Celebrity Mercury & Millennium - Out with Australia, in with Baltimore and Charleston in 2009/2010!

Celebrity Cruise is discontinuing its Australia and New Zealand cruises scheduled for late 2009 and 2010 on Celebrity Millennium, and adding new itineraries for the ship and Celebrity Mercury from Baltimore and Charleston!

The Celebrity Millennium will take over and enhance theend-of-seasion 2009 Alaska sailings previously scheduled for the Mercury, including a 12-night wine themed cruise from Vancouver and a 16-night Panama Canal cruise on October 10, 2009, from San Diego to San Juan, where Millennium will offer a series of 10- and 11-night Southern Caribbean cruises roundtrip beginning October 26, 2009

Celebrity Mercury, from November 2009 to February 2010, will sail a series of 12-night Eastern Caribbean cruises from Baltimore. After, it will offer 10- and 11-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Charleston through April 2010. The new Celebrity Mercury itineraries replace the Southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan previously slated from November 2009 to April 2010.

This is absolutely fantastic news for those living near Baltimore and Charleston. While I regret the fact that Celebrity won't be in Australia/New Zealand in 2009/2010, this brings some terrific opportunities closer home. I'm also sure they will return at a later point in the future.

And if you were thinking of Australia/New Zealand for that season, consider moving that up and sailing this year - there are some remarkable values for the 2008/2009 season just about to get underway!