As Her Farewell Season Ends, Celebrity Century Will Sail To A New Owner in China

As Celebrity Century's "Farewell Season" approaches its close, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell the cruise ship to Exquisite Marine Ltd., a holding company led by Ctrip.com International Ltd. A leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours, and corporate travel management in China, Ctrip aggregates accommodation and transportation information to enable business and leisure travelers to make informed and cost-effective bookings and book vacation packages and guided tours. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of China's best-known travel brands.

"Since its inaugural sailing, Celebrity Century has created many wonderful memories for hundreds of thousands of guests, and we expect this successful history to continue as she transitions to the Chinese cruise market," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "The vessel's sale is an excellent business opportunity for both Royal Caribbean and Ctrip, and will generate strong value for both companies' shareholders."

Celebrity Century joined the Celebrity Cruises fleet in December 1995, and was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The 71,545-ton ship carries 1,814 guests (double occupancy) and 860 crew in her current configuration. Celebrity Century will complete its scheduled sailings through its March 22, 2015, itinerary. The 15-night, Dubai to Rome sailing on April 5, 2015 is being redeployed to a 14-night sailing from Dubai to Singapore. Guests with affected individual bookings and named group bookings on Celebrity Century's April 5, 2015 sailing from Dubai to Rome have the option to either cancel their booking and receive a full refund or move to an alternative sailing and receive a re-accommodation onboard credit as well as compensation to cover air change fees. Guests with reservations affected by the transition will be proactively contacted by Celebrity Cruises. Guests and Travel Agents with specific questions are welcome to call 1-888-283-7275.

Image © CruiseDiva.com