CELEBRITY orders ANOTHER new ship!

[Queenk2]

Does it really matter what the names are? They are new, they are Celebrity and they will increase the fleet. Most likely they will give us more places to go! Good Job,Celebrity!

karen

[Ericknow32]

The names are kind of hard. How are people going to remember what ship they are going on. Summit, Millennium, Century, they are easy. Solstice, Equinox, not so easy. It just doesn't sound right saying "I am sailing on the Solstice."

 

I do want to sail on them though. Who knows, maybe the names will grow on me.

[hdawson]

Dkjretired. How well I remember Mel's review of Century and his rant about the naming of X ships after cars. Frankly, I kind of like these two names. Not following the lead of other cruiselines and having distinctive names.

[Cathy Maneri]

Mmmm.....let's see between Freedom of the Seas and Solstice......Solstice!

 

I'm a big Celebrity fan (and also have cruised RCL, all their sizes, new and old), but I'm really looking forward to Celebrity's new ships. I've heard they are going to be more luxurious and they are going cater to their repeat cruisers. I'm just so curious about what itineraries they will now offer.

 

I am keeping my cruise calendar open for 2008 for this new ship.

 

The names don't mean much to me. Just give me consistency and great service, which Celebrity always does.

[Alan2504]

Dkjretired. How well I remember Mel's review of Century and his rant about the naming of X ships after cars. Frankly, I kind of like these two names. Not following the lead of other cruiselines and having distinctive names.

 

OK OK ....you guys had a head start on me there!........we don't get too many Pontiacs (Solstice) and Chevrolet (Equinox) over here! :) ...so took me a wee while to see where you both were at!

 

Hope all's well with you Don!

 

 

Alan

[cruising with marti]

I am shocked to hear all the disgust over the size.

 

It's as if everyone believes that there is some magic number that is the perfect amount of guess any more is just too many.

 

The 'crowdedness' of a ship has alot to do with programing and design. Celebrity has mastered the are of avoiding lines.

 

A ship can feel crowded at 1500 and spacious at 2000 depending on how many of the guess show up at that same time, in the same place.

 

"Night Bites" are just not a way for X to serve less food late at night--it's a creative way to keep all of us pigs from forming a clot somewhere in the ship so that we can get our grub.

 

Before you pan the ship to pax ratios, remember that we have no idea how much space is alocated for crew/operations vs. pax.

 

Maybe, JUST MAYBE, they have found ways to use far less space for food panty, spare parts, HVAC.

 

If you still feel that you are unwilling to give them new ships a chance, all I can say is: Great--that will make getting the cabin of my choice that much easier!

 

(Am I the only one that finds it ironic that the largests X ships are their most popular?)

 

Mangos

 

No, you are not the only one, kind of weird, huh:D

 

I have sailed on small ships and the very largest and if i was not told how many pax were on board, I would be hard pressed to know the answer.

 

Phil

[cruising with marti]

Hi Walter !

 

I agree. It would have been great if Celebrity did some sort of Poll, or at least polled the Elite Members. As Elite Members, we are supposed to be on some sort of email list to be polled on new ideas from Celebrity, yet I NEVER get any of these emails from Celebrity.

 

Wouldn't this have been a great item to poll us on, BEFORE they announced the names :) ?

 

hi Andy, I am an elite member and I did take part In A Celebrity Poll, and among the questions i was asked about names for new ships, and I do r ecall the name solstice can't remember how I voted on that one:D

 

The poll that I was emailed was about two years ago.

 

Phil

[cechase]

I just don't understand why a number of posters are getting "their knickers in a uproar" over the names - they are only names. Celebrity is in my opinion merely following a trend in the cruise business and planning for bigger and larger vessels. They are merely meeting the competion from other cruise lines which have larger vessels.

 

We love Century! We love the C-class vessels, however we are now moving up to the M-class vessels for a specific reason. We have had five RS suites on C-class vessels. There is just one problem, they are located on the Penthouse deck right under Deck eleven with all of the lounges, hotdog and hamburger stands. The little told secret is that when the lounges are moved or someone stompts or runs on Deck eleven you can hear it in the RS suites. On our first Celebrity cruise in RS1054 on Mercury, we were right under the hotdog and hamburger area, and at night they cleaned and reprovisioned that area, and at 3:00 a.m., it sounded like they were rolling bowling balls over the deck.

 

Our next cruise is on Infinity in RS6138, and we only have cabins above us!!

We are sure that in planning for the M-class vessels that the noise problem was considered. We have enough confidence in Celebrity to believe that the S-class vessels will be as well planned as all of their other vessels. [Have you ever felt crowded on the C-class vessels? Well, we haven't, and believe that it will be the same on Infinity.]

 

All flames are welcomed :D.

[mahdnc]

I just don't understand why a number of posters are getting "their knickers in a uproar" over the names - they are only names.

 

Agreed. Sometimes it just takes some getting used to. I remember the adverse reactions on this message board when some of the names were first announced for the ships now in Celebrity's fleet. Mercury and Summit in particular were not initially well received.

[vaccardi]

Add me to the happy list. I will cruise any ship as long as the quality is maintained, and the prices are affordable. I am happy because it is a real commitment to Celebrity on RCCL's part after just plunking down over $1B. I was afraid they might start rotating the old ships to Celebrity. I believe that X will remain a cut above most at a reasonable price.

[safein]

The best thing about this news that some people forget is that Celebrity is finally going back to Meyer-Werft, builders of the Horizon, Zenith and the Century class. Let's hope that they don't make them so identical as they did with the Millie class!

 

Anita

[stinsowm]

Hi Walter !

 

I agree. It would have been great if Celebrity did some sort of Poll, or at least polled the Elite Members. As Elite Members, we are supposed to be on some sort of email list to be polled on new ideas from Celebrity, yet I NEVER get any of these emails from Celebrity.

 

Wouldn't this have been a great item to poll us on, BEFORE they announced the names :) ?

Hey Andy, You are right and I am now proudly an Elite member and would have been thrilled to have had the chance to cast a vote on a name. I guess Neptune and Pluto would have been out of the question.

[Liat]

The best thing about this news that some people forget is that Celebrity is finally going back to Meyer-Werft, builders of the Horizon, Zenith and the Century class. Let's hope that they don't make them so identical as they did with the Millie class!

 

Anita

 

Good point Anita! I loved both Mercury and Galaxy. But they probably will be similar in virtually all aspects. I don't believe size per se is all that important. What has made Celebrity different, and better than all the "major" cruise lines is the higher ratio of staff to passengers. This always showed up especially in the dining room with a more liesurely pace and servers who could chat with you and learn your preferences. One of the other major benefits of the X service is the fact that meals are not "canned", or more accurately, "frozen" and then nuked to be served. Each order is actually individually prepared and served up in the kitchen. If Celebrity can keep this up on a larger ship, then the size is not a big deal. This will require a lot of effort and dedication, and I hope they can find the people.

[albertiger]

I like the names, at least they aren't rehashed CCL and RCI names.;) It also might mean a slight price drop for M class ships as they wont be the "newest and biggest" anymore. Just did my first cruise on Constellation and liked it a lot, now i want to make friends with her sisters!:eek:

[ocngypz]

"A rose is a rose, is a rose".. and "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"....but

 

I do have a problem with the new class dimensions and the dedicated "nickel and diming" revenue space.

 

That is my own personal preference. And my own .02.

 

Sorry, but with RCL, PCL and Cunard.. as tonnage increased, service decreased.

 

There is economy of scale, no doubt about it, but IMHO it doesn't belong in the premium market.

[canderson]

Oh well...I still have four ships to pick from...

Okey dokey, Danno. From your prior cruise list, it would seem that you've never been on any of the M-Class ships. I've cruised both, and I have to tell you, if you like a ship like the Galaxy or Mercury, none of the M-Class ships would put you off due to size. Walking stem to stern, they just don't seem THAT different.

 

Our first two cruises with Celebrity were on Galaxy. Our third was on Infinity. While there are some differences, the overall sense of a difference in size just wasn't noticable. The overall layout, while some differences do exist, is familiar and comfortable when we shift back and forth between the two classes. In fact, it wasn't until some time after my first trip on Infinity that I found out what the real difference in size was, and only because I saw the figures published, NOT because the M-Class ships felt bigger or more crowded.

 

We're NOT talking about indoor malls, rock climbing walls. or a totally different layout. The M-Class is in large part a slightly bigger version of the C-Class concept.

 

Granted, I like the T-Pool on the C-Class ships better. However, I like the Aqua Spa grill on the M-Class. I also like the fact that the galley doesn't impede movement from from mid-ship to aft to the lower level of the dining room ships.

 

Each class has a few unique features, a few plus and minus items, but until you've walked the M-Class, I'd really suggest you not blow them off due to size. The perceived difference in size just isn't there once you've been on them. Truth to tell, the size isn't THAT much different to begin with, and as some have been pointing out, the staffing levels don't let the service suffer with size at all.

 

I'm not trying to produce some hard sell to convince you to sail the M-Class ships, but you should realize that size isn't the issue you might think, and if the price and itinerary happen to work, you really ought to take one shot at an M-Class to see if it opens up some more itinerary options for you on a line whose other features you already appreciate.

[dkjretired]

OK OK ....you guys had a head start on me there!........we don't get too many Pontiacs (Solstice) and Chevrolet (Equinox) over here! :) ...so took me a wee while to see where you both were at!

 

Hope all's well with you Don!

 

 

Alan

 

Hi Alan:

 

Doing great, good to hear from you, holding off on any cruises now since I'm in the process of building a new house in Pennsylvania. We were referring to a review that goes back to when C ruise Critic was exclusively under AOL. Since our cruise on Galaxy I have been to London twice since my daughter spent almost her whole Junior year in college there and we visited twice. Next stop is Ireland and Scotland at some point but have to get the house done first. Actually, am going to Paris in June (Las Vegas Paris) for my son's 21st. birthday. Free flights and free room so can't go wrong.

 

How's everything with you.

[Tatka]

I am not sure I want to sail on these ships.. after sailing on different sized ships we decided that 70 - 90K is our size ( and less than 2000 ppl).

 

What I really happy about is that new names won't be Jewel, Freedom, Sun, Star or something. Too tired of same names used on different lines.:mad:

 

NCL Jewel, Jewel of the Seas

NCL Sun, Sun Princess

NCL Star, Star Princess

NCL Dawn, Dawn Princess

NCL Sea, Sea Princess

NCL Majesty, Majesty of the Seas

Freedom of the Seas, Carnival Freedom

Legend of the Seas, Carnival Legend

NCL Crown, Crown Princess etc.....

 

By the way... even though we can see some similarity in naming American cars and X ships ... I just think it's pure coincedence.

[Andy]

What I really happy about is that new names won't be Jewel, Freedom, Sun, Star or something. Too tired of same names used on different lines.:mad:

 

 

Hi Tatka !

 

I agree. While many may not be thrilled with the names, at least they ARE Original, and that is a plus.

 

Also, I am thrilled that Celebrity will FINALLY have some new ships, over the next 2-3 years.

 

As for size of the ship... sure, I wish they were a bit smaller, but with the larger size, there will be many new features to look forward to, and I am all for that !

 

On the plus side.... at least it isn't 220,000 tons :)

[Andy]

hi Andy, I am an elite member and I did take part In A Celebrity Poll, and among the questions i was asked about names for new ships, and I do r ecall the name solstice can't remember how I voted on that one:D

 

The poll that I was emailed was about two years ago.

 

Phil

 

Hi Phil !

 

Thanks for the very interesting comment. I am surprised they were thinking of Solstice THAT long ago. Someone at X must really like that name.

 

Have you recieved any polls from Celebrity within the past year or so ? I have not recieved one. <curious>

[ML147000]

Hey...at least they decided not to call them Comet and Edsel!:D

Or Pacer, Maverick, Monterey, Falcon, Duster, Javelin, GTO, Beetle, Torino, Fairlaine, Scout, Firenza, Grenada, Probe, Pinto, Tempest...need I go on?:rolleyes:

[safein]

Not sure how many people have seen the interiors of all the Century class and the Millie class. I've seen all 3 of the Century ships and 3 out of 4 of the Millie class. All three Century class have subtle nuances that makes the three different from one another. On the Millie class, if you've been on one, you know exactly where everything is on the other 3.

 

While I do understand there is a design element, the Century, at least under its original design, does not have a second, smaller atrium as well as the location of the Martini Bars which is on the Mercury and Michael's Club are in different locations on all three ships.

 

Anita

[mahdnc]

Thanks for the very interesting comment. I am surprised they were thinking of Solstice THAT long ago. Someone at X must really like that name.

 

 

"Constellation" was originally cited as the name for the 3rd Century class ship in a book published back in 1993. Of course that ship went on to be named Mercury but Constellation evidently stayed in Celebrity's minds for many years before it was officially used for the 4th M-class ship inaugurated in 2002.

[BrendaJ]

:D

Both new ships will be 2,850-guest vessels measuring 1,033 feet in length and 121 feet in width. Their added size will allow Celebrity to offer larger standard staterooms, a higher percentage of balconies and an exceptional range of guest-inspired services and amenities.

 

I don't have a calculation of the tonnage to passenger ratio for all the Celebrity ships, but if the ratio is indeed lower on this new class of ships, and the standard staterooms will be larger, and there will be more "guest-inspired services and amenties" (which I take to mean revenue generators), then something somewhere has got to give.

 

I can't help but think that the new design will have sales pitches around every corner, and some of the more pleasant, non-revenue generating areas of the ship (such as pools and deck space) will suffer to make room for everything else. Let's face it, the company is in business to make money, and I suspect the new class of ships will just offer the company more opportunities to make a profit.

 

As for the Celebrity Guest Panel surveys, although I am not yet Elite, I do get the surveys. I must say the last one was rather disappointing. They were looking for opinions on a whole bunch of products that they likely intend to sell as part of their Bon Voyage collection, from what I can recall. The majority of the items appeared to be high quality, but all seemed very over-priced to me, and most were not at all something I would be likely to buy. Part of the survey also asked what types of products we would like to see sold in their on-board shops. Personally, I am much more interested in surveys regarding the appeal of possible itineraries, and the type of atmosphere we enjoy in cruises and hotels (both were previous survey topics).

 

I suspect the larger Celebrity ships will more and more begin to resemble the RCCL ships, and over time, there won't be as much difference in the overall product. I see RCCL eventually moving to more of a free-style type dining, and Celebrity maintaining the formal dining and being less geared to children, but that will be about it with the differences.

 

Just my opinion, of course, and I hope I'm wrong.

 

Brenda

[ocngypz]

The newbuilds will be thirteen feet longer than the current RCL Voyager class ships, but about 34 feet narrower.

 

That's a lot of ship!