Origin of Celebrity's "X" logo

[Al_Frescoe]

Seems kind of, well, umm, kind of an odd choice (the "X") to represent a company like this. Anyone know why they decided on the "X"?

 

Just curious.

 

Skål from Stockholm

 

:)

[Kiwifruit]

Anybody feel free to correct me if I am wrong but I understand that Celebrity as a cruise line is derived from the old Greek shipping line "Chandris" and Celebrity inherited the "X" logo on their funnel from them. Chandris was popular in the 1960s and 1970s as they transported many immigrants from Europe to Australia and New Zealand (not sure if they operated to the US but would be interested to hear any other details). So far as the original reason for adoption of the Chandris logo which was the diagonal white cross against dark blue background (St Andrew's cross), I have no idea of its significance.

[Petoonya]

X is the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet "chi", the first letter of Chandris, the original owners of Celebrity Cruise Lines and the namesake. Pretty cool! :)

[catmand]

Now that is eXactly what I was going to say.

[hajekfam]

And there are X's hidden in the ships design. For example: the Century's Rendez-vous lounge seating is shaped like an X.

[robertLP]

And with the recent price increases, the "X" is for marking off all the cruises I can't afford anymore...

[CGTNORMANDIE]

The above explanation for "chi" in Greek is correct...X stands for Chandris. The Chandris family started with a coal frieghter around 1919 and built up a fleet of freighters and then passenger ships after WW II. They were able to refurbish older ships and then place them into immigration routes...England to Australia and Europe to North America etc. The Chandris Line was always known for giving better accomodations, food and service than the competition and at lower prices. They had some of the first fully airconditioned ships with outdoor pools.

 

With the advent of jet transportation the Chandris family quickly changed over to the cruise business. While other shipping companies were unable to make the change to cruising Chandris was able to run their ships at lower costs and create lower cost cruising. Cruising in the 1950s was considered a luxury for wealthier people. Chandris changed this concept and broadened the appeal for cruising. Their expansion to Celebrity Cruises was a gamble that paid off for many of us. The Chandris concept of better accomodations, food and service lives on. The old ships of the Chandris Line have gone to the breakers long ago but the X remains the same.

 

ROSS

[canderson]

The old ships of the Chandris Line have gone to the breakers long ago ...

Ah, there's one we missed in our other thread on UK vs. American English -- the "breaker's yard". I take it that although you sport a Mass. location in your profile, you're from the UK somewhere?

 

I'd be interested in whether there is support for a separate thread to hear all of the stories of folks that sailed the Chandris ships to tell us how it was back in the "good old days". Wonder if there are enough Chandris cruisers here to do that for us?

 

Here's a nice link to excerpts from a book about the company history:

 

http://www.ssaustralishomepage.co.uk/chandris.html

 

and another with some pretty interesting pictures:

 

http://www.yalumba.co.uk/Framesets/Chandris%20Lines.htm

 

and be SURE to check the many links from previous employees, etc., at the bottom of that page!

[Host Kewlguy]

Remember the code word when sailing with Celebrity is eXcellent. Mention it to your waiter or Assistant Maitre'd and watch their reaction.

[bcc99]

I'd be interested in whether there is support for a separate thread to hear all of the stories of folks that sailed the Chandris ships to tell us how it was back in the "good old days". Wonder if there are enough Chandris cruisers here to do that for us?

 

The "Where Are They Now?" board on here has some threads on the old Chandris ships...I've seen threads for Britanis, and maybe also Amerikanis and Victoria if memory serves me right. (Warning: if you have a strong sentimental attachment to an old ship, most of the "where are they now" stories don't end happily. :( )

[canderson]

As Celebrity was being created from Chandris, there was a ship that predates the Horizon and Zenith known as the Meridian. It was recreated from the Chandris ship Galileo. Here's a pic of one Celebrity ship many have never seen:

[canderson]

The "Where Are They Now?" board on here has some threads on the old Chandris ships...I've seen threads for Britanis, and maybe also Amerikanis and Victoria if memory serves me right. (Warning: if you have a strong sentimental attachment to an old ship, most of the "where are they now" stories don't end happily. :( )

True enough. The employees that created many of the web pages pointed to in links above describe the specific means (and often, locations) of demise of most of the original Chandris cruising fleet.

[hajekfam]

Remember the code word when sailing with Celebrity is eXcellent. Mention it to your waiter or Assistant Maitre'd and watch their reaction.

 

In fact, the crew was instructed to answer "Xcellent" when asked "How are you?, or as a response to your menu choice, or whenever else appropriate.

(Amazing what tidbits you pick up when you are one of only about 300 passengers for 3 days until the rest of the passengers came aboard in Ft. Lauderdale for the Century's maiden voyage - got to know the crew one one one)

[dougnewmanatsea]

Ah, there's one we missed in our other thread on UK vs. American English -- the "breaker's yard". I take it that although you sport a Mass. location in your profile, you're from the UK somewhere?

Well... Admittedly, UK English is the international language of the sea, but in the shipping business, "shipbreakers" is a pretty much international term, used in the US as much as anywhere else.

 

Similarly, a ship that's been scrapped might be referred to as "broken up at Alang 2/2001" or something like that.

[canderson]

In fact, the crew was instructed to answer "Xcellent" when asked "How are you?, or as a response to your menu choice, or whenever else appropriate.

A few cruises back, we had a waiter that had his own variant on the theme. Evidently, he'd grown tired of the company's standard "excellent", and EVERY time my wife would order an item from the menu (5 selections x 10 dinners), he'd say "beautiful choice, madam". It went from curious to annoying to downright funny after a while.

 

Did the "Excellent" business start with Chandris, or with Celebrity?

[AFT_LOVER]

Thank you for the memory of a great cruise with much ambiance & with M Class it still lives on.........

 

 

As Celebrity was being created from Chandris, there was a ship that predates the Horizon and Zenith known as the Meridian. It was recreated from the Chandris ship Galileo. Here's a pic of one Celebrity ship many have never seen:

[mahdnc]

And there are X's hidden in the ships design. For example: the Century's Rendez-vous lounge seating is shaped like an X.

 

....and the lights in the elevator ceiling on the Horizon were in an X

 

[Vic The Parrot]

They really have come a long way.

 

 

I can still remember seeing the old Chandris ships docked in NY, and Bermuda. One of the nicest ships they had was the Amerikanis.

 

Not too big .. not too small

 

Very nice classical lines.

 

And the Australis, I think ... was the former America of the US line. That was also a beautiful ship.

 

And for those reasons, the Fleet Bar on the Zenith quickly became my choice spot on board for enjoying cocktails, and both views...... of the ocean, and the awesome photos of the old Chandris fleet.

[safein]

When we were on the Infinity at the Captain's Club party, the CD,Damian asked about who has sailed on which vessels of Celebrity. He forgot to mention the Meridian. We asked him later on the cruise only because we couldn't find him. He wasn't aware of the ship! :eek:

 

As far as the X goes, it is indeed named for the Chandris family. While some of the other cruiselines have high profiled godmothers, the Horizon, Zenith and the Century class ships have the Chandris women as their godmothers. I really am not sure of the Millie class ships.

 

Anita

[bcc99]

And the Australis, I think ... was the former America of the US line. That was also a beautiful ship.

 

You're right...Australis was originally built as SS America for United States Lines, the much-loved little sister to SS United States. There were similarities in their styling and both had loyal followings, but America was always considered to be the "warmer" of the two and an excellent ship in her own right.

[Ships R Great]

My mother sailed on the Amerikanis and the Australis many times. We have found crew who remember her. What a nice "Xtra" when we find someone who remembers her as we sail on X today.

[dougnewmanatsea]

We asked him later on the cruise only because we couldn't find him. He wasn't aware of the ship!

Pretty amazing that she's been gone from the fleet so long that a CD on a Celebrity ship doesn't even know that the old girl existed!

 

She was a verrry popular ship on the NY-Bermuda run. Never did sail in her, but I used to see her a lot in NY harbor. A very nice-looking ship.

 

Those interested can read about her history - and sad demise - here.

 

Not to spread rumors, but a well-informed acquaintance who works in the shipping business in Singapore recently indicated that at the time of her demise, there were suggestions that it might have been an insurance job. Apparently she was not very well-suited for the Asian market and they couldn't find a buyer willing to give them a good price for the ship. (They also grossly overpaid for her - $68 million for a 30+ year old cruise ship is an incredible sum!) And then, suddenly, the ship burns and sinks. Needless to say people got a little suspicious! It might have been a coincidence... Or not... At this point it hardly matters, but I thought it interesting that the issue was raised.

 

One of the nicest ships they had was the Amerikanis.

Yes - a really pretty little ship. I never was on her, but from what I've seen, she was quite nice internally too.

 

When she was converted to a cruise ship (from the Union-Castle liner KENYA CASTLE) in 1968, she was at the vanguard of the cruise industry. I think she was the first ship to have televisions in all her cabins (black-and-white, of course).

 

She was also the last Chandris ship in active service, retired in 1997. She wasn't broken up until 2001.

 

And the Australis, I think ... was the former America of the US line. That was also a beautiful ship.

Indeed! Her interiors were absolutely magnificent. She was also a beautiful ship externally. (Well, most of these old liners were!)

 

She ranks as my all-time favorite American liner.

 

A very good site on her is here.

 

Part of her wreck still can be seen off the Canary Islands; there are excellent photos on the site above.

 

Peter Knego, who wrote the article on MERIDIAN that I linked above, visited her laid-up in Greece in 1992 (she hadn't sailed since 1979, as ITALIS, which was the second name given to her by Chandris for one season of Mediterranean cruising - Chandris had sold her to new owners who were unsuccessful, and then bought her back for much less than they'd been paid!) not long before her fateful last voyage. Astonishingly enough, most of her original and splendid Art Deco interiors were intact (though naturally a bit dusty!). Apparently she hadn't been touched since 1979 - a sign at the entrance to the Captain's quarters still read "SS ITALIS SAILS FOR BARCELONA 8-9-79 @ 18:00 HOURS"! (I have photos, but can't share because of copyright issues... But her interiors at the time would have been the textbook definition of "faded grandeur".)

[Vic The Parrot]

 

 

 

Part of her wreck still can be seen off the Canary Islands

 

 

 

Very haunting images .... a sad end.

 

 

:(

[Budd]

Hello

 

 

I sailed on the Amerikanis twice sailing out of NYC. I believe it was in the late 60's or early 70's. We had an outside cabin with a porthole and that was considered a top cabin in those days. Before sailing visitors were allowed to board the ship & party. At sail away they gave us noisemakers & string confetti to throw off the ship. The food in the dining room was mainly Greek. If I remember correctly their were 2 pools each one about the size of a very large hot tub. The crew were very efficient and courteous. A good time was had by all. As a side note when I asked Celebrity to credit me with those 2 cruises toward my Captain's Club perks, they claimed they never heard of the ship. Oh well.

 

Found this picture of the ship on one of the threads. Brings back good memories.

[mahdnc]

Pretty amazing that she's been gone from the fleet so long that a CD on a Celebrity ship doesn't even know that the old girl existed!

 

She was a verrry popular ship on the NY-Bermuda run. Never did sail in her, but I used to see her a lot in NY harbor. A very nice-looking ship.

 

Those interested can read about her history - and sad demise - here.

 

 

This is also an interesting website which specifically focuses on the events surrounding her sinking in 1999. Sun Vista Sinking