CELEBRITY REFLECTION Mirrors Sisters And More
Last September, MaritimeMatters reported on the choice of name for the fifth unit of the Celebrity Cruises Solstice Class cruise ships to be built at Meyer Weft, Germany.
Today, Celebrity hotel director Roswitha Arnett and Celebrity president and CEO Dan Hanrahan joined Meyer Werft’s managing partner Bernard Meyer in a ceremony marking the first steel cutting of the new CELEBRITY REFLECTION.
In December, it was announced that the latest vessel in the class will be larger than her predecessors with the addition of 72 cabins to the REFLECTION, including 34 AquaClass suites that bring the double occupancy count up to 3,030 passengers
The new 126,000 gt vessel, to be delivered in November 2012, will be 4,000 gt larger than her sisters. The US $3.7-billion class began in 2008 with the CELEBRITY SOLSTICE, which was followed by the CELEBRITY EQUINOX, CELEBRITY ECLIPSE and the soon-to-be-delivered CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE (currently under construction at the same shipyard). CELEBRITY REFLECTION will host some new features along with many of the hallmarks found on most of her sister ships, including:
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.
Celebrity’s iconic half-acre Lawn Club, with real, growing grass.
Ten unrivaled dining venues, including Qsine.
Modern, stylish interiors by some of the world’s best architects and designers.
Hip, cool nightclubs and lounges, including CellarMasters, complete with the industry’s first installation of the innovative Enomatic by-the-glass 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®.
Widely varied entertainment, including custom aerial production shows and live music.
The extensive array of entertaining and enriching onboard programming offered through “Celebrity Life,” including 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.”
Thanks to Peter Knego
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Hey Peter, Do you know what happened to the love boat? Was it sold?
Celebrity’s always been a quality product. I miss the Meridian, Horizon and Zenith. Just saw their oldest (Century) at Great Stirrup Cay, im curious as to why they sold Galaxy and kept Century. One thing is for sure, they’re paving their own way very nicely with non-trend following innovations.
“X” marks the spot!
Hi Hank,
Next auction date is, I believe, April 15. Hoping for the best.
Peter
I love celebrity . It drives me mad when these ships sell for nothing . They sell for the price of a country club house . Saw queen Mary in long beach and they are looking better .
The Solstice-class is (still) exciting. The ships look good, they have interesting features, and the whole package is very stylish. But I still think REFLECTION is a poor choice of name for a ship this hip.
Glenn L: To my understanding the reason why GALAXY was transferred to TUI Cruises was the fact the CENTURY had been recently refitted with extra balconies and other new features, while the GALAXY hadn’t been, so it made more sense to transfer her to TUI Cruises and refit her to suit the German market.
Celebrity Cruise Line is a great company. I have sailed aboard Mercury, Century, Millenium, Infinity, Summit and Constellation. Officers and crew staff are always around, smiling and willing to pass the time of day. Ships are kept in great shape and repeat passengers in Elite Class are treated to many extras that other cruise lines do not match. Sailed aboard MIllenium back to back in January 2011. Sailing aboard her in April from San Juan to San Diego and sailing aboard the Constellation back to back from Istanbul to Ft Lauderdale in November.
I sailed and loved Celebrity Cruises when Chandris, the proud Greek shipping family, owned the line. I also loved Chandris Fantasy Cruises, a quality budget line, and wish Chandris would retuurn to cruising.
When Home Lines ceased operations in the late 1980’s ,Chanrdris started an up-scale line, called Celebrity, to fill the void left by Home Lines. Their first ship was the SS MERIDIEN, one of two former 1960’s Lloyd-Triestino liners, pure Italian ships, crisp, beautiful liner profiles. Interestingly, Chandris took one, Costa, the other, and after extensive reworkinga and rennovating, they became the SS MERIDIEN and the COSTA RIVIERA. The original names were SS GALILEO GALILEI and SS GUGLIELO MARCONI.
History lesson aside, each ship, I sailed both, before and after Chandris and Costa owned them, and found each to be wonderful, the SS MEREDIAN more so, the product was unique for the time, and embodied a true New York vibe, Liza or the Chairman of the Board, rendition of ” New York, New York”, was played over the open decks as the ship sailed from the Huidson, just as either was played upon sailing Home Lines.
Those were wonderful, days, and Celebrity filled my longing for Home Lines.
Then RCI bought them, after trying Celebrity under their guise, no more for me.
@ Kenneth Eden: I have to point out that technically Chandris’ Cruise operations and Royal Caribbean merged, with the Chandris family acquiring a stake in the resulting Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in the process. I do not know what if they have since sold their share, but at left for a time Chandris were still involved with the company.
Ah, memories of Chandris Fantasy cruises, sailing on the s/s Britannis from Florida. It was bordering on shabby in appearance, but what a price! and what a ship.
Kalle Id
Yes, at one point, late ’90’s Chandris merged with then Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, now refered to as Royal Caribbean Int’l. The ownership was transfered from Chandris to RCI, and is wholely owned by RCI, not Chandris. Here is a list of RCI’s hioldings at sea.
Celebrity Cruises, 8 ships
Azamara Club, 2 ships, on charter
RCI 23 ships
Pullmantour 5 ships, ex RCCI ships
CDF (Croisiers de France) ex Horizon, could be new Bleu de France?
TUI cruises, 1 ship, ex Galaxy
Thomson cruises fitted into the fray, don’t know much about Thomson, I believe they had/have the former SONG OF NORWAY and NORDIC PRINCE
Thanks Kalle on Galaxy info. When Galaxy was new, captains club members were invited for lunch onboard in NYC, It was state of the art, but we never sailed her. Meridian was a thirsty ship but she was fast when they needed to make up time. Meridian used 400 tons a day vs Zentih and Horizon at 200 tons.
I’m looking at Sillhouette for December but I’m not keen on full fare for third person in cabin.
Zenith had beautiful chandris and Celebrity ship models in her fleet bar and I wonder where they went after the sale.
Kenneth Eden, I believe you misunderstood what I was trying to say above.
In 1997 when Royal Caribbean purchased Celebrity Cruises from Chandris, they paid most of the $515 million sale price in shares of Royal Caribbean, thereby making Chandris a shareholder in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the company that owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and the other brands you mentioned in your post. None of the brands are directly owned by Chandris, but as a large-scale shareholder the Chandris would still have had say in the company. (Unless of course they have since sold their 7 million shares in RCL).
Yikes, how many “hip” and “cools” can they squeeze into a single press release. This old fuddy-duddy will give this a miss, I just am not hip enough and if I see one more moron aimlessly zig-zagging along the sidewalk engrossed in an “iPad”, I’ll hit him over the head with it. Now, I have to confront them on a ship? Forget it.
Chandris holdings do not list any passenger ships, just their large ferighter and tanker fleet – Chandris was out of the passsener business when their shares were purchaased after 2002, and then, RCI went on a tyrade of builing these megaships for both RCI and CELEBRITY, which now look interchangeable between the two lines, and most probably are.
I wonder how much Chandris got for the use of their CHI????
Hey Peter,
Aside from the “hip” factor detraction (to some, but to others, a draw), these are superbly designed, built and outfitted ships. I hope to sail in one sooner than later and even if she was filled with Gen Xers and their i-Pods (must admit I have one, too, but don’t know how to use it), I’d probably not notice with all the good food, art and design to gawk at.
All my best,
Peter
Peter,
Funny you bring up Gen Xers – my son and his wife fit the Gen ex profile, and they LOVE Princess Cruises. I could not get them on Cunard if I dragged them, not even Oceania.
Was that a pun X for Chandris, Gen eXer?