Celebrity Cruises Charts New Culinary Course

[JoeyandDavid]

MIAMI, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Celebrity Cruises today announced plans to evolve its fleetwide culinary program, ending its affiliation with Master Chef Michel Roux. The mutual agreement coincides with the end of Roux's current contract with Celebrity.

"Chef Roux has offered valuable culinary consultation and direction since the Celebrity brand was founded, and played an integral role in helping our brand achieve the recognition it maintains today for offering fresh, gourmet cuisine," said Celebrity's President Dan Hanrahan. "We are very grateful to Chef Roux for the foundation he helped us establish, and are confident in our ability to continue to deliver an extraordinary dining experience for our guests across the fleet."

Every Celebrity ship has a highly experienced Food and Beverage team, headed by executive chefs and food and beverage managers who honed their skills in some of Europe's finest restaurants and hotels. They completed intensive training led by Chef Roux both during Chef Roux's onboard visits totaling well over 100 during the 15-year partnership and also, in the case of a few of Celebrity's most promising chefs, training at his Waterside Inn restaurant in England. Similarly, the Food and Beverage Operations team based at Celebrity's headquarters bring extensive land-based and shipboard culinary experience enabling them to effectively direct and complement the shipboard colleagues.

"Chef Roux has offered, and we have accepted, to assist Celebrity during the transition, and will be available in the future to offer advice and guidance," said Hanrahan. "Meanwhile, on behalf of all of us at Celebrity, I thank him for all his contributions, and wish him the very best."

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, authentic five-star dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal and South America, and will begin sailing in Australia and New Zealand this year. Noted for "The World's Best Large Ships," as voted by the readers of Conde' Nast Traveler (February 2006 Cruise Poll), Celebrity's current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Quest this year, Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, and a third Solstice-class ship in 2010. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit the Celebrity web site at www.celebritycruises.com.

SOURCE Celebrity Cruises

[DaCruzNut]

Gosh, I hope this won't affect the food quality. Of all the lines I've sailed (15), Celebrity, and its

predecessors Chandris Celebrity and Chandris Fantasy, has always been my favorite, as far as food quality and service. Intitially, when the food was prepared, and served, by Apollo Ship Chandelers, and more recently, when they bought out a lot of Apollo's employees and went 'in-house.'

They're the last line, with the exception of tiny Imperial Majesty (Regal Empress) that stil brews coffee from real coffee grind. All the rest use a liquid concentrate.

My three favorites: Celebrity. A very close second, Princess. Ans, surprise, Carnival.

My three least favotite: Costa....pasta and pizza get boring after the 2nd day. RCCI, which is a shock, since they own Celebrity. HAL....no comment; just bad!

[SCIROCCO]

Jeff where does celebrity cruise out of wheres their home port is it Florida and where do they go? Thanks for any info maybe when Annie retires we can check them out! Thanks My Friend!

[TheSkipper]

Celbrity sails out of Lauderdale, San Diego, San Fran and several other US ports, but not Texas, as far as I know. We agree with Jeff's ranking right down the line, except I don't thing I'd be so hard on RCI.

We too hope this change will not effect the food quality aboard the Celebrity ships.

[JoeyandDavid]

I believe you made the definitive statement skipper...

[Shari2]

I, also, hope this won't affect Celebrity's food. They have always had the best food of any line that I have been on.

[cherole]

This is a little scary, as in, who's minding the store? Not that Mr. Celeb chef is actually on each ship, but it does make you feel a little naked in the food department. We leave in 12 days!!