When you spend $355 million sprucing up your ships, you want to make sure you’re getting bang for your buck.
Having just toured the refurbed, revamped, revitalised Celebrity Solstice, I can tell you there’s a new star in the cruising heavens.
She’s sleek, she’s chic and well worth a peek.
A particular favourite with Aussies, Celebrity Solstice has visited more ports Down Under than any other ship in the Celebrity fleet. She’s the first to benefit from a $US250 million investment to modernise Celebrity’s fleet of Solstice Series ships.
Traveltalk was invited to see where the money went and it was obvious from the moment we boarded that Celebrity were deadly serious about raising the stakes.
Home to just under 3,000 people, she offers understated charm and while you can’t quite smell the new paint, you know the recent facelift has been effective.
“This has been an amazing journey for the ship,” said Tim Jones, Vice President and Managing Director, Australia and APAC, Celebrity Cruises.
“She’s been wowing Australians for the past 10 years, ever since she first came here. It’s an absolute gem of a ship now with all the new experiences onboard.”
The highlights include:
# New entertainment & social spaces: Celebrity Solstice now features new entertainment and social spaces, including the cabaret-style Boulevard Lounge & Bar, the elevated Parlor sports bar and two exciting productions in The Theatre: the 1950s-inspired Smoke and Ivories and the live rock experience Rockumentary.
# New dining: Two new restaurants, Trattoria Rossa, serving authentic Italian cuisine, and the Forbes Travel Guide-rated steakhouse favourite – also on the signature Edge Series – Fine Cut Steakhouse which offers premium steaks and seafood.
# Sunset Park: A new top-deck outdoor destination offering ocean-view activities, private cabanas, casual dining at Sunset Park Café and handcrafted cocktails at the expanded Sunset Bar.
# Stateroom upgrades – All staterooms on Celebrity Solstice have been upgraded, with 54 new rooms added and four new stateroom categories.
“To see her, the first of our Solstice Series ships to be made new again, and be one of the first markets to experience her bow to stern enhancements is incredibly special,” added Mr Jones.
“This revitalisation is about elevating everything our guests already loved – from dining and entertainment to our best-in-class accommodations – while introducing brand-new spaces designed for connection and relaxation.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Solstice in the Australian market.”
While the ship may be shiny and new, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed – the excellent service provided by the Celebrity crew, something Mr Jones was quick to acknowledge.
“Our crew are what brings this ship to life and deliver what we believe in as a brand. Our crew really are the heart and soul of what we do as a company.
“We can build the stage but it needs the actors to truly bring it to life.”
Celebrity Solstice will return to the region in October as part of her 110-night Grand Voyage, sailing across the Pacific from Alaska to Asia, visiting 15 countries and more than 55 destinations.
Main image courtesy Tim Faircloth
https://www.celebritycruises.com/au/
