BIG SHIP CRUISING
“The ELEGANCE OF DESIGN is easy on the eye, there is PLENTY OF CHOICE & cruise TRADITION”
selections from 10pm-1am – the health- conscious AquaSpa Café (breakfast and lunch only), the Mast Grill (11am-6pm) and Café al Bacio (speciality coffees, teas, pastries and sandwiches; 11am-11pm). The AquaSpa Café came as a really fresh and inviting alternative, especially for salads and light bites, although it could do with a few more tables as its popularity led to limited space at several meal-times. If dining is the ship’s high point, the entertainment at the plush Eclipse Theater varied a bit, from the tried-and-trusted (but rather ho-hum) song-and-dance musicals to a completely captivating Cirque-style show called Eclipse that showcased some amazing acrobatic and gymnastic skills, all set to an impressive musical backing. Other highlights were the singing of
West End special guest star Lindsay Ham- ilton, the comedy of Michele Balan, the a cappella group Sound Decision and the cool jazz sounds of Tony Viviano Quar- tet who, along with the soothing guitar of Jonny Mantra, added a superb late- night vibe to the wonderfully evocative
Ensemble Lounge, arguably the ship’s top spot for pre or post-dinner drinks. Cruise traditionalists will love the airy aerie of the Sky Observation Lounge, up on Lido Deck, while the Cellar Masters should be the ideal hangout for wine en- thusiasts, with its enomatic serving system. Service, under the eagle eye of long- time Hotel Director Simon Weir, remains sharp and polished, with the line’s de- mand for personable as well as efficient shining through in areas like the state- room staff, main dining room and bar staff. While some lines find it hard to find enough of the right quality staff, Celebrity seem to be hooked in to a steady and reliable supply. So, what can passengers on any of the four Solstice-class vessels expect this sum- mer (and autumn)?
quartet adding 31,000 tons of volume and an extra 900 passengers, and decreasing the space ratio slightly from 46.6 (Millen- nium-class) to 42.8 (Solstice-class), but that difference is extremely hard to discern with so many extra public room options and still highly generous stateroom space. The elegance of much of the design is easy on the eye and should appeal to traditionalists, especially with the proper observation lounge and many small-scale hideaways, while the innovatory value of the Lawn Club, Qsine and Celebrity iL- ounge (full of Apple products and learning programmes) continues to provide the 21st century touch. The lack of a proper promenade deck is a bit of a surprise, but the whole Lawn Club complex, with its extensive grassed area
W
ell, this is definitely big-ship territory, with the increase from the 91,000-ton Millennium
and superb viewing, helps to make up for it. All in all, this is a stylish and immensely
gratifying way to cruise; a real touch of class in a large-scale format. If you like your sailing with plenty of choice but more than a touch of tradition, this is definitely for you.
CELEBRITY ECLIPSE FACTFILE
Maiden Voyage: July 2010 Tonnage: Length: Beam: Draft:
122,000 1,033ft 121ft 27ft
Speed:
Passengers: Crew:
24 knots 2,850 1,246
Passenger decks: 13 Registry:
Malta
ITINERARIES: summer and autumn, 8, 14 and 16-night Mediterranean and N Europe cruises from Southampton; transatlantic; winter and spring, 7-night east and west Caribbean cruises from Miami. MORE INFO: in the UK, call 0844 493 2043 or visit www.celebritycruises.
co.uk; in the US, 0800 647 2251 or
www.celebritycruises.com.
Summer 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING 43
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