Celebrity opens 2010 bookings for Europe with $100 credit offer

[mercedes]

Celebrity Cruises has begun taking bookings for its 2010 voyages in Europe, and it's offering onboard credits to passengers who sign up for the trips early.

Celebrity announced Tuesday that customers who book a 2010 cruise in Europe in the next three months will get an onboard credit of $100 per cabin. The offer is good for three of the four ships Celebrity will have in Europe in 2010 -- the Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Solstice.

The 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice, which debuted in November to rave reviews, is the line's newest ship and the Equinox is a sister vessel debuting later this year. Also sailing in Europe in 2010 will be the Celebrity Eclipse, another sister to Solstice that arrives next year.

Sailings on the Eclipse are not eligible for the $100 credit offer. Celebrity says the vessel will sail out of England, offering cruises to the Mediterranean, Baltic and Canary Islands aimed at the British market.

As for the Solstice, it will offer 10- and 11-night sailings in the Eastern Mediterranean and 13-night Holy Land cruises. The Celebrity Equinox will sail 12-night open-jaw voyages between Barcelona and Venice (taking over a route previously offered on the Celebrity Summit).

Celebrity's only non-Solstice Class ship in the region, the 2,039-passenger Celebrity Constellation, will sail a combination of 12-night Scandinavia and Russia sailings and seven-night Mediterranean sailings (taking over routes previously offered on the Celebrity Century).

Celebrity opened bookings for its 2010 season in Europe on Tuesday.