By Anita Dunham-Potter (editor@www.expertcruiser.com)

Lawn Club offerings, new relaxation areas, and changes to Michael’s Club. “We have focused on continuing to break the rules from the hardware and software standpoint for cruise ships,” said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. By continuing to tweak an already successful class of cruise ship, Celebrity is staying well-ahead in the premium cruise market. Hanrahan added, “We recognize that consumers’ vacation time is precious, and that’s what drives us to continually create new and unique experiences that enhance their rare time away.”

Celebrity Cruises announced today some big changes and upgrades to their popular Solstice-class vessels. The changes will debut on the new Celebrity Silhouette (sailing in August 2011) and Celebrity Reflection (sailing in November 2012). The line announced new AquaClass suites, expanded Here’s what Celebrity customers can look forward to:

NEW AQUACLASS SKY SUITES HIGHLIGHT EXPANDED ACCOMMODATIONS
Driven by high demand for Celebrity’s industry-first AquaClass category of spa-inspired accommodations, and by way of an additional deck being added to Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity will introduce on that ship the line’s first AquaClass Suites, each offering 251 square feet of luxurious interior space and spacious 57-square-foot verandas, and all the amenities associated with Celebrity’s AquaClass accommodations, including exclusive and complimentary access to the highly-rated specialty restaurant, “Blu,” noted for inviting, modern design and flavorful, healthy, clean cuisine. The new suites also will offer the luxurious 24/7 butler service that is a hallmark of every suite across the Celebrity fleet.

In addition to the 34 new AquaClass Suites, Celebrity Reflection also will present an additional eight luxurious new Sky Suites, 19 additional plush ConciergeClass staterooms, and 11 additional inside staterooms, bringing the stateroom/suite total to 1,515.
“We gave a great deal of thought about how to ideally accommodate everything we’re adding,” said Hanrahan. “We’re widening the ship slightly, enabling us to introduce each of these exceptional new venues without compromising the Celebrity’s premium space ratio and lauded traffic flow.
Additionally, Celebrity Reflection will offer 245 more loungers on its expanded pool deck to suit the increased overall guest capacity, as well as 45 additional seats in the Celebrity Theater, 118 in Oceanview Cafe, 24 additional seats each in Blu and in Tuscan Grille, four more in Qsine, and 40 additional seats in the main dining room, where Celebrity also offers Celebrity Select Dining, the industry’s first flexible dining option allowing guests to choose when they wish to dine on a flexible, day-by-day basis.

THE LAWN CLUB
Inspired by the popularity of its iconic, industry-first Lawn Club, Celebrity will leverage its brand pillars of outstanding dining experiences, enriching activities, relaxation and pampering, and modern design to offer vacationers on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection significantly expanded opportunities to eat and drink, relax and lounge, and participate and socialize within the inviting space.

The Lawn Club Grill
Both Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will present “The Lawn Club Grill,” the industry’s first outdoor, interactive grill venue. A new, exceptionally social specialty dining option overlooking the lush lawn and soothing sea, The Lawn Club Grill will boast a design likely to be the envy of novice and experienced chefs alike, with gleaming stainless steel grills and other appliances, custom pizza-making tables and large ovens. By day, in addition to a casual lunch menu highlighted by a variety of high-end burgers, the venue will present interactive demonstrations and classes focused on pizza-making – including the art of dough-tossing – grilling secrets, mouth-watering marinades and more, led by Celebrity’s own chefs, as well as guest chefs participating in Celebrity’s “Savor Your Destination” program. By night, in a particularly unique twist, guests will have their choice from an array of top-quality meats to either grill themselves, side-by-side with Celebrity’s chefs, or have grilled to order. A nominal surcharge will apply. Complementing the dinner experience will be libations ranging from wines, beer and sangria, all consistent with the casual nature of the 56-seat restaurant.

The Porch
With its chic, Hamptons-style design, modern furnishings, and creative use of natural light, all complemented by the enticing aroma of fresh-baked breads and pastries, The Porch will be the idyllic spot for quick, simple, casual and complimentary breakfasts and lunches. Offering breathtaking views of the lawn and sea courtesy of its prime location on the starboard side of the ship at the entrance to Lawn Club, the intimate, 48-seat venue will be the perfect place to enjoy complimentary fresh pastries, salads, paninis and other sandwiches, in addition to specialty coffees, beer and wine.

The Art Studio
With one of the world’s largest corporate collections of contemporary art exhibited across its fleet, and given the enthusiasm guests expressed when the line introduced the industry’s first art tours to be offered on an iPad®, Celebrity will further appeal to its guests’ love of art in “The Art Studio” within the area of The Lawn Club. There, experienced and novice artists alike can participate in intimate, hands-on instruction from experts in drawing, painting and beading, as well as the art of food, with plating, tastings, mixology and other culinary-themed classes. The Art Studio also will present exclusive, intimate pairing dinners hosted by guest chefs participating in Celebrity’s Savor Your Destination program.

The Alcoves
For a private retreat overlooking the lawn, ocean and coastlines, Celebrity also will present within The Lawn Club “The Alcoves,” eight exclusive, cabana-style settings, each designed for two to four guests. Each of The Alcoves on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will offer WiFi for guests who want to stay connected while relaxing, themed picnic baskets and an a la carte beverage menu. The Alcoves will be available as partial or all-day rentals. Adjacent to The Alcoves, guests will find eight inviting hammocks and two whimsical, oversized Adirondack chairs, each offering complimentary, additional opportunities to relax amidst the atmosphere of the lawn and sea.

MICHAEL’S CLUB
Celebrity’s history and future will converge in Michael’s Club – a venue found on every Celebrity ship – where the line will present on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection a restyled, casually elegant bar where vacationers can sit back and enjoy the comfortably sophisticated atmosphere while watching the World Cup games and sipping a Chimay Blue. Across the Celebrity fleet, Michael’s Club offers an impressive selection of rare malts, whiskies and scotches. Building on that tradition, the “new” Michael’s Club on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will add an equally impressive selection of more than 50 beers, including flavorful craft beers, and will allow guests to participate in engaging experiences such as ideal food and beer pairings, how to pour the perfect draft, or how to select the proper beer glass, all while snacking on homemade, gourmet potato chips and bread sticks, and fresh, lightly-spiced caramel popcorn, amidst a vibe of live music and cool playlists, or major international sporting events airing on the venue’s large, 46″ TV screens.

THE HIDEAWAY
Guests seeking a particularly quiet spot to get away from it all can do so in a new venue inspired precisely by that interest. “The Hideaway” on Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection will provide a high-tech escape for vacationers relaxing with their iPads or perhaps trying out a new Apple product from the Celebrity iLounge, or a low-tech retreat for reading a good book. Inspired by the live trees suspended within the Grand Foyer of every Solstice Class ship, the design of The Hideaway reflects that of an upscale, avant-garde tree house, with cozy, intimate lounging “nests,” or niches.

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Celebrity Cruises kicked off its 20th anniversary by announcing a new motto: “Designed for You”. Additionally, the company announced a multiyear plan to revitalize other ships in the Celebrity fleet with the very popular Solstice-class features.

Celebrity president and CEO Dan Hanrahan dubbed the makeovers as “Solsticize”. Hanrahan stated that because the Solstice-class ships have been a big game-changer for the line it will now focus on giving its four Millennium-class ships an overhaul. The cruise line will renovate one ship per year starting with Constellation, which will enter dry-dock in April 2010. The price tag for the four ship makeovers is a whopping $200 million.

Equinox is truly an appropriate name for Celebrity Cruises latest Solstice-class ship. Twice a year, the equinox marks a near-perfect balance between length of day and night across the planet, and the Celebrity Equinox offers cruise travelers an excellent balance of size, style, efficiency, and quality.

Here comes the sun

Carrying 2,850-passengers, the 122,000-ton Equinox is the second in a series of five “Solstice-class” ships. The vessel offers all the seagoing firsts of the Celebrity Solstice: a half-acre Lawn Club with real grass and full-time groundskeeper and the Hot Glass Show presented in collaboration with The Corning Museum of Glass.

Other favorite features are here, too, including AquaClass spa rooms, 10 restaurants (including a creperie and Asian fusion venue); a beautiful spa and large gym with expansive sea views; whispy resort-like pool spaces including one in a solarium; a vast variety of lounges and bars and wonderful nooks and crannies to relax in. As great as these amenities are it is ship’s style and design that received big raves during its debut in Southampton, UK this week

The interior design of the Solstice-class ships is a world apart from the retro-style favored by the majority of cruise lines – there’s nothing out there nearly as stylish. Those familiar with Solstice will find Equinox an almost identical vessel, albeit with some minor cosmetic changes. Changes onboard Equinox includes more color in the mostly white Silhouette Dining Room, other décor changes include in the Silk Harvest restaurant, Martini Bar, and Equinox Theater, which launched new shows. The Sun Deck has been enlarged and can accommodate 100 more deck chairs. Additionally, minor tweaks have been made to staterooms — safes have been relocated from closets to cabinets to allow for slightly more hanging space.

Equinox showcases a large number of modern works of art, over 500 pieces including several by Roy Lichtenstein. Interestingly a number of art pieces come from the lauded collection that graced the former Celebrity Galaxy. Still, there is one very unique piece that gets more attention than the rest and is a combination of bead and living art. Hanging from the 12-deck atrium is a ficus tree in a sparkling beaded pot that was created by a team of American bead artists. Underneath the pot, attached to the atrium walls is more bead art with the words “Here comes the sun.”

Intrigue and delight
Equinox features 1,426 staterooms, 85 percent of which include a veranda. Each stateroom is equipped with flat-screen TVs with an amazing on demand audio/visual system includes a library of over 5,000 songs, storage and closet space, spacious bathrooms and plush European bedding. The ship offers wireless Internet access throughout.

The popular AquaClass staterooms — 130 in all — designed to offer a soothing, spa-focused ambiance. Located in close proximity to the ship’s two-story “AquaSpa by Elemis,” AquaClass guests will enjoy unlimited access to the spa’s Persian Garden aromatherapy steam room, featuring heated ceramic loungers and the Relaxation Room, which offers panoramic vistas from comfortable lounge chairs. AquaClass guests also enjoy unlimited, complimentary access to the ship’s exclusive, Mediterranean-influenced specialty restaurant, Blu.

Celebrity may have topped itself with the introduction aboard Equinox of a “24-Karat Gold Facial.’’ The treatment uses an alchemy of expert touch, medicinal plants, Rose Quartz and a pure 24-karat gold leaf mask to speed up cell renewal. Guests who experience it will also be able to enjoy a special cocktail inspired by the treatment itself. The “Golden Kiss Martini” features Golden Supreme vodka, cucumber juice, agave syrup and lemon juice, muddled with fresh mint.

With the launch of the new ship, Celebrity started “Celebrity Life,” a series of enrichment programs that encompasses three distinct program categories: “Savor,” “Discover,” and “Renew.” Programs include learning a new language with Rosetta Stone to courses that teach guests to use their iPod through Celebrity’s “digITal” series. – there is literally something to interest everyone on board. The program will be rolled out across the fleet by November.

Like Solstice, Equinox is going green by utilizing 216 solar panels throughout the ship. The energy collected then becomes part of the ship’s power grid — enough to operate 7,000 of the vessel’s 25,000 energy efficient LED lights.

If you go:
Celebrity Equinox begins its inaugural season with a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords on July 31 out of Southampton. Other departures from Southampton include a 10-night “Best of Europe” itinerary to Rome. Then ship will then sail a series of 13-and14-night “Ancient Empires” cruises through October, featuring two new ports of call: Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. These voyages also include an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt. Fares for 13- and 14-night cruises begin at $2,099 per person. On November 5, the ship will sail a transatlantic voyage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where it will begin a series of alternating 10- and 11-night “Ultimate Caribbean” voyages through April 2010. Prices begin at $1,199 per person. All aforementioned prices are based on inside staterooms, double occupancy. Visit Celebrity Cruises Web site for more details.

With a toot of the bagpipes, blessings from heaven, hugs, and a smash of champagne from a custom-made bottle by The Corning Museum of Glass the Celebrity Equinox was christened in Southampton, England. The very traditional ceremony was headlined by Godmother Nina Barough, founder of the United Kingdom-based breast cancer charity “Walk the Walk”.

The 2,850-guest Equinox is sister-ship to the line’s highly-acclaimed Celebrity Solstice. The new ship features 1,426 staterooms, 85 percent of which include a veranda.

Celebrity also continues its tradition of showcasing some of the finest examples of contemporary art aboard its newest ship that is entitled “The Essence of Equinox”. This high caliber collection consists of nearly 500 original works that are rarely seen outside major museums, art galleries and private collections. Equinox also features a selection of works from the lauded collection that graced Celebrity Galaxy prior to the ship’s transition to the TUI Cruises fleet earlier this year.

Here are some photos of the ceremony and around the ship.

In a few hours I’ll be boarding a United Airlines flight across the pond to check out Celebrity Cruises newest addition – the fabulous Celebrity Equinox. The ship will be christened Wednesday, July 29 in Southampton, England. ExpertCruiser will be among the many press covering the event.

I made no secret last year that Equinox’s sister-ship Celebrity Solstice was the prettiest ship I’ve ever been on. I am optimistic that Equinox will be equal to her big sister.

Guests sailing on Celebrity Equinox enjoy a resort-like experience with amenities and services similar to those found on Celebrity Solstice. Among the most intriguing is the industry’s first Lawn Club, a half-acre country-club atmosphere featuring real grass; there are also 10 dining venues including several created by noted hospitality designer Adam Tihany with menus pairing classic and contemporary selections created by noted chef, restaurateur and Celebrity’s Vice President of Culinary Operations Jacques Van Staden.

Stay tuned to live blogs from the ship.

When you’re sailing the seas, surrounded by nothing more than serene ocean waves it’s tough to get into a more relaxed state of mind. But if ultimate tranquility is what you seek, then head to the ship’s spa. Most ship spas offer classic massages and facials, but some spas stand out from the rest and feature soothing treatments and striking venues that are truly unique.

Here are the top five cruise ship spa experiences.

Celebrity Solstice AquaSpa
The two-story AquaSpa and fitness center is an integral part of the Celebrity Solstice where the goal is to create a healthy spa-resort fitness feeling. The Solarium indoor pool is among the prettiest pools at sea with waterfalls and dancing water fountains. Before and after treatments guests can lounge with sea views in the Relaxation Room that offers comfy and plush wicker ottomans or the spa’s Persian Garden that offers warm marble lounges to laze on. The spa offers a wide array of treatments, but acupuncture therapy is the highlight and is very popular among returning guests.

Adjacent to the spa are 130 AquaClass staterooms, which offer unlimited access to the spa facilities and come equipped with an amazing five-head Hansgrohe “shower tower” that offers a waterfall showerhead and side jets.

Costa Serena Samsara Spa
Costa Serena boasts the largest spa-and-health facility at sea: the 23,000-square-foot Asian-inspired Samsara Spa. The relaxation begins the moment you enter the door as the staff welcomes you in Asian style with Namaste, a Hindi greeting offered with hands in a prayer position and a quick bow forward.

The treatment offerings include a huge thalassotherapy pool, rock sauna, aromatic Turkish bath, VIP Treatment Suite and Oriental Deluxe House — to name just a few. Many treatments are ayurvedic, i.e., they are based on ancient, holistic healing practices from India that aim to balance body and soul. Every treatment begins with a shanty foot-cleansing ritual then lingers through a series of relaxing and revitalizing attentions. Before and after treatments, guests are encouraged to relax with a cup of tea in the Japanese Tea Garden or in the winter garden solarium, which has comfy loungers and canopied beds with sea views and relaxing music.

Spa junkies can book one of the 99 Samsara Spa staterooms, which comes with treatments and unlimited visits to the thermal suite.

Cunard Queen Mary 2 Canyon Ranch SpaClub
The 20,000 square foot Canyon Ranch SpaClub onboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is both spacious and luxurious even surpassing land-based spas. The only spa at sea affiliated with the world-renowned Canyon Ranch, it comes with 24 treatment rooms and a staff of 51 certified health and wellness experts — the best therapists afloat.

SpaClub’s goal is to inspire and motivate guest’s healthiest intentions into action. Fitness instructors conduct daily group and private fitness, yoga and tai chi classes for passengers. Additionally, “healthy living experts” will offer on-board lectures and workshops addressing lifestyle change, health and medical issues, stress management, smoking cessation, healthy aging and disease prevention — all in the quest for healthy change.

Every feature of the SpaClub, from the spectacular views offered by the wraparound windows in the full-service salon, to the beautifully appointed locker rooms, is enhanced by sea air and gorgeous scenery. The spa’s Aqua Therapy Centre is impressive: an amazing thalassotherapy pool with a deluge waterfall, a whirlpool, and neck-massage fountains. There are reclining lounge airbeds, a deluge shower, wall-mounted body jets and floor-mounted air tubes.

The Thermal Suite has both herbal and Finnish Saunas, an ice fountain, two reflexology basins that massage tired feet, and an aromatic steam room. The herbal sauna has a unique Moorish design, with individual arched areas for each person using the room.

Disney Magic Vista Spa
The Disney Magic’s 11,000 square-foot Vista Spa includes 11 treatment rooms with abundant treatment offerings. In addition, there’s a tropical rain forest retreat and relaxation room with heated lounges to sooth tired muscles.

Find nirvana in the Vista Spa’s “spa villas”. You won’t find these on any other cruise ship. These three Mediterranean-inspired villas come complete with an indoor spa treatment suite which is connected to a private outdoor veranda with personal hot tub, open air shower and luxurious chaise lounge. Indulge in packages that incorporated a long dip in the Jacuzzi, a 55-minute massage, and a relaxing post-treatment tea time all while watching the waves — complete bliss!

Norwegian Pearl South Pacific Spa
Norwegian Pearl’s South Pacific Spa, operated by Mandara Spas, is the perfect place to unwind and get pampered. The spa features 20 treatment rooms, 3 of which are designed for couples and offers everything from massages and manicures, to teeth brightening and Botox!

The spa also has separate men and women’s saunas, aromatic steam rooms, plunge bath, hydro baths, and hot tub. The unisex relaxation room offers heated chaises and plush rattan lounges affording endless sea views. The best part is the huge thalassotherapy pool, which combines heat and saltwater for a delightfully relaxing soak.

Sit back and relax and get ready to be pampered at sea. Who knows you may disembark your cruise feeling like a new person.