Celebrity Cruises
...ity was founded in 1989 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, which established the line’s reputation as an up-market big-ship operator. Celebrity was acquired by Royal Caribbean in 1997 and operates now as its sister cruise line. Celebrity Cruises’ fleet of nine ships falls into three unique categories. There is the “vintage” category, which includes Horizon and Zenith, ships that joined the company in its earliest incarnation. The later addition of Century, Galaxy and Mercury reflected the first real evolution - vessels that were sleeker and larger and possessing intriguing design elements and stop-the-crowd collections of contemporary art. And the last, of course, is the Millennium class — Millennium, Infinity, Summit and Constellation all weighing in at 91,000 tons and carrying up to 2,500 passengers — a quartet of ships that carry through the company’s art and culinary visions but also achieve firsts in their own right, from all-glass elevator banks to spa cafes to alternative restaurants that pay homage to great ocean liners. The company has, from the beginning, combined an enthusiasm for blending the innovative with the classic — for instance, contemporary art collections instead of traditional ones, and the cache of an internationally renowned celebrity chef (and quite intriguing alternative restaurants on its Millennium ships) while still retaining ye-olde traditional dining scenarios in main dining rooms across the fleet. Beyond its general across-the-board increase in enhancements, Celebrity also has introduced ConciergeClass. Available only on ships in its Millennium class, the gist of the program is that 100 premium ocean view staterooms have been transformed via a variety of extras, from service-related additions (priority luggage service) to actually-plusher-furnishings (luxury bed coverings, balconies with dining tables). Key new features on Millennium-class vessels include the largest spas at sea, the industry’s first outside glass elevators and an innovative gas turbine propulsion system that is more environmentally efficient. Alas, one of the Millennium-class innovations has been less than a rousing success: those four vessels have had recurring problems with their “mermaid pod propulsion systems” — resulting in breakdowns that have caused cruise cancellations and/or disruptions. Celebrity Cruises has taken the relatively unusual step of filing a $300 million lawsuit against the mermaid pod creators. In the meantime, the company has assured travelers that the breakdowns represent no safety hazard and will continue to offer generous compensation to Celebrity passengers whose cruises are cancelled or interrupted as a result of the balky system. All Celebrity ships have cabins/suites that are standard in size and amenities (a minimum category stateroom at 172 sq. ft. is a plus for bargain seekers). Celebrity has upgraded amenities in all cabin categories to include terry cloth robes and in-room service from the dining room menu. Celebrity’s Millennium-class ships possess all the contemporary accoutrements, such as a cybercafe-at-sea, double-deck libraries, CD listening rooms, martini bars, themed spas, and on Infinity, Constellation and Summit, Connect@Sea, 24-hour Internet access in all cabins for passengers who bring their laptops. All standard cabins have a color TV with CNN/ESPN, closed circuit movies and Sony’s interactive features; direct dial telephone; mini bars; safes; hair dryers and convertible twin/queen beds. A large number of cabins have private balconies (56% of all accommodations on Millennium-class ships). Suites have verandahs and private butler service, which is outstanding; additional in-suite amenities include VCR, personalized stationary, whirlpool bath, afternoon tea and pre-dinner canapes. In addition to alternative restaurants on Millennium-class ships (all levy a $25 per person service fee), Celebrity has, on a fleet wide basis, launched an evening casual dining program. These are in addition to the traditional main dining room. While not quite...