Celebrity Cruises Announces Recent Awards

Celebrity Cruises, a premium cruise line, has one of the youngest and most innovative fleets of any major line. Since Celebrity's first sailing in 1990, it has been recognized as an industry leader, praised for providing friendly and engaging service, exotic Elemis Spa facilities, award-winning gourmet cuisine, and an overall atmosphere of easy elegance. Purchased by Royal Caribbean International in the late 1990's, Celebrity has grown its fleet significantly while maintaining its Premium niche.

Celebrity Cruises is sweeping up a slate of awards in prestigious readers’ polls and publications, most recently being named the cruise line with the highest customer satisfaction in TravelAge West magazine’s annual awards gala June 4.

"We’re elated with the phenomenal response our new Celebrity Solstice and the entire fleet continue to receive for their style and design, but the most meaningful honors are those that recognize the service of our outstanding crew," said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "We’re grateful to our guests and travel agent partners around the world who continue to recognize our brand in such a meaningful way."

Among the honors bestowed on Celebrity Cruises thus far this year are:

Cruise line with the Highest Customer Satisfaction among ships with capacity of 1,100+ guests TravelAge West magazine, June

Second on Readers’ Choice Platinum List of Top 5 Large Resort Ships Celebrated Living magazine, Summer edition

Celebrity Solstice awarded for Best Cruise Interiors ShipPax Information (Sweden)

Celebrity Solstice honored for Best Cruise Technology ShipPax Information (Sweden)

"Celebrity’s Solstice Class has become the new benchmark in the industry." International Interior Design Association (IIDA) - New York Chapter

Every Millennium-class ship in the Celebrity fleet ranked among the top 10 in the large-ship category (Celebrity Solstice entered service after the poll was conducted in 2008) Condé Nast Traveler’s annual "Best Cruise Ships" readers’ poll, February

Celebrity Solstice is the only cruise ship named one of the "Best New Hotels for Romance" About.com, Honeymoons/Romantic Travel

Celebrity Solstice is named "Ship of the Year 2008" Presented to Meyer Werft by HANSA International Maritim Journal, March 2009

Celebrity Cruises is named Best Cruise Line in its Category (Premium) Cruise News (Spain), February

More Information about Celebrity Cruises, their ships, and itineraries

For an insider look at Celebrity Solstice, Read my Past Blog Posts

As an Elite Travel Partner with Celebrity Cruises, we can offer you an experience aboard a Celebrity ship where you become a star. Contact me for more information.

Celebrity Solstice - Belly up to the Bar

I hope you are enjoying the highlights of the Celebrity Solstice. As is customary when you embark on a Celebrity vessel, you'll be greeted by the staff that is there to serve you a glass of champagne and escort you to your cabin. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this should tell you that you are about to embark on a very special experience onboard the ship.

Arriving early like we did, the attendant checked our carry-on bags, showed us where our cabin was, and directed us to the Oceanview Café and Bar for some lunch. I’ve already written about the café so check the blog archive if you’ve not already read that post. This is your second opportunity to get the beverage of your choice onboard the Solstice. The friendly bar waiters are there to offer the drink of the day or whatever beverage you might chose. Of course, this is also your first opportunity to spend money onboard Solstice since beverages (other than coffee, tea, ice tea, fruit punch, lemonade, and tap water) are not included.

Following lunch, it is time to explore the rest of the ship. For this article, I’ll focus on the various bars starting from the top deck of the Solstice working my way down.

Sunset Bar is located at Celebrity’s Solstice’s highest point aft on the Lawn Club Deck. There are breathtaking views of the length of the ship and the entire surroundings. Here you’ll enjoy a relaxed country club atmosphere.

Oceanview Bar on the Lido Deck provides any number of beverages to be enjoyed in a beautiful outdoor venue. Mast Bar is also on the Lido Deck near the jogging track.

Sky Observation Lounge on the Lido Deck offers floor to ceiling windows with breathtaking views looking forward. You can relax in the comfy seating all around.

Pool Bar on the Resort Deck might be one of your first stops on your Celebrity Solstice tour since the sail away party will be occurring on this deck.

The following are all on the Entertainment Deck which is one of the hubs of nightlife activity onboard Celebrity Solstice.

Ensemble Lounge is a great place for some instrumental or vocal sounds along with your favorite nightcap with friends and family.

Galleria Tastings is unique to Celebrity Solstice. Here you’ll be able to enjoy "tastes" of food, drink, fashion and art. Be sure to check out this unique entertainment venue.

Michael's Club is a Celebrity signature staple where you can enjoy a good cigar, jazz music, and your favorite drink.

The following are all on the Promenade Deck which is another hot nightspot onboard the Solstice.

Cellar Masters which is inspired by the vineyards of Napa Valley, brings to life the experience of a global wine tour while you learn about and taste a large variety of wines from around the world. This is a great venue to discover new wines, receive recommendations and enrich your knowledge of the world of wine.

Martini Bar and Crush continues the successful ice bar concept first introduced on Celebrity Century when it was remodeled. Stop by before dinner to have your favorite martini (mine is chocolate) or if you can’t decide, have a flight of martinis where you can sample several of the popular drinks.

Quasar is a nightclub located on this deck. I'll cover this in more detail in another post.

Passport Bar is just off the Grand Foyer on Plaza Deck and is the perfect location to have a cocktail before going to the Solstice Theatre.

There are many venues onboard Celebrity Solstice to enjoy at night or during the day. Consult Celebrity TODAY paper for details about drink specials and entertainment during your cruise.

Solstice-Class Ships Sailing Caribbean 2011-12

Four Solstice-class ships

Sail the Caribbean 

Winter 2011-12

Celebrity Cruises recently announced that all of its Solstice-class ships will sail together in Europe in the summer of 2011.  Celebrity Cruises also announced that the four stylish vessels will sail the waters of the Caribbean later that year and into early 2012. Cruisers can book most of Celebrity's 2011-12 winter cruises and cruisetours beginning this week.

Celebrity Silhouette, launching in 2011 - will sail from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey, offering cruisers throughout the Northeast easy driving access to a vacation on the newest ship in the line's award-winning Solstice-class fleet. From November 2011 to April 2012, Celebrity Silhouette will sail 14 alternating Southern and Eastern Caribbean voyages of 12 nights in length. The Southern Caribbean itineraries will visit St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia and St. Maarten. Celebrity Silhouette's Eastern Caribbean cruises include visits to San Juan, Labadee (Celebrity's private-island destination in Haiti), St. Croix, St. Thomas, Antigua and St. Maarten.

Sister Solstice-class ship Celebrity Equinox also will offer long Caribbean itineraries in the winter of 2011-12, sailing 15 alternating 10- and 11-night "Ultimate Caribbean" cruises out of Fort Lauderdale. The 10-night line-up focuses on Southern Caribbean experiences, with visits to St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, Dominica and St. Maarten. The 11-night cruises take cruisers into the Western Caribbean and Panama, with visits to Mexico, Belize or Honduras (depending upon itinerary), Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Grand Cayman. 

Celebrity Solstice, will return to South Florida to offer roundtrip seven-night Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale in the winter of 2011-12. These will be a series of 25 alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, including a special eight-night Eastern Caribbean holiday sailing on December 18 that will feature an extra sea day, giving cruisers even more time to enjoy Celebrity's outstanding cuisine and extraordinary service. Celebrity Solstice also will present a one-time six-night Western Caribbean voyage on January 2, ideal for cruisers who wish to experience a Solstice-class ship in the Caribbean but have less than a week to spend at sea. 

Celebrity's third Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Eclipse will return to the Caribbean for a second consecutive winter season in 2011-12, offering seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip out of Miami.

Celebrity continues to improve their ships with several of the Millennium-class ships undergoing "Solsticizing" starting with Celebrity Constellation this month.   I'll share more about this in another post, so stay tuned.

We have covered the Solstice-class ships in detail in many past posts.   Search for "Solstice" to read more about this series of vessels being added to the Celebrity fleet.  

Learn more about Celebrity Cruises Solstice-Class ships and itineraries (click here)

 

Introducing Celebrity Silhouette

Celebrity Silhouette courtesy Meyer Werft & Celebrity Cruises

Meyer Werft 

Does it Again

Celebrity Silhouette

Delivered

Fourth in a Series

Celebrity Silhouette^SM joins her sisters, Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, and Celebrity Eclipse as another success story for shipbuilder MEYER WERFT.

The new122,000 gross ton Celebrity Silhouette^SM was delivered on schedule to Celebrity Cruises (Miami, USA) in the Dutch port of Eemshaven.  The shipyard in Papenburg, should be quite proud of this accomplishment.

Celebrity Silhouette^SM is the fourth ship out of a series of five cruise ships the shipyard in Papenburg is building for Celebrity Cruises. The series began with the delivery of Celebrity Solstice in October, 2008.  The second ship, Celebrity Equinox, was delivered in July, 2009 followed by the Celebrity Eclipse in April, 2010.  Meyer Werft has been building ships for Celebrity Cruises since 1995.

The Solstice® Class ships have a total length of 315 meters, which is almost three times as long as a soccer ground, making them the biggest ships built to date for Celebrity Cruises. 

MEYER WERFT and Celebrity Cruises have developed and built another extremely eco-friendly ship. Highly energy-efficient  systems, a solar power system, optimised hydrodynamics, a very efficient underwater hull coating and an energy-saving lighting system using LEDs cut back the ship's energy demand considerably.

The Celebrity Silhouette can accommodate 2,886 passengers, who are taken care of by a crew of 1,271. Following her naming ceremony in Hamburg on 21 July 2011, she began her maiden voyage to Barcelona via Civitavecchia/Rome on 23 July 2011.

  Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans   Dining Menus | Wine Lists | Ship Reviews | Photos   

Now that Celebrity Silhouette^SM has joined the Celebrity Cruises fleet, you have another outstanding option for cruising Europe and the Caribbean. She's impressive, with all the best-loved Solstice® Class features - and some new ones.  We will take a closer look at some of the new features in future posts.

Now is the Time to Plan a Cruise Down Under

Sydney Harbour - Credit: Tourism Australia Copyright

Now is the Time...

Cruise Australia

More Ships

Larger Ships

More Choices

Some time in our lives we'd all love to leave our footprints on a white sand beach or snorkel the crystal clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef. It is here, in Australia and the South Pacific, that natural beauty abounds. Fascinating people inhabit peaceful islands and charming cities combine old-world atmosphere with hardy, frontier spirit.

Cruise Season:  October - April


A cruise to Australia, New Zealand, and/or the South Pacific can fulfill almost every exotic adventure that a serious traveler could dream. Cruises and cruisetours start at 14 nights long and sail seasonally between October and April. The beauty of these itineraries is that you can see as much of the South Pacific as you like in one cruise.

Great Barrier Reef - Credit: Tourism Australia Copyright

2014-15 Deployments Announced

Cruise lines have begun announcing their Australia plans for the 2014-15 season, and now is the time to plan a cruise vacation there as additional capacity means greater flexibility and potential savings.   In this article, we will discuss the deployments that have been announced.  In future articles and on our website, we will provide updates on the itineraries, and also take a closer look at the destination itself.

Australia is one of the world's fastest-growing cruise destinations and this next deployment reflects increases to programs as the lines establish a strong presence Down Under.

Carnival Cruise Line continues to base the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit in Sydney, Australia year-round. The Spirit will sail 8- to 12-night voyages to the Pacific Islands as well as 13-night sailings to New Zealand.  The 88,500-ton Spirit  is so big it can't fit under the city's Harbour Bridge, therefore, it will be based at Circular Quay's Overseas Passenger Terminal.

The 88,500-ton, 2,680-passenger Carnival Legend, sister ship to the Carnival Legend, will be deployed seasonally in Australia after being "Aussified".  According to the local Carnival Cruise Line director, “Carnival Legend will go into dry dock in 2014 where she will receive a range of upgrades to ensure she's perfectly suited for the tastes of the Aussie market. We will be using our valuable learnings from the first year of Carnival Spirit's deployment to decide on the best features and enhancement for Australians.” 

Last year Celebrity Cruises announced plans to  send  the 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice, to Australia and New Zealand in December, 2012, taking the place of the smaller, 1,814-passenger Celebrity Century.  For the 2014-15 Season, Celebrity Century rejoins Celebrity Solstice in Australia.

Celebrity Century and Celebrity Solstice together will offer 27 cruises in Australia in 2014-15, representing a 50 percent increase from the previous season. The itineraries offer guests a vast array of options, ranging from three to 23 nights, departing from Sydney, Fremantle and Auckland.

Celebrity Century will visit 17 ports in four countries during the Australia season, including five first-time ports: Port Lincoln and Cairns, Australia; and Champagne Bay, Mystery Island and Vila, Vanuatu. Within the complete collection of itineraries are a 23-night “Golden Gate to Sydney Opera House” cruise from San Francisco to Sydney via Hawaii and Tahiti; 8-night Australia vacations and a 7-night Tasmania cruise; 12-night South Pacific and Fiji Islands sailings, and a 14-night South Pacific cruise. Celebrity Century will cap her Australia/New Zealand season with a 14-night cruise to Singapore January 11, 2015, where the ship will present a new Southeast Asia series until April 2015.

Celebrity Solstice will set sail on her third Australia/New Zealand season from Sydney October 10, 2014. The ship’s three-month Australia/New Zealand season will be highlighted by Celebrity’s first cruise combining Tropical Queensland with the South Pacific islands; new 12- and 14-night Australian itineraries, in addition to a three-night weekend getaway from Sydney and an eight-night South Australian cruise; a 12-night South Pacific/Fiji cruise; a 17-night Australia/New Zealand sailing from Auckland to Perth, which can be combined with a 17-night “Top End” Australia cruise from Perth to Sydney to create an exceptional 34-night circumnavigation of Australia, and an 18-night sailing across the Pacific from Sydney to Honolulu.

Royal Caribbean International announced that it will have three ships in Australia during the 2014-15 season.Voyager of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas will continue to be based in Sydney, offering two- to 17-night sailings around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. The line offers the most ships and sailings from Sydney seasonally.

Royal Caribbean has big plans for the 2014-15 season as they announced their biggest deployment to date. Part of the plans call for Voyager of the Seas to undergo a multi-million dollar refurbishment before the new cruise season kicks off.

At press time, we didn't have updates for Holland America and Princess Cruises but we expect similar deployments from last season:

Holland America had two ships sailing in Australia:  the 1,926-passenger Oosterdam and the 1,432-passenger Volendam,    Holland America sailed 10- to 25-day itineraries in and around Australia and New Zealand.

Princess Cruises deployment  included 4 ships, 11 itineraries, and 45 voyages. There were  three ships deployed in the region: Diamond Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess.

Contact us for more information about Cruising in Australia

Visit Australia.com to learn more about what Australia has to offer during your cruise vacation. 
 

TM © The Brand Australia trademark and the Tourism Australia trademark are the subject of copyright and trademarks of Tourism Australia, 2004.

Celebrity’s Solstice Class Celebration

I've been talking about the great deals to Europe that the cruise lines are offering this year. This latest one from Celebrity Cruises is just too good to pass up.

Book any Celebrity Solstice or Celebrity Equinox 2009 Europe cruise between
March 23 and April 1, 2009
and receive up to a $500† Future Cruise Credit.

Use your Future Cruise Credit for any 2010 Celebrity cruise
(Excluding Celebrity Xpedition®, holidays and cruises shorter than 7-nights in length).

$300 Future Cruise Credit for Inside & Ocean View
$500 Future Cruise Credit for Veranda & Suite

I've posted my review of the Celebrity Solstice in previous blog posts. This is an amazing new ship, one that will set the standards for other cruise lines to follow. That is what makes this offer so amazing - it's not on some old ship, but rather the most innovative Celebrity ship at sea.

This offer is valid on the following:

Celebrity Solstice
10/11-Night Eastern Mediterranean
May 4 through November 20, 2009

Celebrity Equinox
13-Night Ancient Empires
August 18 through October 23, 2009

Celebrity Equinox
10-Night Best of Europe, August 8, 2009

It is very rare for a cruise line to offer specials like these on brand new ships. Definitely consider this offer if you are interested in sailing to Europe.

†Certain restrictions apply - ask me about the details.

Celebrity Reflection Sea Trials

Celebrity Reflection courtesy Meyer Werft Shipyard

Celebrity Reflection

Conveyance

On September 16th, the last Celebrity Solstice-class ship left the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Pagenburg, Germany. Celebrity Reflection is on her way,  down the River Ems (backward, mind you) and out to the North Sea. Her final destination for these sea trials is  Emshaven, The Netherlands. 

This marks the completion of the construction period for Celebrity Reflection.  After the completion of the sea trials, the ship will be formally turned over to the owner, Celebrity Cruises in the traditional christening ceremony.

 Inaugural Sailing:  From Amsterdam on October 12th

Celebrity Reflection Conveyance Photo Albums

Celebrity Cruises is posting pictures of the ship and the sea trials on their Facebook page.  We fell in love with the Solstice-class when we were on a pre-inaugural of Celebrity Solstice.   The final ship in the series is now almost ready to be put into service complementing her sister-ships.

Photos and Stories:

Celebrity Cruises blog                       

Celebrity Reflection Album Update II

Celebrity Reflection Conveyance Update III

Celebrity Reflection Culinary "Spots"

Celebrity Reflection Update Album IV

Celebrity Reflection Update V

Celebrity Reflection Update VI Bon Voyage

     

Celebrity Solstice - Lawn Club

These pictures were taken onboard Celebrity Solstice. Do these pictures look strange to you? That is real grass - not artificial grass.

Celebrity Cruises and parent company Royal Caribbean International have always been known for innovation, but you might be thinking someone lost their marbles when they thought this one up. Celebrity Solstice is the first cruise ship, among any line, to have grass growing on the top deck.

When we were onboard Celebrity Solstice, it had just made its way across the Atlantic and was about to start sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. One of the first things we did when we boarded the ship was to check out the lawn and the Lawn Club.

A section of the grass was roped off and the sign said "Lawn is Resting". The reason for that was that growing grass while crossing the Atlantic with blowing salt water and windy conditions proved to be a lot harder than one might imagine. The grass was showing wear already and the ship hadn't even had its maiden voyage. Steps were being taken to nurse the grass to health.

We played a game of croquet with fellow passengers. It had been a long time since we had played and the activity staff did a great job teaching us the rules and keeping score. Despite the ringer amongst us, we all had a great time.

Later this year the second Solstice Class ship, Equinox, will begin sailing. She too will have a Lawn Club. I don't ever want to hear people say there's nothing to do onboard a ship. With the introduction of lawn games, there should be something for everyone.

Green Green Grass of Home

As you lie in bed you hear the rain outside hitting your window. You decide you'll stay in bed awhile until the rain stops. The rain does stop, so you take your shower, get dressed and head outside.

You love the feeling of wet grass between your toes, so you kick off your shoes and run through the grass. All of a sudden you hear a ship's blast and that stops you in your tracks. Where am I? You look around and see water. You look down and you are indeed standing on wet grass.

No, you aren't dreaming - you are onboard the brand new Celebrity Solstice. This is the latest edition by Celebrity Cruises. Probably the most talked about new innovation on this ship is The Lawn Club. There's nothing like this on any other cruise line. You'll find The Lawn Club, a freshly mannicured lawn, on the highest deck of Celebrity Solstice. You can enjoy casual activities such as lawn bowling and putting in an outdoor countryclub setting.

In the next few posts I'll be giving you an inside look at the Celebrity Solstice which is scheduled to debut December, 2008. On November 21st, I'll be onboard the Solstice for a special pre-inaugural sailing. You could be among the first to set sail on Celebrity Solstice and join me onboard for this special sailing.

From Grass to Glass

Your sea day onboard Celebrity Solstice is off to a good start. You've just completed a round of lawn bowling at The Lawn Club and are looking for some other activity to keep you occupied. How about watching a glassblowing demonstration? I can safely assume that you've never seen a demonstration while at sea before, since Celebrity is the first cruise line to introduce this feature.

Celebrity Cruises, in collaboration with Corning Museum of Glass, is introducing a very unique enrichment experience on Celebrity Solstice. The captivating art of glassblowing moves to sea when the Museum’s “Hot Glass Show sm” debuts on Celebrity Solstice in December 2008.

The Hot Glass Show will provide live demonstrations and a narrated performance of glassblowing, designed to entertain while enriching cruisers about the art, history, and science of glass. Since 2001, the Musuem has traveled the Hot Glass Show to musuems, art fairs and public festivals around the world, extending the glassblowing experience beyone the walls of the Museum. Commenting on the alliance, the Museum said “This collaboration with Celebrity Cruises allows our Museum to dramatically expand our outreach across the world.”

A custom-designed, outdoor glassmaking studio is the setting for the Hot Glass Show which will present the history and craft of glassblowing, from its ancient origins to its current countless uses. Three resident “gaffers”—highly skilled glassblowing artists—will educate and entertain cruisers with live glassmaking shows, lectures and workshops.

Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International (parent company) have a history of raising the bar and bringing innovation to their modern cruise ships. Once again, they have enhanced the cruising experience for those fortunate enough to sail on the Solstice. I can't wait to see this new show when I sail on the Solstice this fall. It is always exciting sailing on a ship during it's inaugural year. I suggest adding an inaugural year sailing to your list of must-do cruise vacations.

Celebrity Solstice - That's Entertainment

It's your first night onboard Celebrity Solstice. Now that you've had your dinner and given Lady Luck a try in Fortunes Casino, it's time to check out some of the evening's entertainment options.

The main attraction is the "Welcome Aboard Variety Show" in Solstice Theatre. The theatre, located on Decks 4 & 5, is the main stage onboard Celebrity Solstice. Most evenings you'll find two shows. Tonight the showtimes are at 8:45 and 10:45 PM making it possible for early and late dining guests to join the show. The show includes a singer, juggler, and the Celebrity Singers and Dancers, all backed up by the Celebrity Orchestra.

At the conclusion of the show, you discover that tomorrow night's show entitled "Solstice - The Show" is one you won't want to miss. It is a European-style theatrical circus built around the clash of day and night. It includes vocalists, physical comedy, breathtaking group acrobatic and aerial performances and other specialty acts in a celestial celebration.

Looking at your Celebrity TODAY paper you discover that there is all sorts of entertainment including a pianists, steel pan virtuoso, strings, acapella group, a jazz trio, a guitarist, and even big band music by the Celebrity Orchestra. You can enjoy some late night comedy if you decide to stay up into the wee hours. There certainly are lots of choices to keep you entertained all night long.

Celebrity Reflection Construction Begins

Construction Begins On

 Final Celebrity Solstice-Class Ship 

Photo: Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner MEYER WERFT | Dan Hanrahan, CEO Celebrity Cruises | Hermann Lembeck, Produktion Manager MEYER WERFT Laserzentrum | Lambert Kruse, Managing Director MEYER WERFT

Photo: Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner MEYER WERFT | Roswitha Arnett, Hotel Director Celebrity Cruises | Dan Hanrahan, CEO Celebrity Cruises

Steel cutting for Celebrity Reflection

Shipbuilder MEYER WERFT in Papenburg, Germany, has launched the production of the first steel plate for the new giant cruise ship Celebrity Reflection . The fifth ship of the Celebrity Solstice-class will be delivered to Celebrity Cruises, in the autumn of 2012.

Celebrity Reflection offers all the most-loved Solstice Class features along with myriad new ones: more staterooms, new restaurants, expanded onboard activities.  This 126,000 gross ton ship will have a passenger capacity of 3,030 guests.   

What's New?

The Lawn Club Grill

New specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner where you can celebrate the flavorful joys of outdoor grilling. Take a class on pizza-making – including the art of dough-tossing. Learn the secrets of grilling and making marinades. Beverages include wine, buckets of beer and pitchers of sangria. Specialty dining surcharge.

The Porch

An idyllic, new restaurant on The Lawn Club featuring fast and fresh food for breakfast and lunch, fresh-baked bread, pastries and coffees. Salads, paninis, specialty coffees, wine and beer. No dining surcharge.

The Alcoves

A cool, cabana-style private retreat on The Lawn Club for two to four guests. By day, filtered sunlight and breathtaking ocean views. By night, ambient lighting for drama and star status. A la carte foods and beverages arrive in picnic baskets. Alcoves are even equipped with Wi-Fi. Rental fee applies.

Art Studio

A new venue on The Lawn Club that allows intimate, hands-on instruction from resident experts in drawing, painting, beading, drink mixology, culinary lessons, taste tests and chef-prepared dinners.

Michael's Club

Enhanced with a cozy wraparound bar, high-top seating with bar stools and low-top seating in plush banquettes. Libations now include up to 50 international beers – ales, lagers, lambics, ciders, wheat beers, seasonal brews, beer cocktails – as well as an extensive collection of fine whiskeys, scotches, cognacs and bourbons.

The Hideaway

A retreat on Deck 7 where you’ll find a quiet spot to disconnect, rest and relax. Read a book, listen to music, do a crossword puzzle, or explore your new iPad® purchased from the Celebrity iLoungeSM. You can even escape into your own private “treehouse.” The natural, modern design and location give you a great view of the Live Tree in the center atrium.

We will continue to monitor the construction of Celebrity Reflection and share additional insider information as it becomes available.   Looks like Celebrity Cruises has saved the best for last.

Where in the World Does Celebrity Cruise - Vol. 1

The Caribbean

Yes folks, our first destination in our series on Where in the World does Celebrity Cruise in 2010/2011 is the Caribbean. You don't have to worry about snow, even in the dead of winter. It's always warm and sunny there.

Escape from every day life not far from home. All you have to do is relax on your cruise vacation in the Caribbean. Choose from 7 to 14-night cruise vacations.

Seven Celebrity Ships offer cruises of 7 nights or more in the Winter of 2010/2011

Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Celebrity Solstice - 7-night Caribbean year-round

Sailing from Miami, Florida

Celebrity Eclipse - 5 to 8-night Caribbean Winter 2010/11

Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Celebrity Equinox - 10 & 11-night Ultimate Caribbean Winter 2010/11

Sailing from Miami, Florida

Celebrity Constellation 14-nights Exotic Southern Caribbean Winter 2010/11

Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico

Celebrity Summit - 5 to 8-night Southern Caribbean Winter 2010/11

Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico

Celebrity Millennium - 10 & 11-night Southern Caribberan Winter 2010/11

Sailing from Baltimore, Maryland

Celebrity Mercury - 9/10-night Bahamas, 11 to 14-night Caribbean Year-round

Sailing from Charleston, South Carolina

Celebrity Mercury - 10/11-night Caribbean Winter 2010/11

No matter when you want to go, or how long you want to cruise, a Celebrity Cruise ship can take you to somewhere in the Caribbean. I hope you noticed that all three of the Solstice-class ships will be deployed in the Caribbean. Having been on Celebrity Solstice for it's inaugural, I can confirm that she is a magnificent cruise ship - one that will exceed your expectations.

Form a Group Sailing to the Caribbean - We have Special Pricing thru August 31st

Please submit your Group request here.

Call me or email me requesting a flyer with more details about these cruises. There is too much details to post in a blog note.

Celebrity Solstice - Atrium

Our virtual tour of Celebrity Solstice is drawing to a close. I hope that you have enjoyed the behind the scenes look at Celebrity Cruise's newest ship.

I leave you in the atrium which is where our cruise began. Seeing the attrium as we embarked the Solstice, we knew that Celebrity had really set the bar high for others to follow. The ship is very well designed. You don't get the feeling that it is as large as it is.

As I sat drinking my Chocolate Martini in Crush, I had a big grin on my face. I don't usually like having my picture taken, and rarely will you find me smiling in a photo. I couldn't help myself, since being on the Solstice was such a fantastic experience. I salute Celebrity Cruises, the designers, and Meyer Werft for creating such a fabulous new ship.

I look forward to booking all my clients on this ship and the remaining Solstice class ships when they start sailing. I can recommend this ship with confidence, knowing that my clients will truly love the ship as I did.

This concludes my virtual tour of the Solstice. If you still have questions about the ship, feel free to contact me. Come back again to see where we will journey to next.

Celebrity Equinox Sails Early

Celebrity Equinox to Soft-Launch in Norwegian Fjords

Celebrity Cruises announced this week that the construction of Celebrity Equinox is ahead of schedule and a Soft-Launch in the Norwegian Fjords is being added to the 2009 cruise schedule.

The Equinox is a sister ship of Celebrity Solstice which debuted last November. Since that time it has received rave reviews from everyone that has had the good fortune of sailing on her (including yours truly).

You may recall that there was some controversy last year when pre-inaugural cruises were added to the cruise schedule. Passengers that were booked on the maiden voyage felt like they were cheated from being the first to set sail on the Solstice. This time, Celebrity Cruises is extending a special offer to passengers that are already booked on the ship's maiden voyage of August 8. Celebrity has invited them to combine their 10-night “Best of Europe” cruise with the 8-night soft launch, for a spectacular 18-night voyage on the new ship. Celebrity is offering those guests an onboard credit of $200 per stateroom or $300 per suite if they add the 8-night cruise to their reservation.

The 8-night cruise through the Norwegian Fjords features visits to Stavanger, Flam, Geiranger, and Oslo, Norway. The 10-night maiden voyage, which will include an inaugural gift and commemorative activities, will visit Paris/Normandy (via Le Havre) and Cherbourg, France; Vigo, Cartagena and Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal, and Gibraltar, UK, ending in Rome (via Civitavecchia), Italy.

We had the good fortune of sailing on the Solstice last year and enjoyed the half-acre Lawn Club with real grass, The Corning Museum of Glass glassblowing show, the various new dining venues, entertainment, and the modern decor of the ship. We have also had the good fortune of sailing through the Norwegian Fjords and the European ports that will be visited on this 18-night voyage.

According to Celebrity, reservations are now being accepted for the 8-night cruise which will depart on July 31st. If you are looking for something special in the July/August timeframe, I would definitely put this cruise at the top of your list for consideration.

I've written about the Solstice in past posts and will cover it again in the near future. As always, I'd be happy to help you plan your cruise and answer any questions you might have.

Celebrity Cruises 2013 Alaska Deployment

Being supremely spoiled
in an unspoiled land
2013 Alaska Deployment

The sleek, 2,850-guest flagship of the Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Solstice – named "Best Premium Ship" in Travel Weekly's annual Readers' Choice Awards (US) – will become the first of its class to offer vacations in Alaska in the summer of 2013, joining Celebrity Century and Celebrity Millennium in pairing Celebrity's chic style and design, signature cuisine, exciting activities and extraordinary service with the region's breathtaking, inspiring scenery.  

Celebrity Century® 
 

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S)2014	ITINERARY
7-Night Alaska Hubbard Glacier Cruise	May 19,26; Jun 02,09,16,23,30; Jul 07,14,21,28; Aug 04,11,18,25; Sep 01,08	Vancouver, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Icy Strait Point, Alaska; Hubbard Glacier (Cruising); Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Inside Passage (Cruising); Vancouver, British Columbia
11-Night Ultimate Alaska Cruise	Sep 15	Vancouver, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Sitka, Alaska; Icy Strait Point, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Prince Rupert, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Victoria, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia

Celebrity Millennium® 

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S)2014	ITINERARY
7-Night Alaska Roundtrip Cruise	May 17	Vancouver, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Hubbard Glacier (Cruising); Ketchikan, Alaska; Inside Passage (Cruising); Vancouver, British Columbia
7-Night Northbound Alaska Cruise	May 24; Jun 07,21; Jul 05,19; Aug 02,16,30	Vancouver, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Ketchikan, Alaska; Icy Str ait Point, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Hubbard Glacier (Cruising); Seward, Alaska
7-Night Southbound Alaska Cruise	May 10,31; Jun 14,28; Jul 12,26; Aug 09,23; Sep 06	Seward, Alaska; Hubbard, Glacier (Cruising); Juneau, Alask a; Skagway, Alaska; Icy Str ait Point, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Inside Passage (Cruising); Vancouver, British Columbia

Celebrity Solstice® 

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S)2014	ITINERARY
9-Night West Coast Wine Cruise	May 06	Ensenada, Mexico; San Diego, California; Los Angeles, California; Santa Barbara, California; San Francisco, California; Astoria, Oregon; Victoria, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington
7-Night Alaska Tracy Arm Fjord Cruise	May 24,31; Jun 07.14,21,28; Jul 05,12,19,26; Aug 02,09,16,23,30; Sep 06	Seattle, Washington; Ketchikan, Alaska; Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Inside Passage, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington
10-Night Wine & Americas Cup Cruise	Sep 13	Seattle, Washington; Nanaimo, British Columbia; Victoria, British Columbia; Astoria, Oregon; San Francisco, California (overnight); Catalina Island, California; San Diego, California; Ensenada, Mexico

Introducing Celebrity iLounge

Celebrity iLounge

Celebrity iLounge is a fresh twist to the online cafe, set in a modern lounge environment where Certified Staff will introduce guests to the latest MacBook Pros®, iPods®, applications and accessories.  With all the hype this week around the iPad®, Celebrity Cruises couldn't have planned a better time to launch this innovative program.  This program has been well received by passengers and the travel community prompting Celebrity Cruises to expand the program from one to three ships just two months after initial launch.

 What is Celebrity iLounge?
• Celebrity iLounge is a modern lounge where Apple® Certified Staff introduce guests to the latest in audio, video and web design applications using Apple® products such as MacBook Pro and iPod
• A retail space to offer guests product solutions with the latest MacBook Pro’s, iPods and accessories
• Modern internet workstations where guests can check their e-mail, print a boarding pass, or other online activities

Who will enjoy Celebrity iLounge?

• A Mac or iPod expert or simply an enthusiast hoping to learn more about Apple products and applications

What can Celebrity guests learn or do there?
• Ultimate upgrade from PC to Mac
• Intro to iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, iDVD
• Learn about your iPhone
• iPod Tips & Tricks
• iPhoto I, II and III* – organizing, retouching and sharing your photos and keepsakes
• iWeb design*
• iTunes*
• iMovie*

As do-it-yourself photo books, movie editing, and web design, become ever more popular, Celebrity made the enrichment experience its main focus which is a valuable addition to the Celebrity Life ”Discover” series.

Replaces Online@Celebrity on Celebrity Eclipse®, Celebrity Solstice®, and Celebrity Summit®

* Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPhoto, iWeb, iDVD, iPad, and iPod, are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. These Celebrity iLearn courses incur a nominal fee.  Celebrity Cruises is the Only authorized Apple reseller at sea

Celebrity Cruises Revamps Captain's Club

Celebrity Cruises

"Become the Center of Our Attention"

Loyalty has its rewards. I'm sure you've heard that from many of the businesses you frequent. Whether it's the local grocery store, restaurant, airline, or other business, you are rewarded for repeat business in various ways. The same holds true in the cruise line industry.

Celebrity Cruises has launched the new Captain’s Club, a redesigned recognition and rewards program that delivers brand new benefits and an unparalleled cruise experience to their most loyal guests. Celebrity indicated that joining the new Captain’s Club will "make you the center of our attention".

Celebrity believes that their most loyal guests deserve more. More recognition, more service, more benefits and, quite simply, more reasons to cruise with them. They have added several exciting new features and benefits to everything members have come to expect from the existing program.

The Captain's Club is made up of three tiers currently: Classic (1-4 tier credits), Select (5-9), and Elite (10+). Celebrity plans to add an additional higher tier with additional benefits.
Depending on your tier, the following benefits have been added:

• Invitation to the all new Captain’s Club Celebration event (All)
• Upgraded benefits for onboard internet usage (Select, Elite)
• Upgraded onboard laundry service benefits (Select, Elite)
• Access to the Captain’s Club Lounge at Michael’s Club (Elite)
  

It's Easy to Earn Tier Credits
Unlike other cruise loyalty programs, the Captain's Club uses their tier credits rather than cruises to determine your benefits. Celebrity currently offers up to three ways to earn tier credits on a single cruise. This makes it easier for members to qualify for higher tiers and receive more exclusive benefits quickly. Earn 1 tier credit for each of the following (up to a maximum of 3 tier credits per cruise):

• Sailing with Celebrity or Azamara Cruises®
• Sailing on an itinerary of 12 nights or more
• Sailing in a Concierge Class, AquaClass SM, or Suite Stateroom

Of the added benefits, the premier change is the Captains' Club Lounge:

For those interested in a quiet haven of their own, Celebrity introduced the Captain's Club Lounge at Michael's Club, exclusively for Elite members and their stateroom/suite companions each morning and early evening. This new lounge will offer a casual coffeehouse-style experience from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with complimentary espressos, teas and other menu items, a variety of reading materials and, on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, wi-fi access. Every evening from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Captain's Club Elite members and their stateroom/suite companions can return to the Lounge to enjoy socializing with fellow members, participate in a wine tasting event, or simply relax and enjoy a quiet, complimentary drink before dinner.

Celebrity plans to expand the program throughout 2009, adding additional benefits and a new tier. If you haven't tried Celebrity Cruises before, now is the time to start. Celebrity has always provided exceptional service, food, and entertainment to all guests, with rewards for their loyal customers. This revamped program leverages their award-winning ships, dining, and service to set a new standard for the industry for loyalty programs.

More information about Celebrity Cruises and itineraries

More information about Azamara Cruises and itineraries

Celebrity Cruises is one of my favorite cruise lines. I'm an Elite member so I am definitely excited about the expanded program. I highly recommend you include Celebrity or Azamara Cruises in your future travel plans. I'll be happy to discuss the additional benefits or provide any information about upcoming cruises. Call or email me today for more information.

Celebrity Solstice - Oceanview Café

While on our pre-inaugural cruise on Celebrity Solstice, one of the first experiences we had was dining in the Oceanview Café.

We were immediately struck by the eye appeal of both the dining area and the serving area. Especially appealing was the serving area which was very spacious. The color scheme included beiges, and other light colors, yellow, gold, and blue lighting. Signs overhead clearly marked each serving station.

Passengers collected a plate from one of the many serving islands and filled their plates as they made their way easily from station to station. There were duplicates of some stations so that if the line was long at one of them, you could simply go to another one and not have any wait.

The stations included a beverage station, salad bar, fromagerie (cheese selections), pasta kitchen, pizzeria, BBQ, chefs corner, the carvery, the bakery, and desserts. At each station, the food was arranged meticulously - nothing was out of place.

We've seen many buffets on ships and this was the most efficient and elegant setting that we've ever seen. It goes without saying that the quality of food was very good also. Celebrity has definitely raised the bar on fast food.

We enjoyed all of our breakfasts in Oceanview as well as our lunches. If you didn't want to eat inside, you could go out on deck and enjoy the ocean views in an open setting. Don't miss this treasure while onboard a Celebrity Solstice class ship.

Celebrity Solstice - Poolside

The sun is shining, the temperature is warm, there's a gentle breeze blowing and you have the entire day at sea. This is the formula for a perfect day poolside.

Celebrity Solstice offers several pool choices. On the Resort Deck, the main pool area consists of a Sports Pool, Family Pool, and Wet Zone. The Solarium and Aqua Spa are forward from there on the same deck. Flanking the pool area are the typical lounge chairs you find on any ship.

What distinguishes the Solstice from other ships are the unique lounge chairs poolside. In addition to the typical lounge chairs, you'll find lounge chairs built for two that are secluded inside shaded columns that flank the Family Pool area.

Make sure that you go up the secret staircase to the Solstice Deck where you'll find an assortment of loungers including my favorite the oversized red loungers pictured above. These are perfect for catching some rays or simply relaxing.

Whether you are looking for sun or shade you should be able to find a chair to suit your requirements. Lay back, catch some sun, read a book, talk to friends and family, have your favorite beverage and just relax. The Solstice provides the ingredients for a perfect day at sea, it's up to you to complete the recipe.