Celebrity planning new onboard features on next Solstice ships

Celebrity Cruises released info this week on some new additions to the fourth and fifth ships in their award winning Solstice Class, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection.

Here is the press release:

Miami - (December 08, 2010 ) - How do you make the best even better? Celebrity Cruises believes you break the rules, stay ahead of the curve, and provide what vacationers want most - often before they even say they want it. That belief is vividly reflected in the distinctive, luxurious, vacation-enhancing venues Celebrity will introduce on the fourth and fifth ships in its award-winning Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection.

"We recognize that consumers' vacation time is precious, and that's what drives us to continually create new and unique experiences that enhance their rare time away," said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "The host of honors our Solstice Class and Millennium Class have won have been incredible validation of that commitment, and on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection, we're capitalizing on the opportunity to further elevate our onboard offerings, particularly in our Solstice Class' iconic Lawn Club, and with our wildly popular AquaClass category of accommodations and its exclusive specialty restaurant, Blu. Initially, we planned to introduce these exciting new enhancements only on Celebrity Reflection, but to our delight, our outstanding partners at Meyer Werft were able to also deliver every new feature with the exception of AquaClass Suites on Celebrity Silhouette."

New AquaClass Sky suites highlight expanded accommodations

Driven by high demand for Celebrity's industry-first AquaClass category of spa-inspired accommodations, and by way of an additional deck being added to Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity will introduce on that ship the line's first AquaClass Suites, each offering 251 square feet of luxurious interior space and spacious 57-square-foot verandas, and all the amenities associated with Celebrity's AquaClass accommodations, including exclusive and complimentary access to the highly-rated specialty restaurant, "Blu," noted for inviting, modern design and flavorful, healthy, clean cuisine. The new suites also will offer the luxurious 24/7 butler service that is a hallmark of every suite across the Celebrity fleet. In addition to the 34 new AquaClass Suites, Celebrity Reflection also will present an additional eight luxurious new Sky Suites, 19 additional plush ConciergeClass staterooms, and 11 additional inside staterooms, bringing the stateroom/suite total to 1,515.

Maintaining Celebrity's best-in-class, premium space ratio and lauded traffic flow, Celebrity Reflection will offer an additional 245 loungers on the expanded pool deck to suit the increased overall guest capacity, as well as 45 additional seats in the Celebrity Theater, 118 in Oceanview Café, 24 additional seats each in Blu and in Tuscan Grille, four more in Qsine, and 40 additional seats in the main dining room, where Celebrity also offers Celebrity Select Dining^SM, the industry's first flexible dining option allowing guests to choose when they wish to dine on a flexible, day-by-day basis.

The Lawn Club

Inspired by the popularity of its iconic, industry-first Lawn Club, Celebrity will leverage its brand pillars of outstanding dining experiences, enriching activities, relaxation and pampering, and modern design to offer vacationers on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection significantly expanded opportunities to eat and drink, relax and lounge, and participate and socialize within the inviting space.

The Lawn Club Grill

Both Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will present "The Lawn Club Grill," the industry's first outdoor, interactive grill venue. A new, exceptionally social specialty dining option overlooking the lush lawn and soothing sea, The Lawn Club Grill will boast a design likely to be the envy of novice and experienced chefs alike, with gleaming stainless steel grills and other appliances, custom pizza-making tables and large ovens.

By day, in addition to a casual lunch menu highlighted by a variety of high-end burgers, the venue will present interactive demonstrations and classes focused on pizza-making - including the art of dough-tossing - grilling secrets, mouth-watering marinades and more, led by Celebrity's own chefs, as well as guest chefs participating in Celebrity's "Savor Your Destination" program.


By night, in a particularly unique twist, guests will have their choice from an array of top-quality meats to either grill themselves, side-by-side with Celebrity's chefs, or have grilled to order. A nominal surcharge will apply. Complementing the dinner experience will be libations ranging from wines, beer and sangria, all consistent with the casual nature of the 56-seat restaurant.


The Porch

With its chic, Hamptons-style design, modern furnishings, and creative use of natural light, all complemented by the enticing aroma of fresh-baked breads and pastries, The Porch will be the idyllic spot for quick, simple, casual and complimentary breakfasts and lunches. The intimate, 48-seat venue will be the perfect place to enjoy complimentary fresh pastries, salads, paninis and other sandwiches, in addition to specialty coffees, beer and wine, all enhanced by views of the lawn and sea.


The Art Studio

With one of the world's largest corporate collections of contemporary art exhibited across its fleet, and given the enthusiasm guests expressed when the line introduced the industry's first art tours to be offered on an iPad®, Celebrity will further appeal to its guests' love of art in "The Art Studio" within the area of The Lawn Club. There, experienced and novice artists alike can participate in intimate, hands-on instruction from experts in drawing, painting and beading, as well as the art of food, with plating, tastings, mixology and other culinary-themed classes.


The Art Studio also will present exclusive, intimate pairing dinners hosted by guest chefs participating in Celebrity's Savor Your Destination program.


The Alcoves

For a private retreat overlooking the lawn, ocean and coastlines, Celebrity also will present within The Lawn Club "The Alcoves," eight exclusive, cabana-style settings, each designed for two to four guests. Each of The Alcoves on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will offer WiFi for guests who want to stay connected while relaxing, themed picnic baskets and an a la carte beverage menu. The Alcoves will be available as partial or all-day rentals.


Adjacent to The Alcoves, guests will find eight inviting hammocks and two whimsical, oversized Adirondack chairs, each offering complimentary, additional opportunities to relax amidst the atmosphere of the lawn and sea.

Michael's Club

Celebrity's history and future will converge in Michael's Club - a venue found on every Celebrity ship - where the line will present on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection a restyled, casually elegant bar where vacationers can sit back and enjoy the comfortably sophisticated atmosphere while watching the World Cup games and sipping a Chimay Blue.

Across the Celebrity fleet, Michael's Club offers an impressive selection of rare malts, whiskies and scotches. Building on that tradition, the "new" Michael's Club on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflectionwill add an equally impressive selection of more than 50 beers, including flavorful craft beers, and will allow guests to participate in engaging experiences such as ideal food and beer pairings, how to pour the perfect draft, or how to select the proper beer glass, all while snacking on homemade, gourmet potato chips and bread sticks, and fresh, lightly-spiced caramel popcorn, amidst a vibe of live music and cool playlists, or major international sporting events airing on the venue's large, 46" TV screens.

The Hideway

Guests seeking a particularly quiet spot to get away from it all can do so in a new venue inspired precisely by that interest. "The Hideaway" on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will provide a high-tech escape for vacationers relaxing with their iPads or perhaps trying out a new Apple product from the Celebrity iLounge, or a low-tech retreat for reading a good book. Inspired by the live trees suspended within the Grand Foyer of every Solstice Class ship, the design of The Hideaway reflects that of an upscale, avant-garde tree house, with cozy, intimate lounging "nests," or niches.

The Solstice Class Difference

"We are constantly dedicated to building every aspect of the Celebrity vacation experience around what vacationers want most during their precious time away, and the greatest validation of that commitment has been the response to our stunning Solstice Class," said Hanrahan. "We're eager to have our guests continue to experience all the distinctive attributes of those stunning ships, as well as the new offerings they have inspired on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection. We are confident all of this will further solidify our leadership role in the industry and keep vacationers coming back."

In addition to the innovative new venues and experiences, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will join sister ships Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse in offering:

• The hip "Celebrity iLounge" that made Celebrity Cruises the industry's first Authorized Apple Reseller
• Uniquely unordinary "Qsine," the first seagoing restaurant to feature a menu and wine list on an iPad®, and an engaging food-as-theater dining experience
• Ten unrivaled restaurants - in addition to "The Lawn Club Grill" and "The Porch"
• Modern, stylish interiors designed by some of the world's best architects and designers, including Adam Tihany
• Cool nightclubs and lounges, including CellarMasters, complete with the industry's first installation of the innovative Enomatic wine serving system
• One of the broadest and best wine offerings in the industry, served by one of the world's largest staffs of certified sommeliers
• One of the world's largest permanent collections of original contemporary art, and the industry's first self-guided art tours to be presented on an iPad®
• Top-tier entertainment, including custom aerial production shows and live music
• The extensive array of fun, entertaining and enriching onboard programming offered through "Celebrity Life," including games, instruction on the latest iPods®, MacBooks® and iLife® classes; language learning through Rosetta Stone®; comparative wine tastings with Riedel Crystal, and enrichment presentations with Smithsonian Journeys
  

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning vacationers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programs, and award-winning cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity's mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity's fleet currently consists of 10 ships. Its $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest five-year investment in premium cruising. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111.