Celebrity Cruises history

What year was Celebrity Cruises Founded? 1989

In 1997, Royal Caribbean acquired Celebrity Cruises and within three years the first of the line's modern-era Millennium-class ships was delivered.

In 2000, Celebrity launched the aptly named Celebrity Millennium proudly featuring the industry's first application of gas turbine engines, which reduced exhaust emissions by up to 95 percent over traditional propulsion systems.

The Celebrity Expeditions sub-brand was launched in 2001 with the acquisition of Celebrity Xpedition, a small boutique ship offering specialized cruises around the Galápagos Islands.

2004 saw the launch of Celebrity Xpedition, our luxury mega-yacht offering year-round itineraries to the enchanting Galapagos Islands.

In 2005, the Horizon was transferred to the fleet Royal Caribbean's United Kingdom-based subsidiary Island Cruises.

In 2006, plans were made to transfer Blue Moon and Blue Dream from the fleet of Pullmantur Cruises to Celebrity Cruises under the names of Celebrity Quest and Celebrity Journey.

Also in 2007 the Zenith was transferred to Pullmantur Cruises 'in exchange' for the Azamara ships.

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

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

The fourth Solstice Class ship the Celebrity Silhouette entered service in 2011.

The final Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Reflection, launched in October 2012 with 3,030 passengers.

In December 2014, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, a 32-year veteran of Celebrity Cruises, was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer, making her "the first woman to be named CEO of a major cruise line".

Celebrity Cruises announced on 11 October 2017, that it will perform legal same-sex marriages on its ships while in international waters following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Malta, where most of the Celebrity fleet is registered.

Celebrity Cruises hasn't been known as an innovator since the Solstice Class debuted, but with the launch of its Edge Class, whch debuted in December 2018, the line is shifting once again toward trendy innovations that are sure to make a lasting impression.

In 2004, Celebrity launched its Xpedition sub-brand with the 98-passenger Celebrity Xpedition (48 passengers as of 2019), formerly known as the Sun Bay I, built in 2001. It added an all-new, custom built ship, the 100-passenger Celebrity Flora, in 2019, while at the same time retiring Celebrity Xperience.