivery of Millennium, the first gas turbine-powered cruise ship.

2001: Celebrity Expeditions Sub-Brand Launched

In 2001, Celebrity Expeditions sub-brand was launched with the acquisition of Celebrity Xpedition, a boutique ship that offers cruises around the Galápagos Islands.

2002: Delivery of Millennium-class ships

Between 2000 and 2002, Celebrity took delivery of a quartet of new ships, the first gas turbine-powered cruise ships, Millennium, Infinity, Summit and Constellation.

2005: Horizon Transferred to Island Cruises

In 2005, the Horizon was transferred to the fleet of Royal Caribbean's United Kingdom-based subsidiary, Island Cruises. The first ship of the Solstice class was ordered from Meyer Werft.

2006: Plans to Transfer Blue Moon and Blue Dream

In 2006, there were plans to transfer Blue Moon and Blue Dream from Pullmantur Cruises to Celebrity Cruises, but the decision was made to form Azamara Cruises instead.

2007: Solstice-class Ships on Order

By 2007, three more ships of the Solstice class were on order.

2007: Ships Renamed

From 2007 to 2008, all Celebrity Cruises' ships were renamed with a "Celebrity" prefix added to the pre-existing ship names.

2007: Zenith Transferred to Pullmantur Cruises

In 2007, the Zenith was transferred to Pullmantur Cruises, marking the end of Celebrity Cruises' association with Bermuda for the time being. Azamara Cruises was formed to operate ships.

October 2008: Delivery of Celebrity Solstice

On 24 October 2008, Celebrity Solstice, the first ship in the new Solstice class, was delivered to Celebrity.

2008: Ships Renamed

From 2007 to 2008, all Celebrity Cruises' ships were renamed with a "Celebrity" prefix added to the pre-existing ship names.

May 2009: Galaxy Transferred to TUI Cruises

In May 2009, Galaxy was transferred to the fleet of TUI Cruises, a joint venture between Celebrity Cruises' owner Royal Caribbean Group and TUI AG, and renamed as Mein Schiff.

April 2010: Celebrity Summit Repositions to New Jersey

In April 2010, the Celebrity Summit began to reposition yearly to New Jersey to offer cruises to Bermuda.

2010: Celebrity Eclipse Enters Service

In 2010, the Celebrity Eclipse, a Solstice-class ship, entered service.

2011: Celebrity Mercury Sold to TUI Cruises

In 2011, Celebrity Mercury was sold to TUI Cruises and became Mein Schiff 2. The Celebrity Silhouette also entered service in 2011.

2012: Celebrity Reflection Delivered

In 2012, the Celebrity Reflection was delivered.

December 2014: Lisa Lutoff-Perlo Promoted

In December 2014, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo was promoted to president and chief executive officer of Celebrity Cruises.

December 2014: Letter of Intent for New Vessels Signed

On 4 December 2014, Celebrity Cruises signed a letter of intent for a new class of vessels under the project name EDGE.

2014: Catalyst Blog Launched

In 2014, Celebrity Cruises launched a blog called "Catalyst," which covered travel, fashion, and culture.

April 2015: Celebrity Century Departs the Fleet

In April 2015, Celebrity's oldest ship, the Celebrity Century, departed the fleet.

March 2016: Planned Acquisition of Ocean Adventures

On 14 March 2016, Celebrity Cruises announced the planned acquisition of the Galápagos Islands tour operator Ocean Adventures and its two ships, the MV Eclipse (now Celebrity Xperience) and the MC Athala II (now Celebrity Xploration).

October 2017: Legal Same-Sex Marriages Announced

On 11 October 2017, Celebrity Cruises announced that it would perform legal same-sex marriages on its ships while in international waters, following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Malta.

July 2018: Refurbishment Investment Announced

In July 2018, the company announced its intention to invest more than $500 million to refurbish all Millennium-class and Solstice-class ships in its fleet between 2019 and 2023.

October 2018: Delivery of Celebrity Edge

On 31 October 2018, the company took delivery of the first Edge-class vessel, the Celebrity Edge.

March 2020: First Cruise Ship to Leave the US

On 26 June 2021, Celebrity Edge became the first cruise ship to leave the United States with ticketed passengers since March 2020. It set sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

2020: Sailings Suspended Due to COVID-19

In 2020, sailings were suspended on various dates in various regions due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Delivery of Celebrity Apex

In 2020, the Celebrity Apex, an Edge-class vessel, was delivered to Celebrity Cruises.

January 2021: Sailings Suspended Worldwide

On 12 January 2021, it was reported that sailings were suspended worldwide through April 30, including the May 1 transatlantic cruise on Celebrity Apex.

March 2021: Resumption of North American Cruises Announced

In March 2021, Celebrity Cruises announced that it would be resuming its North American cruises in June, sailing out of St. Maarten, requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all adults.

October 2021: Suspension of Europe and Transatlantic Cruises

Between May and October 2021, Europe and transatlantic cruises on Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Constellation were also suspended.

2022: Scrapped at Alang as Singa

From 2022 to 2022, TSM Singapore. Scrapped at Alang in 2022 as Singa.

2022: Delivery of Celebrity Beyond

In 2022, Celebrity Cruises took delivery of the Celebrity Beyond, an enlarged stretched Edge-class vessel.

2023: Voyager for Marella Cruises

From 2023 onwards, Marella Voyager for Marella Cruises

November 2024: Project Nirvana Announced

In November 2024, Celebrity president Laura Hodges Bethge announced that the line was working on a new class design titled "Project Nirvana", with a potential debut in 2030.

January 2025: 6th Edge Class Ship Ordered

In January 2025, Celebrity announced that they ordered a 6th Edge Class ship.

January 28, 2025: Celebrity River Cruises Announced

On January 28, 2025, Celebrity announced Celebrity River Cruises with an order of 10 transformative ships with an "elevated design and sophistication of the Edge Series".

September 2025: Announcement of River Ship Names

In September 2025, it was announced the names of the first two new river ships to be Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker as part of an official press release showing itineraries, deck plans, and the first images of the new ships.

2027: Expected Service Start for River Cruising Market

A new class named Nirvana is planned, and Celebrity has announced they are building ships for the river cruising market, expected to start service in 2027.

2027: Debut of River Ships

On January 28, 2025, Celebrity announced Celebrity River Cruises with an order of 10 transformative ships that are being built at the TeamCo Shipyard, the Netherlands, with the first ships debuting in 2027 sailing on the Rhine and Danube.

2030: Potential Debut of Project Nirvana