Celebrity Cruises announce Asia season for 2012-2013

Celebrity Cruises has announced its first Asia season for the winter of 2012-2013 onboard Celebrity Millennium

The ship is scheduled for dry-dock in April 2012 during which time the ship will undergo numerous upgrades and changes to make Celebrity Millennium a Solstice class ship

70 of the ship’s existing Concierge Class staterooms will be converted to spa-inspired aqua class staterooms and an additional 37 of these will also be newly built. Guests who book Celebrity Suites will enjoy more time outdoors on a new veranda, as Celebrity plans to add these to the Millenniums eight existing suites in this category. The line also plans to add six inside staterooms and 17 ocean view staterooms, increasing the total number of available staterooms to 1,079.

During the 2012-2013 winter season Celebrity Millennium will call in nine countries new to the cruise line, including Vietnam, Thailand and China. Celebrity’s inaugural Asia season will consist of a series of 14-night cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong. Overnight stays in Singapore; Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Halong Bay and Hong Kong, to offer more opportunities for travellers to immerse themselves in Asian culture. The season also will include two 14-night sailings round-trip from Singapore with overnight stays in Bali in January 2013.

Ending the Millennium’s Asia season will be two transpacific voyages offering unique experiences. The westbound cruise will coincide with the total solar eclipse in November 2012. Guests will be able to view the eclipse while at sea, when sailing from Fiji to New Zealand. In April 2013, the Millennium will reposition from Hong Kong to Shanghai on a cruise featuring overnight calls in Hong Kong and Beijing (Tianjin. The ship will then continue eastbound across the North Pacific to Alaska and will call at various ports in China, Japan, and Russia.

Celebrity Cruises also recently announced that the Solstice will sail a full winter season in Australia and New Zealand in 2012-2013.