What do you think of their ideas... will this finally restore dignity to Celebrity, and move it away from Royal Caribbean's mass-market appeal?

the story:

Millennium Tests Enhancements
Passengers on Celebrity's Millennium voyage departing September 23 are in for a big surprise. They're the first to experience the company's new, quite comprehensive and many-pronged plan-for-onboard enhancement that, ultimately, will encompass the entire fleet -- and may genuinely position Celebrity as a legitimate Crystal competitor, albeit with a younger passenger demographic.

The program is helmed by Celebrity's relatively new "catch." Dietmar Wertanzel, formerly a long timer with Crystal, joined the company earlier this year as senior vice president of fleet operations, overseeing both marine-oriented and hotel-oriented functions. Wertanzel, along with a gang of relatively seasoned cruise industry executives, has developed a plan to enhance everything from relaxation services to enrichment possibilities to what he calls "connections" (i.e. chances to potentially make new friends while sailing). "We want to make it [a Celebrity cruise] a little bit more like a W Hotel concept -- hip and cool but without pretension," he says. The point, of course, is not only in differentiating Celebrity from other cruise lines but also in courting an increasingly upwardly mobile middle class traveler who, in many likely forms, may never have considered a cruise before.

Bottom line? When Millennium, the "test model" for the program, starts rolling out bits and pieces of his team's program changes beginning with the September 23 voyage, they may notice a few funky features. There will be topless sunbathing (way, way up top where few of the non-intrepid care to venture). You can book a poolside massage. In hot locales, Caribbean and such, sunbathers will be presented with frosty towels. You can breakfast in the Cova Cafe and take a grand afternoon tea in the ship's hoity-toity alternative restaurant. Instead of elaborate midnight buffets the ship will instead focus on fabulous lunchtime spreads. Michael's Pub, a cigar bar and Celebrity fixture that, oddly enough, just didn't take with passengers, will be transformed into an intimate piano bar/cabaret lounge (no cigars, either).

Other test phases will roll-out on Millennium through the rest of the year and highlights, among many possibilities, include enhanced adult enrichment programs, more interesting and tempting shops in its Emporium complex, welcome champagne on embarkation, a spa cafe dinner option, poolside fashion shows and wine tasting, and a revamped sports deck. The rollout will be overseen by a "mystery" staffer, one who Wertanzel admits will bear the Crystal Cruises stamp-o-excellence (and who joins the company Monday).

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Originally posted by lambcom:
As someone who cruised on the Millennium in June of this year and came away underwhelmed, especially with the food, I don't want to appear cynical, but I can't help but wonder how Celebrity will cover the cost of these new "ammenties". Will they a) raise the base rate of the cruise package or b) nickel and dime the passengers with additional fees for each enhancement?

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Good question, lambcom. But remember that Celebrity currently prices their cruise viturally the same as Royal Caribbean, or sometimes lower in my experience.

Ultimately they want to move Celebrity into a more premium, upscale, segment- competing with the competition rather than with itself (royal caribbean). So Celebrity will offer (we can only pray) better service, amenities, and perks. And if they work Celebrity will be justified in raising their fares above current levels. (Remember a cruise line is called premium or luxury not only for what you get- but also for what you paid for it). However, if the new idea do not work and Celebrity raises fares to appear more upscale the result may be disasterous.

When the article mentioned "younger" passengers it was referring to passengers younger than those of Crystal. The vast majority of Crystal cruisers are 65 years old+.

And I thought that they were already reasonably upscale?

There will be topless sunbathing (way, way up top where few of the non-intrepid care to venture).