A presentation is being tonight by Celebrity regarding the cabins on SOLSTICE. My understanding is the cabins are supposed to be of a completely new interlocking design, which really maximizes space. The diagrams we have seen online are apparently of existing Celebrity ships and do not accurately represent SOLSTICE.

I'm anxious to hear more about the presentation this evening. I'm sure it won't be long before details emerge.

Celebrity is making a pretty big deal out of this, so I have to believe they are announcing a radical new cabin design, and not just what the decor will look like. Maybe we will finally see a new ship where every cabin is not of a pre-fab shoe box design?

Ernie

From Seatrade Insider
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Celebrity sets a Solstice sneak peek
18/9/2007
If you could design your own room at sea, what would it look like? What would it feel like?
Those are the questions posed by Celebrity Cruises in advance of this week’s sneak peek into the stateroom plans for Celebrity Solstice.

On Wednesday night in New York, Celebrity president and ceo Dan Hanrahan and members of the Celebrity design team will preview the accommodations for the first of the line’s new four-ship 122,000gt Solstice series, under construction at Meyer Werft.

Until now, Celebrity has shared scant details of the newbuild that is due to debut in a little over a year. What has been announced is that 85% of staterooms will offer verandas, and all accommodations will come with flat-screen TVs, spacious bathrooms and plush European bedding. The ship will provide wireless Internet access throughout.

There also will be an AquaClass category of veranda accommodations for spa enthusiasts, to comprise 130 of the ship’s 1,425 staterooms. Customers who book AquaClass will have unlimited access to the AquaSpa relaxation room and the Persian Garden (an aromatherapy and steam room), as well as exclusive, complimentary dining in Blu, a 130-seat specialty restaurant.

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Originally posted by eroller:
...I promise there is life outside Cunard .... and a good one at that!

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Originally posted by eroller:
Forgive me for posting a new thread that does not involve QV or a Vista Class ship! I know for many nothing else matters beyond QV, but I promise there is life outside Cunard .... and a good one at that! .

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Oh Ernie - you more than anyone has kept the QV / Vista debate sparkling and crackling with repartee and wit

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Originally posted by eroller:

Celebrity is making a pretty big deal out of this, so I have to believe they are announcing a radical new cabin design, and not just what the decor will look like. Maybe we will finally see a new ship where every cabin is not of a pre-fab shoe box design?

Ernie.

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Oh Ernie - as much as I love Celebrity too, it ain't gonna happen

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Originally posted by eroller:
Maybe we will finally see a new ship where every cabin is not of a pre-fab shoe box design?

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20th September 2007

CELEBRITY SOLSTICE PRESENTS LARGER, STYLISH NEW STATEROOMS,

INSPIRED BY FEMALE INTUITION

Some things just need a woman’s touch. To design a larger stateroom that is also intuitive and stylish on its extraordinary new ship, Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Cruises has gone right to the source: ladies who cruise.

“First, we decided to make the staterooms larger – an average of 15 percent larger, in our deluxe ocean view verandas – and then, we decided to make them better,” said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Celebrity’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “To do that, we enlisted the expertise, intuition and wish lists of five exceptional women.”

Celebrity engaged a panel of five boomer women, identified by the line as “Celebrity’s Leading Ladies,” specially selected for their distinct points of view – a frequent cruiser, a travel agent, a travel writer, a hotelier and a cruise considerer. The women participated in an immersive, four-month process led by Synectics, a world-renowned innovation consultancy firm, to make the staterooms onboard Celebrity Solstice among the most spacious and inviting at sea.

“Our goal was to understand cruisers’ real needs and interests, so that our new generation stateroom design would be grounded in genuine consumer insights,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO, Dan Hanrahan. “Thanks to our Leading Ladies and our Celebrity teams, we’ve created a larger and more intuitive stateroom space that is significantly more conducive to our guests’ overall cruise experience.”

Why women? “Women are not only the primary cruise planners; they are the most

discerning guests when it comes to the stateroom,” said Celebrity’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Ellen Taaffe. “Their standards are high and Celebrity is committed to exceeding them, while also creating a great experience for the spouse, family or friends with whom they may be traveling.”

Celebrity’s Leading Ladies offered many insights and desires relative to the stateroom design; chief among them were suggestions for improved stateroom flow, made possible by a larger stateroom size and Celebrity’s new interlocking technology. Also, in an industry first, Celebrity Solstice will feature an adjoining stateroom design with a double set of doors, allowing guests to open up the space for families or friends traveling together or close the doors for a more private environment. Verandas of adjoining staterooms can also be opened up to create a veranda that spans both rooms. Clear sight lines and walkways to sea views are found in nearly every stateroom; modular furniture design and vestibule areas facilitate a more spacious flow; and additional storage – generous hooks, shelves and nooks – ensures a clean and clutter-free look.

Celebrity and Miami-based design partner RTKL Associates Inc. have taken additional design cues from the Leading Ladies, including their recommendations on color scheme. As a result, Celebrity Solstice will steer away from bright colors and patterns, in favor of neutral colors and elegant textures, for a more sophisticated and timeless look.

Key stateroom innovations include:

§ Distinctive interlocking stateroom floor plan for better and more efficient space utilisation, resulting in deluxe veranda staterooms that are 15 percent larger than comparable accommodations on the balance of the fleet.

§ First-in-industry adjoining stateroom design with double set of doors, allowing guests to open up space for families or friends traveling together, or close doors for a more private environment. Verandas of adjoining staterooms also can be opened up to create a veranda spanning both rooms.

§ More spacious bathrooms with glass showers equipped with a foot rail for easy leg shaving in every stateroom, and large fog-free mirrors, which are being introduced in Celebrity’s suites and new AquaClass staterooms.

§ Individual reading lights at each nightstand, including a shelf for personal items such as reading glasses, books, etc.

§ Expanded and “smarter” storage, including increased clearance beneath the bed for larger luggage, and storage units over the bed for personal items such as handbags, shopping bags, etc.

§ Modular closets for varied clothing length and additional flexible storage areas.

§ 32-inch flat-screen TVs in every stateroom, and larger flat-screen TVs featured in suites.

“While the increased space was helpful, we wanted to do something really special to capitalise on that space,” said Hanrahan, “and our Leading Ladies really helped make that happen.”

AquaClass (sm)

Another key insight provided by Celebrity’s Leading Ladies was the desire for a more relaxed, intimate shipboard stateroom experience connected to the sea and linked to highly personalised spa elements. The result is a unique class of veranda staterooms called AquaClass, an oceanside retreat created for guests who are most passionate about pampering and “getting away from it all.”

Simplicity and comfort are evident throughout the room, from the bathroom’s fog-free mirror and tall jetted bodywash shower, to the robust pillow menu. Aroma scent selections tied to specific vacation goals (relax, revive, re-energize, etc.) provide guests with a multi-sensory experience, while lavish AquaClass toiletries and refreshing daily teas, juices and bottled water round out the offering.

AquaClass will comprise 130 of the ship’s 1,425 staterooms, each double-occupancy only, creating the perfect grown-up getaway. Guests in AquaClass will receive unlimited access to Celebrity Solstice’s new AquaSpa relaxation room on the same deck, and the Persian Garden, an exotic aromatherapy and steam room. AquaClass guests also will have an exclusive dining room, Blu, an intimate, 130-seat specialty restaurant with menus developed by Celebrity Cruises’ culinary consultant, Blau & Associates, which operates upscale eateries for high-end hotels such as Las Vegas’ Bellagio, Miami’s Setai and Cabo San Lucas’ One & Only Palmilla.

Celebrity Solstice

Celebrity Solstice will be the line’s first in a class of four 2,850-passenger vessels with an exceptional range of guest-inspired services and amenities. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft, who constructed the line’s Century-class fleet – Celebrity Century, Celebrity Mercury, and Celebrity Galaxy – is building the 122,000-ton ship.

Following several weeks of inaugural activities, Celebrity Solstice will make its maiden voyage December 14, 2008, on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten. The itinerary will be offered on Sundays through April 5, 2009, with an alternating itinerary calling on San Juan, Puerto Rico; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; Tortola, B.V.I; and Labadee, Haiti, through April 12, 2009. Fares for veranda staterooms begin at £1,559 per person, based on double occupancy.

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:
[...]Architecture professors pretty much try to show us to make everything green, which is good, and pre-fabricated or modular, which is bad.

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Originally posted by KenC:

Oh Ernie - as much as I love Celebrity too, it ain't gonna happen

Ken

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I don't know, it looks like the cabins could be a unique design. At the very least the cabins sound like they will not be a perfect rectangle, which is very unusual when talking about new ships. I'm sure they will be still be pre-fab, no getting around that.

They do sound interesting and hopefully there is some real substance to the design and not just a lot of hype. I've read enough hype about QV to last me for a while!

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Originally posted by Linerrich:
I think the Celebrity marketing hype is a bit over-stated. I'm sure the cabins will be nice, but they are still not as large as standard cabins on any of the Carnival-owned brands, for example. And this novel "inter-locking" design feature isn't very pronounced, merely a bend outwards of 1 foot so people can get around the end of their beds!

Rich

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Those diagrams have been out for a long time. I have to wonder if they are the final design?

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Originally posted by KenC:

Oh Ernie - you more than anyone has kept the QV / Vista debate sparkling and crackling with repartee and wit

Ken

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I agree I have absolutely contributed to the QV discussions. More than anything it's because there just wasn't much else to talk about. Things have been pretty quiet. It's not because QV is so worthy of all the discussion. Frankly she is just not that interesting. Were she built for any other line besides Cunard she would barely get a mention. At least Cunard is doing one thing right, marketing! They have become experts at creating hype around the brand which is a good thing.

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Originally posted by eroller:

Those diagrams have been out for a long time. I have to wonder if they are the final design?

Ernie

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That's a good question--these images are from the new 2009 brochure, but the website now has any stateroom images and plans "Xd" out.

If you want to watch TV don't book a "deluxe" veranda, they only have 23" TVs, the inside and ocean view have 32" !

I don't see what the difference is frankly. As for new ideas Princess have screens between verandas that open and have had for ages, double commnicating doors is great if you want them open but if you have booked just the one you will get double the noise cross over from next door which has been and still is a problem on the Millenium ships, friends of mine last time on the Summit booked a Concierge class stateroom - it had a connectiing door and they eventually had to move to a lower grade as they could hear every word and movement from next door, the housekeeper tried everything from puttting towels in the door frame and jamming it shut to stick on foam insulation but nothing worked, poor buggers actually spent 1 night in our lounge on the floor to get away from it, they were moved the next day.

http://www.cruisecelebritysolstice.com/

Gordon

[ 09-20-2007: Message edited by: Atlcruiser ]

Other than the "bump" around the bed and the hype from Celebrity it looks like a lot of other cruise ship staterooms to me.

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
Maybe, but it'll definitely be a pre-fab something design!

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Thought i saw one in the IKEA catalog

Greetings Ben.

[ 09-20-2007: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

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Originally posted by Maasdam:
ugly ship design. It's to much.

Thought i saw one in the IKEA catalog

Greetings Ben.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:

Thought i saw one in the IKEA catalog

Greetings Ben.

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Can you tell the difference?

Dining Room:

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:

What? Solstice will definetly be the finest newbuild in 2008.

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:

Can you tell the difference?

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hihihi NO.

Greetings Ben.

[ 09-20-2007: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
Other than the "bump" around the bed and the hype from Celebrity it looks like a lot of other cruise ship staterooms to me.

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No Joe, it's very different. After all it is the result of four months work by five women.

The design obviously pays homage to the great Ocean Liners of the past: look more closely, the bathroom is in the corridor.