Laura Hodges Bethge, who has been president for just over seven months, pledged to continue investing in the region as a way to reward travel agents and customers for their support.
When asked about her plans for the UK and Ireland market at a press conference on Celebrity Ascent on Saturday (2 December), Hodges Bethge said: “We have Celebrity Apex in Southampton [in 2024 and 2025].
“We’re very committed to the UK and Ireland market. I would love over time to increase the capacity in that market, so obviously we need the support of our trade partners and the customers and we’ll continue to invest to grow the brand there.
“As demand continues to increase, it’s something we look at every single time that we look at our deployment.”
Her pledge comes just weeks after the line’s EMEA, UK and Ireland vice-president Giles Hawke revealed the lobbying process to base a second ship in Southampton was “constant and ongoing”.
Celebrity, meanwhile, will take delivery of its fifth and final Edge-series ship, Celebrity Xcel, in autumn 2025.
Hodges Bethge said the vessel would have “seven” new products or experiences, but remained tight-lipped about what they were.
She revealed that details around the new onboard experiences would be released in spring 2024.
“We’re not ready to say what they are just yet, but starting in spring next year, we will start sharing what those new concepts and experiences are,” said Hodges Bethge.
She added that it would take “four to five years” before Celebrity’s next ship class launched.
“We’re also thinking about the modernisation of the Solstice-class and how we continue to evolve that,” she continued.
“A ship is usually with us for 30 years, that is a general rule of thumb. The Solstice-class is at the 15-year mark so we’re just thinking about what the second half of its extended life looks like.”
She also outlined how one of the line’s main goals was to offer “the best premium vacation ever”.
“What does that mean? We have luxury experiences on board these [Edge-series] ships," she explained. “For those of you who have seen them – Luminae restaurant, The Retreat, The Sundeck – you can get into a little luxurious bubble and never leave and it’s a beautiful thing.
“We also have Veranda staterooms. That’s a wonderful premium experience, but we also have some Interior and Oceanview staterooms. It’s really important we stay focused on delivering this premium vacation.”
