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

Hurricane Paula Forms in Atlantic

5-Day Forecast Cone for Hurricane Paula (Credit: NOAA NHC)

Click for Current 5-Day Graphic

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

UPDATE: 1100 AM EDT FRI OCT 15 2010
...PAULA WEAKENS TO A REMNANT LOW...
THIS IS THE LAST ADVISORY...

NHC issuing advisories on Hurricane PAULA

The active Atlantic hurricane season continues with the formation of another hurricane off the Yucatan Peninsula. Paula is currently a Category ONE storm but weakening is expected in the next 48 hours.

Hurricane Paula has altered several Cruise ship itineraries on Carnival, Holland America, and Celebrity Cruises.    Other lines are monitoring the situation.   Click here for changes.

PAULA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ALONG THE NORTH COAST 

OR OVER WESTERN CUBA TODAY (Thursday Oct. 14).

Discussion & Outlook

WATCHES AND WARNINGS 

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24 TO 36
HOURS.  PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED
TO COMPLETION.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA.  A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS
BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE
WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR
DANGEROUS.
  

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.

SUMMARY OF 700 AM CDT...1200 UTC...INFORMATION (14 Oct) 

LOCATION...22.7N 84.5W
ABOUT 45 MI...70 KM...W OF PUERTO ESPERANZA 
ABOUT 135 MI...215 KM W OF HAVANA CUBA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...75 MPH...120 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NE OR 50 DEGREES AT 5 MPH...7 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...999 MB...29.50 INCHES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. THESE WINDS ARE CONFINED TO A VERY SMALL AREA NEAR THE
CENTER. PAULA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE.  PAULA IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN TO  A TROPICAL
STORM LATER TODAY.

PAULA REMAINS A SMALL HURRICANE.  HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 10 MILES...20 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES...85 KM. THE WEATHER
STATION LOCATED IN THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA RECENTLY REPORTED A 60
MPH...97 KM/HR WIND GUST.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL...THE LOW COULD STILL PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS

OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OVER CENTRAL CUBA AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH

SATURDAY.





 Cruise Line Advisories

Carnival Weather Alert

Carnival Valor revised itinerary includes stops in Ocho Rios (Wednesday) and Nassau (Friday). The original voyage called for stops in Roatan, Belize and Cozumel.

Carnival Legend,  will no longer visit Cozumel (Wednesday), Roatan (Thursday) and Belize (Friday). The ship will now call in Ocho Rios in Jamaica on Thursday (a three-for-one trade).

Carnival Ecstasy will no longer call in Progreso and Cozumel as originally planned. The ship is swapping two ports for one and will call in Veracruz on Wednesday instead.

Carnival Triumph is also swapping two ports for one to avoid Paula. Instead of stopping in Progreso and Cozumel, the ship will visit Key West on Wednesday.

Carnival Conquest revised itinerary features calls in Montego Bay (Wednesday) and Key West (Friday) instead of Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel as originally planned.

Because some cruises have been dramatically altered, Carnival is offering compensation to some impacted passengers.  Carnival will continue to monitor the situation and make additional changes if needed.

Holland America Ryndam will no longer call at Belize City, Roatan or Costa Maya as originally planned. The revised itinerary includes Half Moon Cay (HAL's private resort island) on Wednesday and Grand Turk on Thursday.

Celebrity Solstice will call in Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Labadee (sister line Royal Caribbean's private beach resort in Haiti) and Nassau instead of visiting Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan as originally planned.

NCL Weather Update

NCL indicates that all ships are currently operating as scheduled.  They will continue to monitor Hurricane Paula and make changes if needed.   Click on the link above for current update.

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
HURRICANE PAULA	National Hurricane Center
Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook	National Weather Service
Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion	Hurricane Preparedness
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (ATL)	Real-Time Hurricane Information
Active Storms	NOAA Satellites & Information
NASA: Latest Storm Images	WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
Real-time Monitoring (Atlantic)	The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Real-time Weather Sites	Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

Another Rainmaker Forms in the Atlantic

5-Day Forecast Cone for Subtropical Depression 17 (Credit: NOAA NHC)

Click for Current 5-Day Graphic

NHC issuing advisories on Hurricane OTTO

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Cruise Ship Advisories:  Click HERE

UPDATE: 1100 AM AST SUN OCT 10 2010
...OTTO NOW POST-TROPICAL...

EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTH OF THE AZORES ON MONDAY...

500 PM AST FRI OCT 08 2010
...OTTO STRENGTHENS A LITTLE MORE AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE
OPEN ATLANTIC...

(5 AM AST Wed. Oct 6 ) We are just starting to watch a developing tropical cyclone in the Western Atlantic as the NHC issues the first warning of this system.   Locally heavy rainfall from this storm is possible over the next couple of days in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. It appears that this storm will increase in speed and strength and become a named storm within the next 48 hours.

THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER ON OTTO.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OTTO CAN BE FOUND IN HIGH
SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ...UNDER
AWIPS HEADER NFDHSFAT1 AND WMO HEADER FZNT01 KWBC...AND BY
METEO-FRANCE UNDER WMO HEADER FQNT50 LFPW.  

NHC predictions show Tropical Storm Otto staying to the east of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, and heading into the Atlantic, away from land.

As a service to our readers, we have RSS feeds from the NHC which can provide up to date information about these tropical storms.   We will also monitor the cruise lines for any itinerary changes as a result of the storms.

Discussion & Outlook

WATCHES AND WARNINGS 

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

SUMMARY OF 1100 AM AST...1500 UTC...INFORMATION (10 Oct)

LOCATION...37.3N 41.1W
ABOUT 770 MI...1245 KM W OF THE AZORES
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH...100 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NE OR 55 DEGREES AT 43 MPH...69 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...987 MB...29.15 INCHES

A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TONIGHT...
FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE EAST ON MONDAY AND 
A TURN TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST BY EARLY TUESDAY. 
 
ON THE FORECAST TRACK...
THE CENTER OF POST-TROPICAL OTTO WILL PASS
NORTH OF THE AZORES ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS. 

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES...335 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

NONE

This is the first time this hurricane season where we've seen a subtropical storm.    For those wondering what that means, here is the NHC definition:

Subtropical Cyclone:

A non-frontal low pressure system that has characteristics of both tropical and extratropical cyclones. This system is typically an upper-level cold low with circulation extending to the surface layer and maximum sustained winds generally occurring at a radius of about 100 miles or more from the center. In comparison to tropical cyclones, such systems have a relatively broad zone of maximum winds that is located farther from the center, and typically have a less symmetric wind field and distribution of convection.

Cruise Line Advisories

Norwegian Sun is swapping its planned northern route crossing of the Atlantic Ocean for a more southerly one to avoid 35 knot winds and 24 foot swells kicked up by Hurricane Otto. The new route will force it to skip its call in Punta Delgada, Azores, on Saturday. The ship will arrive on schedule in Orlando on October 16. 

Carnival Liberty skipped its call in Grand Turk yesterday. Instead of a sea day today, the ship will add a call in Nassau. It returns to Miami as planned on Saturday.

Due to the storm, Celebrity Solstice is unable to dock in St. Maarten on Thursday.

Instead, the ship will spend tomorrow at sea and will add a call in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Friday before returning to Fort Lauderdale as scheduled on Sunday.

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
HURRICANE OTTO	National Hurricane Center
Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook	National Weather Service
Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion	Hurricane Preparedness
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (ATL)	Real-Time Hurricane Information
Active Storms	NOAA Satellites & Information
NASA: Latest Storm Images	WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
Real-time Monitoring (Atlantic)	The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Real-time Weather Sites	Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

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 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

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 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’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 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 Solstice - Art Works

Celebrity Cruises has a long tradition of including extensive art collections onboard their ships. The Art Collection on Solstice carries on this tradition in spectacular fashion.

International Corporate Art (ICArt), an art consultancy firm based in Miami, London, and Oslo, acted as curators for the collection on Solstice. They either commissioned or acquired over 4600 pieces of artwork for the ship.

When you are on the Solstice, make sure to check out the various artworks. Some of the artists may be emerging while others are well-established. Chances are that over time these artists' works will become popular and you will have seen them first on Solstice.

As is the case on other Celebrity ships, there are several art auctions onboard during the cruise. If you have any interest in art at all, make sure to attend the auctions and also to view the art throughout the vessel.

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 Solstice - Fortunes Casino

Luck be a Lady Tonight

The sun is setting, you've had dinner at Silk Harvest, the show in Solstice Theatre doesn't start for an hour, so you have time to kill. What to do?

Strolling along the Promenade deck, you come to Fortunes Casino. The bright lights and pleasing colors are inviting. You hear people laughing and having a good time. Indeed everyone in the casino seems to be having fun. So, you walk towards the entrance.

It's early yet, so some of the 16 tables aren't open yet. There are people playing Blackjack and others playing Roulette. Scattered throughout the casino people are playing their favorite slot machines. There are 200 machines to choose from, so you should be able to find something to do.

You select a Video Poker machine and put your money in the slot. It comes to life and you hope that luck is on your side. Your mind starts to wander a bit. Here you are in the middle of the ocean and you're playing a game of luck in a casino that looks like it could be in Monte Carlo or inside one of the swankiest casinos in Las Vegas. You press the deal button again. You wait in anticipation for the cards to be dealt. Luck be a Lady Tonight !!

Celebrity Solstice - Quasar

The designers of Celebrity Solstice used color, lighting, and unique decor very effectively to create a modern resort atmosphere .

Quasar perhaps tops the list of unique venues onboard the Solstice. It is a vibrant nightclub designed for those ready to kick back and get down. Upon entering the lounge you might think that you have taken a wrong turn and ended up on some Hollywood space age set. The globe shaped control center, the lighting, and the half-globe chairs hanging from the ceiling all contribute to this feeling coming over you.

Away from the central area is the VIP area where you can escape to a more private setting without leaving the ambience. The lighting and the seating are unlike anything you've seen on other ships in the Celebrity fleet.

Quasar is definitely the place to be for dancing the night away, but it also serves as a fun location during the day. During our cruise, I played a few games of Wii one afternoon. The activities staff was onhand to coordinate the games and provide instruction if necessary.

For groups, Quasar is just one of the locations that can be used for your private party. We were originally scheduled to have a party in Cellar Masters, but we relocated to Quasar for a fun-filled evening of socializing.

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.

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.

Celebrity Solstice - Silk Harvest

You've had a relaxing day onboard Celebrity Solstice. The Thai Herbal Poultice Massage started you thinking about the exotic lands of the Far East. As you lay in your lounge chair by the Solarium pool, you start to wonder if there is availability in the Silk Harvest Restaurant for dinner tonight. Wouldn't that be a great way to start your evening?

You decide to go to the restaurant instead of calling. The maitre d' tells you that he has an opening at 6:30 PM if you are willing to join a table with some other passengers. That sounds good to you, so you make the reservation.

Arriving at 6:30 PM, you are escorted to a long table that sits 12 people. Another couple are already sitting at the table so you introduce yourself and sit down next to them.

The waiter takes your drink order and says he'll be back in a few minutes to answer any questions about the menu. Two more people show up while waiting for the waiter to return.

Upon his return he explains the menu. There are four sections: Small Plates, Large Plates, Silk Harvest Sushi, and Desserts. You can order whatever you want from each section of the menu.

During our pre-inaugural sailing on Celebrity Solstice we had dinner in Silk Harvest one night. We had Wonton Soup, Lotus Chicken Wraps, and Chicken Spring Rolls from the Small Plates section of the menu.

All of those were delicious. I especially enjoyed the Lotus Chicken Wraps. The waiter brings a selection of sauces that you can use along with your meal.

We aren't big Sushi fans, so we just ordered Orange Chicken from the Large Plates menu. We had heard that it was one of the specialties, so we decided to give that a try. We weren't disappointed. It was excellent.


Of course, everyone's favorite part of the meal is the dessert. The waiter explained the dessert selections. They all sounded fabulous. We hadn't over-stuffed ourselves, so we decided to try two different selections. We ordered Carmalized Bananas with Coconut Ice Cream and Cheesecake Rainbow Roll which were crisp rice with various tropical fruits.

Besides the quality of the food, presentation and service are very important when dianing in a speicialty restaurant such as Silk Harvest. The dessert pictures will give you an idea about the food presentation. You'll have to take my word on the service which was excellent. For $20 per person, this was a fabulous dinner experience. It is well worth the extra charge. I know some people take issue with the charges for specialty restaurants. Think about the charge as an extra gratuity for great service and exceptional food and you'll agree it is worth it.

Celebrity Solstice - Solarium

One of the unique features on larger Celebrity ships is the Solarium which is an adults-only pool area. On the Millinneum class ships, there is a thalasotherapy pool, but Solstice Class ships do not have one.

The Solarium completes the Celebrity Solstice AquaSpa offerings. After working out in the fitness center, you can swim in this indoor lap pool. Relax in one of the hot tubs or lounge in one of the unique chairs that flank the pool while enjoying the dancing waterfalls.

During the day the Solarium is brightly lit by the sun shining through the domed glass ceiling. At night, the Solarium takes on a complely different mood with soft lighting accenting the dancing waters of the waterfalls.

Whether you want to relax or workout, the Solarium is an adult sanctionary from crowded areas of the ship. No matter if its sunny or rainy outside, the Solarium is the perfect location for some relaxation.

Celebrity Solstice - Glass Blowing

Celebrity Cruises and The Corning Musuem of Glass is proud to present another innovation at sea on Celebrity Solstice and the other Solstice Class ships. When they are done, there will be five cruise ships with live glass blowing demonstrations onboard. That takes traveling glass blowing to a new level.

After strolling through the lawn, rest your feet at the Hot Glass Show. There are several demonstrations throughout the day, so don't worry about having the show conflict with some other activity you want to do.

Besides the live show, there is a small museum onboard where you can read about the art of glass blowing. However, nothing beats seeing the hot glass show live. It is really a treat to see the show at night since the furnace really stands out with the dark sky.

There are also display cases showing the fruits of their labor from previous glass blowing demonstrations. If you are lucky enough, you might even be able to take one of these glass creations home with you. The only way you'll be able to do so is to have your raffle ticket number called in one of the drawings. There is no gift shop onboard that sells the glass creations. It's actually a shame because the artwork is fabulous.

We saw several demonstrations, but the most amazing one was at the 11 PM show. The glass blower starts with some molten glass from the furnace and rolls the hot glass over small bits of colored glass that has been put on the table. After that, it's back to the furnace to melt the glass that was added. This process continues layer after layer until a large amount of glass has been built up. The glass is shaped using various instruments and eventually scored so that it can be removed from the rod that has been holding it. It is hard to explain what happens next, so I've attached a video clip showing the finale.

We've seen glass blowing before, but never at this scale or under a unique setting like on a cruise ship. Celebrity and CMOG have certainly brought a new level of entertainment to the cruising public. Everyone really enjoyed the show - especially the children. On our cruise, there was one child that must have seen every show, because they even called him by name.

Also see my previous post From Grass to Glass.

Celebrity Solstice - Aqua Spa

People cruise for many reasons. One or more of the following might be among your list of reasons for a cruise vacation. Heading up the list are: getting away from your daily routine, seeing new lands, meeting new people, celebrating a special occasion, and relaxing and pampering yourself. This column focuses on the last reason in this short list of reasons.

Celebrity Solstice has taken pampering and relaxation to a new level. For those of you that have entered a spa and never wanted to leave, consider booking in the new AquaSpa Class stateroom. These cabins are on the same deck as the spa's relaxation room.

Select spa elements such as mood lighting, music and ambient sound, and a special 5-head Hangsgrohe showerhead, are incoporated into the stateroom. In addition you'll have specialized access to spa amenities, such as the Persian Garden, the Spa Conceirge, and you'll have assigned seating in the Blu resataurant. AquaClass stateroom and Suite guests enjoy complimentary use of the Persian Garden.

I've included the AquaSpa menu here so that you can see the wide range of unique spa treatments on Solstice Class ships.

My favorite treatment is the Aroma Stone Therapy Massage. If you've never tried this, make sure you attend the AquaSpa open house when you embark the ship.

My husband tried one of the signature massages, the Thai Herbal Poultice Massage. He said it was very relaxing. With this treatment, you still have a full body massage but the therapist also uses pressure and pounding with the herbed filled poultice in addition to her hands. This is the first ship that we've seen this particular treatment. Click on the menu above to see the full range of spa services.

Men and women have a wide selection of beauty, wellness and fitness options to choose from. If you want to look your best for dinner some night, you can make an appointment in the salon.
Whether you are interested in organized fitness classes, individualized personal training, or simply following your usual routine while onboard the ship, you'll be able to do so in the beautiful surroundings while looking out at the ocean.

I'll talk about the Solarium in another post. That rounds out the AquaSpa offerings for those of you that want to relax, pamper yourself, or maintain your fitness routine.

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.