CELEBRITY MARKS 10 YEARS IN GALAPAGOS

When you think about faraway ports and exotic locations, one place that comes to mind is the Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador. This year Celebrity Cruises is celebrating 10 years of providing passengers unique destination experiences. But Celebrity's commitment goes beyond that, as they detail in this latest release:

"Building on 10 years of involvement in the Galapagos Islands, Celebrity continues its commitment to supporting and empowering the communities of the region with a medical clinic, fishing and agriculture cooperatives, and a partnership with the Galapagos Conservancy, which includes a matching program to double the value of guests’ donations. Now for vacationers, Celebrity has introduced more Galapagos experiences that include:

• Authentic Dining in the Highlands – Dine on local fare at a family’s farm nestled in the lush highlands of Santa Cruz, Galapagos. Arranged exclusively by Celebrity, the immersive cultural experience directly connects vacationers with residents of the local community and the beauty of the island, its farms and even the giant tortoises roaming in their natural habitat.

• Scalesia Reforestation Project – In close collaboration with the Galapagos National Park, in Santa Cruz, guests guided by Celebrity’s naturalists now can join a reforestation project with the goal to plant 5,000 Scalesia trees – an endemic tree that has lost much of its habitat in the Galapagos, adversely impacting wildlife that call the forest home. The Scalesia-saving project is the first-ever of its kind conducted by a cruise line with the Galapagos National Park.

• Collaborating with Farmers for Onboard Menus – The one-of-a-kind dining menu onboard Celebrity Xpedition reflects Celebrity’s effort to preserve the natural conditions and support local growers and farmers in the Galapagos region. From Ecuadorian ceviche to roasted fish, soups and even desserts such as tres leches – a variety of the locally caught, sustainable fish and seafood, vegetables and fruits served onboard are fresh, organic and sourced from Galapagos fishermen and farmers.

• Commemorative Book – Each modern explorer onboard Celebrity Xpedition between June 2014 and December 2015 will receive a complimentary coffee table book featuring fun, touching and inspiring stories and photos submitted via Facebook by past guests who have explored the islands with Celebrity Cruises, along with information on the Galapagos Islands environment and community. Vacationers whose stories were featured also will receive a copy of the exclusive book."