Celebrity Cruises unveiled three new partnerships for its revolutionary Celebrity Flora ship: a world-renowned conservationist was announced to serve as the Godmother, a renowned interior and furniture designer, and a leading university specializing in marine and atmospheric sciences.
Sharing the passion of Celebrity for environmental stewardship was the major factor in choosing the godmother for one of the most eco-friendly vessels of its size in the Galapagos. Recognized as an environmental leader as well as a global champion of biodiversity preservation and sustainable development, Yolanda Kakabadse is Ecuador's former Minister of Environment and a former president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and World Wildlife Fund International.
Via the launch of their newest cruise ship, Celebrity had the opportunity to blend research and exploration by making Flora the first in the Galapagos Islands to be equipped with an Oceanscope - cutting-edge oceanographic research equipment. The program builds on the over 20-year relationship with University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science which benefits from the ship's consistent itinerary to create a cost-effective way for scientists to measure ocean circulation dynamics. The system is expected to track and map the area while measuring sea-surface temperatures and gathering data that is critical to research prediction of El Nino and La Nina. All findings gathered by Flora will become open source data, a first for scientists around the globe and anyone with a passion for the information.
When Celebrity Cruises set out to build the first vessel designed with the Galapagos Islands in mind, the brand knew it had to bring on a designer whose aesthetic drew inspiration from the region and had a personal connection to the destination as well as would complement the ship design by BG Studio. The best choice was Ecuadorian-native Adriana Hoyos who pulls inspiration from her heritage and extensive travels. Hoyos highlights sustainable materials when crafting her new collections. Her one-of-a-kind pieces can be found in the Discovery Lounge, the Marina, and Penthouse Suites, complementing the design of the ship with local elements.