CELEBRITY CRUISES CANCELS ONE ALASKA CRUISE

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red stripe

Guest
MIAMI – September 1, 2004 – Celebrity Cruises is canceling its September 10 sailing on Summit to replace a radial-bearing unit that is showing premature wear in the ship’s starboard propulsion system. The replacement must be made in drydock, so the ship will enter San Francisco Drydock shipyard on September 12 to make the repairs. The cancelled cruise is a seven-night round-trip Alaska sailing departing from Vancouver. The ship is expected to resume service September 20.

“I am truly sorry for the disruption this cancelled cruise will cause our guests,†said Jack Williams, president and chief operating officer of Celebrity Cruises. “Regrettably, it is important that we replace this unit in a timely manner. We will work closely with our travel agency partners to provide our guests with the best possible alternative plans.â€Â

Guests booked on the September 10 sailing will receive a full refund for their cruise, plus a free future Celebrity cruise, in North America, of up to seven nights, departing on or before December 31, 2005, excluding holiday sailings. Travel agents will receive their full commission for the September 10 cruise, plus a $50 rebooking fee, per stateroom, when their clients reschedule their cruise.

Celebrity has established a special Help Desk to assist guests and travel agents with reaccommodations. The Help Desk number is 1-877-200-2897.

Summit is operating safely, merely with its speed reduced from 23 to 18 knots. Summit’s current sailing, a seven-night Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Seward, which concludes on September 3, will not be impacted by the bearing issue.

The ship’s seven-night September 3 sailing, from Seward to Vancouver, will make minor adjustments to two port calls.

Summit’s September 17 sailing, a 14-night Alaska and West Coast cruise, departing Vancouver and concluding in San Diego, will be delayed three days and depart on September 20. Celebrity will contact each guest booked on that cruise to rearrange their embarkation in Vancouver and provide further details.

The canceled cruise and modified cruise itinerary are expected to negatively impact Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s third-quarter earnings by approximately $.03 per share.
 
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lamayboy

Guest
Yeah! I get to see Constellation's sister while eating brunch on the 12th! I have not been on these ships but am going on Connie in January. THe place we eat brunch is RIGHT next to the drydocks! Sorry about the cancelled cruise and such, but I will take drydock pics for those interested. I did so for NCL STAR in May. Check those out in the galleries.
 
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H2O babe

Guest
There are many many unhappy passengers who were scheduled to leave on the 17th and now will be departing on the 20th for their Alaskan cruise. Doesn't sound like a good situation from what I've read.............
 
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BSeabob

Guest
Man I just missed another coupon by 2 months.
FYI from their Press releases

QUOTE

Celebrity Cruises Files Suit Against Rolls Royce, Alstom Power Conversion

MIAMI - (August 7, 2003) - After repeated attempts to resolve issues satisfactorily, Celebrity Cruises filed a $300 million lawsuit today against Rolls Royce and Alstom Power Conversion, co-producers of a ship pod-propulsion system, to recover lost revenue and costs associated with failing pods. The lawsuit was filed in state court in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

The lawsuit charges that the Rolls Royce and Alstom Power Conversion pods, brand-named Mermaid, have failed repeatedly, resulting in cancelled cruises and thousands of disappointed guests. These recurring failures cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars, for which the lawsuit seeks restitution.

The lawsuit further claims that Rolls Royce and Alstom Power Conversion misrepresented their product, which was “defectively designed†and “deceptively and fraudulently marketed.â€Â

Mermaid pods are installed on four Celebrity ships -- Millennium, Summit, Infinity and Constellation. All four had one or more mechanical or electrical problems with the pods, which caused the ships to be taken out of water -- and out of service -- to repair.

“Unfortunately, the Mermaid pods have not lived up to the manufacturers’ promise or to Celebrity’s high operating standards,†said Jack Williams, president and chief operating officer of Celebrity. “This has created intolerable consequences for our guests, and imposed unacceptable conditions on our company.â€Â

There are -- and have been -- no safety issues with any of these ships. All have been given clearance to sail by the U.S. Coast Guard and the ships’ classification society. Even with the problems, safety was never compromised.

“Guests and travel agents should continue to have full confidence in the Celebrity brand,†Williams said. “We have modified the more troublesome components, and we are working on a permanent solution.

“In the meantime, guests should know that any cruise we have to cancel, as a result of any issue with these pods, we will back with a full refund and a free cruise.â€Â

Propulsion pods consist of an electrical motor and a propeller. They are typically favored by cruise operators because the pod’s design -- a 360 degree rotating unit -- provides a number of advantages, including greater maneuverability.

Celebrity Cruises is the industry’s highest-rated premium cruise line. Its nine ships comprise the youngest fleet of any major line.

UNQUOTE
 
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