Archive for the 'Celebrity Cruises' Category

Celebrity Cruises’ “Upgrade Your View” promotion has expanded to include select Mediterranean cruises. The promotion, which kicked off today and runs through February 28 on new bookings only,

During the month of February, guests who book select 10-, 11- and 12-night Mediterranean cruises sailing between May and September of this year will be eligible for free upgrades from an oceanview stateroom to a veranda stateroom.  Read more... (93 words, estimated 22 secs reading time)

Celebrity Cruises coined the word “Solsticized” in 2011 and brought its meaning to life for guests who set sail on Celebrity Constellation following an ambitious 15-day revitalization in April. During that time, Celebrity complemented the ship’s design with some of the most popular venues on the line’s Solstice Class ships, including:  Read more... (306 words, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

• the Tuscan Grille steakhouse
• the creperie, Bistro on Five
• an ice-topped Martini Bar

In 2008, I wrote that Celebrity Solstice breaks the mold in every conceivable way. From such innovative features as grass lawns to thoughtfully designed staterooms, Celebrity Solstice-class vessels are strong contenders for your vacation dollars. But how do you know that Celebrity Solstice is right for you? Watch the video for a tour of Celebrity Solstice.  Read more... (173 words, estimated 42 secs reading time)

Stateroom design underscores what you find throughout Celebrity Solstice: taste & class. The company has since launched two additional Solstice-class vessels, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse. Some say they are formidable competitors to the luxury lines.

How do Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels compare to luxury cruise lines where the price point is at least twice as much? Read my report this week during a Caribbean voyage on Celebrity Solstice.  Read more... (477 words, 3 images, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

Research shows that most people planning a trip to Alaska want to see two places: Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. You can get to Glacier Bay aboard a cruise ship and admire the national park’s stunning scenery from the comfort of your balcony stateroom. But to get to Denali (a.k.a. Mt. McKinley), you’ll have to get off the ship, lace up your hiking boots, and trek inland. That’s where a cruisetour comes in.  Read more... (513 words, 6 images, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

On many cruise ships there are alternative dining venues, most of which have a surcharge, but are often well worth the extra cash. Celebrity has just come out with Qzine for its new ship, Eclipse. We hear that $30 will get you an unbelievably unique dining experience.

You may want to dine in a reservations-only restaurant on one night of your cruise, and take advantage of the no-additional-charge restaurants for your other meals. Following are a few suggestions for making those dining experiences extra special.  Read more... (401 words, 2 images, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

New Logo, New Tag Line PLUS Solstice-Class Perks on Millennium-Class Ships

Dressed in a layered dress comprised of linens from Celebrity’s AquaClass staterooms, a silver mannequin greeted guests entering a Celebrity Cruises “reveal” event in New York on Jan. 7. The mannequin was a design hint about what travel partners, Captain’s Club members and media would learn during the creative evening at the Museum of Arts & Design in Manhattan.

The big news? Celebrity debuted a snazzy new brand personality entitled “Designed for You,” as the umbrella for a new logo, new look and significant hardware and product upgrades..

Celebrity’s President and CEO Dan Hanrahan explained that the new brand platform — designed to appeal to “discerning” guests – is based on six month’s of global research including interviews, focus groups and in-home visits with 10,000 individuals. “Designed for You” is a brand recipe that combines Celebrity’s recent brand enhancements (Celebrity Life, new culinary options and Captain’s Club changes), a continuing commitment to guests and an upcoming schedule that will “Solsticize” the line’s Millennium-Class ships over the next four years.  Read more... (667 words, 1 image, estimated 2:40 mins reading time)

Can a cruise line with no newbuilds in sight compete with ones taking on dazzling new ships every year? Can a luxury line compete on service alone when its rivals are taking part in a wave of new construction?

The lines on the non-newbuild side of the equation say yes, and in fact, they contend that they offer their guests an advantage: Instead of investing in newbuilds, they spend resources keeping their current fleets fresh.  Read more... (449 words, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

For me, the beauty of a cruise is that I can have my cake and eat it too. There’s plenty of opportunity for family togetherness and much-needed time apart as well. If you’ve got little ones, it’s key of course to know the cruise lines’ age policies for kids programming. You don’t want to show up at the gangway only to realize yours are too young for the drop-off playroom (nightmare!). For those of you with older teens, it’s equally as important to know when your young adults can (and can’t) drink and gamble. Read on for the skinny.  Read more... (1243 words, estimated 4:58 mins reading time)