Royal Caribbean acquires Pullmantur, adds to Celebrity Expeditions fleet


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Erica Silverstein
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    This August, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (parent company of the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruise lines) announced its intentions to purchase Madrid-based Pullmantur, a cruise and tour operator. Spain and Portugal have recently given their antitrust approvals, effectively giving the green light on a mid-November purchase date.

    Does this news affect American cruisers? It does if you're a Celebrity fan. Pullmantur's

    Blue Dream

    will enter the

    Celebrity

    fleet in April 2007, after getting some upgrades in dry dock and changing its name to the

    Celebrity Journey

    . The 718-passenger ship will join the

    Celebrity Xpedition

    as part of the line's small-ship Celebrity Expeditions sector. It will sail Bermuda cruises out of Bayonne.

    In exchange, the

    Zenith

    will become part of Pullmantur's fleet. The ship will sail its last Celebrity-flagged cruise on April 13, 2007, and join the Spanish line in June. The

    Zenith

    will carry mostly Spanish passengers on seven-night Mediterranean cruises.

    If you already have reservations on the

    Zenith

    for Bermuda cruises in 2007, a Celebrity representative will be contacting you about transferring your reservation to the

    Celebrity Journey

    . Guests booked on these cruises can call 888-281-9343 to ask further questions about the ship swap. Celebrity will begin accepting new bookings on the

    Journey

    within the next few days.