Celebrity Cruises has officially launched Celebrity Flora, a 100-guest, all-suite expedition mega yacht that will be based in the Galapagos Islands.

In a sustainability-focused ceremony, executives, travel advisors and journalists joined the ship’s Godmother – environmental advocate and former World Wildlife Fund International President Yolanda Kakabadse – in blessing the ship.

During the ceremony, a partnership with EarthEcho International, a non-profit organisation founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr., was announced. Through this partnership, the pair aims to encourage a new generation of environmental advocates both in the local communities of the Galapagos, as well as aboard Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Xpedition, to bring about a sustainable future.

President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises Lisa Lutoff-Perlo delivered a speech highlighting the uniqueness of Celebrity Flora in terms of its sustainable focus and cutting-edge design.

In her words: “Our guests have never seen a destination quite like the beautiful Galapagos Islands, and the islands have never seen a ship quite like Celebrity Flora, perfectly blending intimate luxury with sustainability.”

The expedition cruise ship has been specifically designed to explore the Galapagos archipelago, famed for its pristine islands featuring stunning nature and wildlife. As such, the vessel has been given an outward-facing design to ensure 360-degree views from as much of the ship as possible.

To ensure the islands’ preservation, Celebrity Flora has been designed to be the most energy-efficient of its kind in the region. Commenting on this, Chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Richard D. Fain, said: “Every once in a while, a unique ship comes along in the industry and changes things, and Celebrity Flora is that ship. The Galapagos is a truly unique destination and deserved a ship with sustainability at its core. Today was an incredibly special day, with a very special Godmother.”

The ship boasts a 15-percent reduction of fuel consumption and equivalently fewer air emissions, thanks to the introduction of an advanced propulsion system, hull configuration and specially designed diesel engines. Celebrity Flora’s dynamic positioning is a first in the Galapagos, featuring anchorless technology, which maintains the ship’s position while protecting the sensitive sea floor system, with zero speed stabilisers to ensure a smooth sailing.

Other sustainable features include in-room water filtration stations which have the ability to reuse air conditioning condensation to provide water to the shipboard laundry facilities. Reverse osmosis equipment will be used, so the ship can process sea water into fresh water to supply 100 per cent of her needs. Finally, Celebrity Flora will be the first vessel in the Galapagos to be equipped with cutting-edge oceanographic research equipment, known as Oceanscope.

Along with sustainability, Celebrity Flora has been designed with luxury in mind, with beautiful suites, new dining venues and personalised service. To enrich the passenger experience on board, there will be an open-air stargazing platform along with expert-led ecological seminars. For those who wish to step ashore, Novurania yacht tenders have been custom-designed by the cruise line.

Agents looking for more information can visit Celebrity Cruises’ training portal, which has just been updated to include Celebrity Flora.