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 Reflection and Constellation Europe 2013

Where Europe vacation dreams
become a reality.
2013 Europe Deployment

Celebrity Reflection^SM

Celebrity Reflection – which sets sail in October of this year, complete with the brand's first "Signature Suites" and jaw-dropping, two-bedroom "Reflection Suite," complete with a sea-view bathroom extending out over the edge of the ship, a veranda tub with soothing rain shower, and panoramic views courtesy of the wraparound veranda – will present a full season of 10- and 11-night sailings roundtrip from Rome. The 10-night itinerary features visits to Sicily, Italy; Athens, Greece and the Greek Isles, and Kusadasi, Turkey, while the 11-night sailing also features an overnight stay in Istanbul.

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S) 2013	ITINERARY
16-Night Eastbound Transatlantic Cruise	Apr 20	Miami, Florida; Tenerife, Canary, Islands; Lanzarote, Canary, Islands; Barcelona, Spain; Provence (Toulon), France; Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
10-Night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise	May 17; Jun 07, 28; Jul 19: Aug 09, 30;Sep 20; Oct 11	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Sicily (Messina), Italy; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Rhodes, Greece; Santorini, Greece; Mykonos, Greece; Naples/Capri, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
11-Night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise	May 06	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Santorini, Greece; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Istanbul, Turkey (overnight); Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; Naples/Capri, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
11-Night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise	May 27; Jun 17; Jul 08, 29; Aug 19; Sep 30; Oct 21	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Santorini, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey (overnight); Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Naples/Capri, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
15-Night Westbound Transatlantic Cruise	Nov 01	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Tenerife, Canary Islands; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Miami, Florida

Celebrity Constellation®

Celebrity Constellation – featuring guest-favorite enhancements incorporated in the line's Solsticizing initiative, including the Tuscan Grille specialty restaurant, Cellar Masters wine bar and Café al Bacio and Gelateria, among other venues and, by Spring of 2013, new AquaClass accommodations with exclusive access to the Mediterranean specialty restaurant, Blu – from May through August 2013 will present seven Scandinavia/Russia cruises, an Arctic Circle voyage and a Norwegian Fjords sailing, all roundtrip from Amsterdam. Then, from Istanbul, the ship will set sail on two new 12-night Black Sea & Greek Isles sailings, highlighted by an overnight stay in Odessa, Ukraine; visits to Sevastopol and Yalta, Ukraine, and Celebrity's first visit to Varna, Bulgaria. Celebrity Constellation will round out her summer season with four 12-night Greek Isles & Turkey voyages, all roundtrip from Istanbul.

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S) 2013	ITINERARY
15-Night Eastbound Transatlantic Cruise	May 05	Miami, Florida; Madeira (Funchal), Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal; Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), France; Dover, England; Amsterdam, Netherlands
12-Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise	May 20; Jun 01; Aug 24	Amsterdam, Netherlands; Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight); Tallinn, Estonia; Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands
10-Night Norwegian Fjords Cruise	May 24; Jun 14; Jul 05	Harwich, England; Oslo, Norway; Stavanger, Norway; Olden, Norway; Alesund, Norway; Geiranger, Norway; Flam, Norway; Bergen, Norway; Harwich, England
12-Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise	Aug 12	Amsterdam, Netherlands; Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinnn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight); Helsinki, Finalnd; Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands
12-Arctic Circle Cruise	Jun 13	Amsterdam, Netherlands; Arctic Circle (Crossing); Leknes (Lofoten), Norway; Arctic Circle; Longyearbyen, Norway; Arctic Circle; Honningsvag, Norway; Arctic Circle (Crossing); Molde, Norway; Bergen, Norway; Amsterdam, Netherlands
12-Night Norwegian Fjord Cruise	Jun 25	Amsterdam, Netherlands; Bergen, Norway; Olden, Norway; Molde, Norway; Geiranger, Norway; Alesund, Norway; Skjolden, Norway; Flam, Norway; Oslo, Norway; Amsterdam, Netherlands
12-Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise	Jul 07, 19, 31	Amsterdan, Netherlands; Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight); Tallinn, Estonia; Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands

Happy New Year 2012

10 ... 9... 8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...

 Happy New Year 2012!!

A warm greeting to all my faithful readers and to those of you joining for the first time. I wish you many happy, healthy and prosperous days in this brand new year. May the year be filled with many sunny days, warm ocean breezes, visits to cruise ports, and relaxing sea days aboard a cruise ship.

Introducing New Ships in 2012

Carnival Breeze - spring, 2012
Celebrity Reflection - fall, 2012
Disney Fantasy - April, 2012
MSC Fantastica - May, 2012

In the upcoming months, several cruise lines will be introducing new ships.  Carnival Corporation is completing the 2 ship Carnival Magic class when Carnival Breeze sets sail in springtime.   Celebrity Cruises completes the popular Solstice-Class with the introduction of Celebrity Reflection in the fall.  Disney Dream gets a sister this year in April when Fantasy joins the fleet.  MSC Cruises will introduce a new ‘Fantasia’ class cruise ship (technically called U32), and the 12th in the MSC Cruises fleet this year.  

Selecting the Right Ship 

These new ships add capacity to these cruise lines and give you additional options.  Besides new ships, existing ships are getting face-lifts with new features being added, primarily based on passenger feedback and acceptance of the features on recent ship builds on the same or other cruise lines.

Just like picking a hotel room for a land-based trip, you can also apply your preferences to the cruise ship which will serve as your floating hotel.   Some people prefer small ships while others only sail on the newest and largest vessels.  With the increasing number of ship modifications and additions, we are confident that your want list can be satisfied.  We can help you narrow the field to those ships that meet your needs.


Completing Your Bucket List

What is on your bucket list of destinations or cruise ships?  

Is 2012 the year you plan to complete a trip from that list?  Whether it's a far away exotic destination like Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific or something close-by like Bahamas and the Caribbean, you'll find a cruise ship sailing to your ports of call of choice.

Choose Your Destination
 

Land or Sea ...Choice is Yours

We still feel strongly that cruising is the best vacation value, but we realize there are times when you want  more time in the destination or some other reason compels you to select land-based travel.

 Resorts & Tours Overview

For those that aren't aware, we can assist you with all your travel needs, not just cruise vacations.  We have partnered with some of the premier travel providers to offer Resort Deals in addition to independent travel.

One thing you should also know is that the cruise lines have heard you and are offering overnight and longer stays in several ports of call, so you don't necessarily need to chose land to be immersed in a destination.  Azamara Club Cruises is one cruise line that can take you to lands that her big sister lines, can't and offer extended stays in the various ports of call.

New Year Resolutions

It's that time of year to make New Year resolutions.  Some of you will decide to make changes in your lifestyle which will improve your health - such as healthy eating or exercising.  For those that haven't been on a cruise before, that doesn't mean you have to forgo your trip.   There are full-service spas and fitness centers on most cruise ships and healthy menu choices available throughout the day.  Cruise lines will be happy to accommodate any special dietary requirements - just be sure to tell your cruise specialist at the time of booking so that notes can be put on your reservation.

We hope that you add a resolution to take some time for yourself to regenerate.   Plan some vacation time on a cruise ship or at one of the many resort destinations.   Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of special offers in the upcoming months.

Happy New Year 
The Sea is Calling ...

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.