|
|
|
GetReadytoCruise News
New Pregnancy/Infant Policy for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Cruises Effective immediately, there is a new policy in place for passengers travelling with infants and women who are pregnant on all Royal Caribbeanm Celebrity and Azamara cruises.
Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour. However, for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, select South American cruises/cruisetours and other selected cruises/cruisetours, the infant (as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour) must be at least 12 months old.
In addition, Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean will not accept guests who will have entered their 24th week of pregnancy by the beginning of or at any time during their cruise or cruise tour.
| Celebrity to Continue Short Cruises in Caribbean for 2009-2010 Season Celebrity Cruises once again will offer four- and five-night Caribbean sailings in the 2009-10 winter Caribbean season on the Celebrity Century. These voyages are open for sale. From Dec. 12, 2009, through April 22, 2010, Celebrity Century will sail 29 short Western Caribbean itineraries, departing from Miami on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Each itinerary features two ports of call, including Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Key West. The 1,814-guest Century underwent a $55 million makeover in 2006. Upgrades included the addition of 314 new verandas, 14 new suites, 10 new staterooms ranging from inside to veranda categories, and an expanded number of ConciergeClass category staterooms. Celebrity also expanded its AquaSpa, added the specialty restaurant called Murano, refurbished the main dining room, created the first ice bar at sea, and enhanced the bedding in staterooms. | Dining Aboard Celebrity's Solstice Ten of 2008's hottest new restaurants will open this fall, but diners won't need special connections to book a table. In fact, they won't even need directions, since the GPS coordinates will change daily. That's because the 10 restaurants are all on one of the world's most eagerly awaited new cruise ships: Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Solstice.
"The dining experience has always been central to our guests' cruise experience, and on Celebrity Solstice, we'll present the extraordinary service the brand is known for, in venues designed to perfectly complement the spectacular cuisine," said Celebrity's President and CEO Dan Hanrahan. "The larger size of Celebrity Solstice allows us to offer more options for our guests, with menus created by some of the best talent in the business."
"Celebrity has long been recognized as a leader in the culinary arena, and we're clearly taking it to the next level with Celebrity Solstice," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Celebrity's parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "In addition to outstanding cuisine, we believe the brand also will be recognized for some of the most impressive design work in the industry when Celebrity Solstice sets sail."
Celebrity partnered with some of the world's best designers in the hospitality business to create the restaurants onboard Celebrity Solstice; among them, preeminent restaurant and hotel designer Adam Tihany, who created such lauded restaurants as Per Se, Jean Georges, Le Cirque, The Sea Grill and Osteria del Circo in New York; Aureole, Bouchon and Seablue in Las Vegas; and Monte's and the chic Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London.
In his first foray into design onboard a cruise ship, Tihany created Celebrity Solstice's dramatic, two-level Grand Epernay dining room; the classic steakhouse, "Tuscan Grille," and the stylishly casual "Oceanview Café and Grill" on the ship's lido deck. His sophisticated, often groundbreaking design is evident on Celebrity Solstice in the Grand Epernay's two-story wine tower, to the Napa-meets-Old-World-Italy ambience in the ship's inviting Tuscan Grille. Driving the creation of the tantalizing menus for each venue are Celebrity's Vice President of Food & Beverage Jacques Van Staden, in conjunction with Celebrity's culinary consultant Blau & Associates. Van Staden was previously one of the top chefs and restaurateurs in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas. Blau & Associates is credited with shaping the dining experience at high profile destinations such as the Bellagio and Wynn Resort and Casino, and developing the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's Simon kitchen + bar, named one of the best new restaurants in America in 2003 by Esquire magazine.
Together with Celebrity's highly experienced Food and Beverage team at its Miami headquarters and across the fleet, Van Staden and the Blau & Associates team have carefully created menus for each restaurant onboard Celebrity Solstice based on a pairing of thorough studies of guests' culinary preferences and the latest dining trends from around the world. The team will take their creations into test kitchens later this month to ensure each selection meets Celebrity's discerning guests' tastes.
A "Taste" of Celebrity Solstice's Dining Venues:
The Grand Epernay
Old Hollywood glamour meets stunning contemporary design in this refined, sweeping main dining room created by Adam Tihany, highlighted by a distinctive, dramatic, two-story glass wine tower. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, evening entrée options include peppered bison filet with red onion preserve; smoked filet with lentil stew, sultana caper and beef jus; and taro-crusted salmon filet with glazed Brussels sprouts, turnip hash and apple cider sauce. A champagne collection from the region inspiring the venue's name includes Perrier Jouet Grand Brut, Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon, Heidsieck and Monopole, Champagne Pol Roger, and Louis Roederer Cristal.
Tuscan Grille
The Old World charm of Italy is the inspiration behind this Tihany-designed specialty venue, where guests enter through an archway reminiscent of a fine Napa Valley wine cellar. There, diners can enjoy Caesar salads prepared tableside, antipasti bar, Kobe beef, and a variety of steaks, all paired with a robust list of fine Italian wines. Silk Harvest
Exotic Asia is the theme of this contemporary, casual specialty restaurant designed by RTKL. The menu serves up a fusion of hot and cold, spicy and mild Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Indian selections, while the specially-selected libations include a variety of sakes, Asian-influenced martinis and beers, and cocktails created with ginger root and acai berries.
Blu
"Clean cuisine" is served in this soothing specialty venue designed by Celebrity's own Newbuilding and Design team. A venue exclusively for guests booked in Celebrity Solstice's new AquaClass category of accommodations, Blu is open for other guests on a space-available basis. The menu features savory appetizers such as roasted beet salad with goat cheese; Mediterranean chopped salad with pita chips and pomegranate vinaigrette; and entrees including blackened ahi tuna, pan-seared filet mignon, and herb-crusted rack of lamb.
Murano
A twist on the restaurant of the same name on Celebrity Century, and reflective of the specialty restaurants on the cruise line's Millennium-class fleet, Murano presents a blend of classic and modern Continental cuisine. The warm, elegant restaurant designed by BG Studios of New York features dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, with romantic ocean views that pair beautifully with the fine Riedel stemware, exquisite bone china and gleaming silverware. The wine cellar offers options from around the world, with a focus on boutique-style and limited-production vintages. Appetizers include warm goat cheese pancakes with sweet bell pepper nage; salads include a combination of Maine lobster, white asparagus and black truffle lobster aioli; and entrees run the gamut from spice-roasted duck with raisin-apple compote to pan-seared turbot with Alaskan King crab ragout.
Bistro on Five
A variety of specialty crepes highlight the menu in this casually-chic location, where guests are welcome to take out selections, but the ocean views are likely to entice them to stay. Designed by Wilson Butler Associates, the venue's creperie is complemented with sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts and entrees including quiche, fish and chips, baked ziti and chicken pot pie nearly around-the-clock.
Café al Bacio & Gelateria
This upscale coffeehouse radiates all the energy of a popular European café, highlighted by a sophisticated gelateria serving authentic gelatos and Italian ices, as well as signature and specialty coffees, teas, fresh-baked pastries, chocolate truffles and petit fours.
AquaSpa Café
The AquaSpa Café is the perfect option for guests seeking quick, lighter fare. A signature venue introduced on Celebrity's Millennium-class fleet, and designed by RTKL, the soothing, airy setting invites guests to dine at comfortable tables while soaking up the tranquility of the Solarium, or enjoy their cuisine while nestled in the comfort of the lounge chairs.
Mast Grill & Bar
Comfort food is the focus of this ultra-casual, poolside venue, where the simple, fast and tasty options include burgers grilled to order, tacos, nachos, hot dogs, bratwurst, chicken wings, lamb gyros, Reuben sandwiches, and onion rings.
Oceanview Café and Grill
Embodying the casually chic atmosphere of a European marketplace, this Tihany-designed restaurant offers extensive menus with international flavors that change to reflect the regions in which the ship is sailing. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the venue offers plenty of outdoor seating for dining al fresco and soaking up the sun and sea air. Inside, during evening hours, a special section of the venue features tables draped with linen tablecloths for yet another casual dining option.
Contact Cruise Planners at 866-912-7245 for more information about the Celebrity Solstice and all of Celebrity's cruises. | The New Celebrity Solstice  Solstice. The term for the longest day and shortest night of the year, summer solstice traditionally marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but at Celebrity Cruises, it also marks the opening of bookings for Celebrity SolsticeSM, the top-rated premium cruise line's first new ship since 2002.
Bookings for Celebrity Solstice will opened for members of Celebrity's loyalty program, "Captain's Club," on June 21, the date of this year's summer solstice. Beginning July 5, all other cruise enthusiasts are welcome to book a Celebrity Solstice vacation. "We are thrilled with the early interest and enthusiasm we're receiving from our guests and travel partners about Celebrity Solstice," said Celebrity's President Dan Hanrahan. "As a special gesture of appreciation to our loyal Captain's Club members, we're pleased to offer them the first opportunity to set sail in the ship's inaugural season."
Celebrity Solstice will offer the extraordinary service and dining experience the brand is known for providing, along with a variety of compelling new features that will be revealed over time. One of those features is the line's new AquaClassSM category of veranda accommodations expressly designed for spa enthusiasts. Guests booked in AquaClass will receive unlimited access to Celebrity Solstice's new AquaSpa relaxation room and the Persian Garden, an exotic aromatherapy and steam room, as well as exclusive, complimentary dining in Blu, an intimate, 130-seat specialty restaurant whose design is likely to be as inviting as the cuisine.
AquaClass will comprise 130 of the ship's 1,425 staterooms. A full 85 percent of all staterooms onboard Celebrity Solstice will have verandas, and all staterooms will be equipped with flat-screen TVs, smarter storage and closet space, spacious bathrooms, and plush European bedding. The ship will offer wireless Internet access throughout.
Following several weeks of inaugural activities, Celebrity Solstice will make its maiden voyage December 14, 2008, on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The itinerary will be offered on Sundays through April 5, 2009, with an alternating itinerary calling on San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Tortola, B.V.I.; and Labadee, Haiti, through April 12, 2009. Fares for veranda staterooms begin at $1,099 per person, based on double occupancy.
Celebrity Solstice will be the line's first in a class of four 2,850-guest vessels with an exceptional range of guest-inspired services and amenities. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft is building the 122,000-ton vessels. Meyer Werft also built the line's Century-class fleet: Celebrity Century, Celebrity Mercury, and Celebrity Galaxy. | Royal Caribbean Announces New Azamara Cruises On May 4, Richard Fain introduced Royal Caribbean's new deluxe cruise brand--Azamara.
Speaking onboard the newly named Azamara Journey, the 710-person ship recently swapped from Pullmantur for the Celebrity Zenith, Fain said that the company had intended to have the ships be upscale versions of the Celebrity product, but that during the ship's $19 million drydock refurbishment, they decided the vessel's redesign and onboard experience would put it in a category of its own. The Azamara Journey was originally the R6 from the now defunct Renaissance Line.
"Because this is a different product, and so distinct, it deserves a category name of its own to represent the fact that we're offering something different," said Fain. "We created Azamara to target an area of the market that we think is underserved, and that this product is suited to fill."
Deluxe, as he explained, is between premium and luxury. Prices will be above Celebrity's but below luxury cruise lines. Cruises aboard the Azamara Cruises line will have no formal nights.
Dan Hanrahan, president of Celebrity Cruise -- and now president of Azamara as well -- said that the deluxe category was created and chosen for Azamara to delineate the brand from others in the travel agent community.
The name Azamara comes form the Romance languages, with Aza meaning blue and Mara meaning sea. It will distinguish itself from Celebrity by offering destination-oriented itineraries in remote destinations that larger ships can't reach, with butler service in every stateroom, and more intensive shore excursion programs. | Celebrity Hosting Two Wine Cruises Celebrity Cruises is offering two wine cruises in the coastal Pacific region this spring and fall. The Celebrity Mercury will depart from San Francisco on April 27 for a seven-night wine cruise to Vancouver. Ports of call will include Monterey, Calif.; Astoria, Ore.; Seattle; and Victoria, B.C. On November 2, the Celebrity Mercury will depart Vancouver for a 10-night wine cruise to San Diego, with ports of call in Victoria, Seattle, Astoria, and Catalina Island, in addition to an overnight stay in San Francisco. The cruises will feature onboard food- and wine-themed activities, including wine talks by a California winemaker or expert, wine appreciation seminars, wine and cheese tastings, blending courses and culinary demonstrations. Guests can also enjoy wine-and-food-themed shore and land excursions. For more information, call 866-912-7245. | Celebrity Announces Plans for New Ship Celebrity Cruises announced it will build it's first post-Panamax ship (too large to fit in Panama Canal). The new ship will be 117,000 tons and have an average stateroom size of 215 square feet. 90% of the staterooms are slated to be ocean view, and of those, 90% will have balconies. The ship is due for delivery in the fall of 2008. | | |
 |
|
|
|
|
GetReadytoCruise News
