Celebrity Solstice leaves shipyard
Celebrity Cruise’s newest ship, Celebrity Solstice, has left its shipyard in Germany.
The 2,850-guest ship, the first in a series of five Solstice ships, has a number of new features including a ‘Lawn Club’, a half-acre recreation area with real, growing grass, and a new spa experience, ‘AquaClass’.
Celebrity Solstice will be berthed in Eemshaven, Netherlands, from September 29 to October 24, with two separate sea trials planned, in addition to crew arrivals, training, provisioning and finishing work onboard.
The ship will then depart for a transatlantic voyage, with arrival in Fort Lauderdale planned for early November, followed by a series of promotional cruises for invited travel agents, media and other dignitaries.
The ship will be named in formal ceremonies on November 14, and will begin its maiden season on November 23, with a series of alternating seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises calling at San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, and Tortola during the autumn and winter.
It will switch to 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises from Rome beginning in Spring 2009.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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