The Cruise Report With Cruise Specialists Cruise Reporter Ralph Grizzle

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)

Celebrity Cruise’s new ship, Celebrity Equinox, has completed its first and probably most difficult journey. With thousands of spectators lining the route, the 122,000-ton ship left the yard of shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, last Saturday and made the 26-mile trip down the River EMS.  Read more... (430 words, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium is in drydock this week for a $10 million makeover. A highly rated large ship in the premium-service category, the Celebrity Millennium is not yet 10 years old, but it will be refreshed with new carpeting throughout and new upholstery in every stateroom and several common areas, including the Lido deck and main dining room. The wood trim and rails throughout the ship, as well as the marble and stone floors, will all be refinished. Suites will be updated with 32-inch flat-panel televisions, and ConciergeClass staterooms will be set up with 26-inch screens.  Read more... (181 words, estimated 43 secs reading time)

Several years ago, I was touring a Holland America Line ship when I came upon a guest room that was undergoing refurbishment. I thought this odd, because the room did not appear to need updating. The furniture and carpet appeared to be new; the fixtures, polished and sparkling. My host told me that an elderly widower, who was going to spend an extended period of time living on the ship, had booked the vessel’s largest suite. She wanted it redecorated with carpeting of her choosing and furniture from her home. Money was no object to ensure the comforts of home.  Read more... (1001 words, 2 images, estimated 4:00 mins reading time)