Celebrity Flora

Celebrity Flora is a small expedition cruise ship built for Celebrity Cruises and delivered in 2019. She carries just 100 guests across 50 suites, making her the first purpose built ship Celebrity designed specifically to cruise the Galapagos Islands year round. Built by Shipyard De Hoop in the Netherlands, she was constructed around one overriding principle: exploring this fragile destination responsibly, without leaving a mark.

Environmental innovation runs through everything about this ship. Her hull has been engineered to cut fuel use by 15 percent, and she uses a dynamic positioning system that holds her in place without dropping anchors, protecting the seabed below. Diesel engines keep air emissions low, and reverse osmosis water filtration systems run through every suite, doing away with single use plastic bottles entirely. Even air conditioning condensation gets collected and recycled. Nothing here feels incidental.

Every accommodation on board is a suite, which matters for travellers spending days on a small ship together. Cabins range from comfortable Suites up through Royal Suites with separate living areas and private verandas, to two Penthouse Suites spanning nearly 1,300 square feet, complete with floor to ceiling windows, seating for stargazing, and telescopes for wildlife watching. Many suites feature an Infinite Veranda, where an entire glass wall retracts and blurs the line between cabin and outside world. Personal suite attendants look after all guests throughout their stay.

Public spaces keep the focus firmly on the islands. The Seaside Restaurant offers forward facing views and meals built around local, organic produce and seafood, while an aft Ocean Grill serves casual breakfast and lunch under open sky. A naturalist centre on board deepens the wildlife experience, and the ship carries oceanographic research equipment developed in partnership with the University of Miami.

Celebrity Flora was christened on Baltra Island in 2019 by Yolanda Kakabadse, an environmental advocate and former president of the World Wildlife Fund, a fitting nod to the philosophy behind the ship: that a cruise vessel can be both luxurious and among the gentlest possible visitors to one of Earth's most extraordinary places.

Sailed aboard Celebrity Flora? Log this Galapagos voyage on your account at The Cruise Globe to see the actual route your cruise took and update your digital Passport!