The New “Class” of Celebrity’s Class

It could be dubbed "the new classic." The idea of creating a comfortable passenger vessel encompassing old world classic décor — as per the famed ocean liners of the early 20th Century - while instilling modern safety and mechanical requirements, as well as sophisticated amenities. Last fall, Miami, Fla.-based Celebrity Cruises created its own rendering of this trend via its new "Millennium" Class of ships. With construction currently underway at French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the inaugural vessel of the four part class is scheduled for a maiden voyage in June 2000. company only 10-years young has already earned itself a place in cruise ship history with the new "Millennium" ship series. Celebrity Cruises, which merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) in 1997, has taken its design pursuits a step further with this new class by combining, according to Celebrity's president, Richard Sasso, the line's two most important facets, "traditional and elegantly casual ships, which are technologically advanced." "We prefer to go with a unique classic style, which protects the integrity of Celebrity's casual elegance," Sasso said. With three more Millennium vessels scheduled for construction to Panamax standards through 2002, each will cost approximately $350 million. The first member of the fleet will perform varied European voyages from June through October 2000, before embarking on alternating eastern and western Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale in November 2000. At 91,000 tons, 965 x 106 ft. (294.1 x 32.3 m) Millennium is equipped to carry 1,950 passengers (double occupancy) at a cruising speed of 24 knots. While the Millennium project will undoubtedly strengthen Celebrity's worldwide customer base with its tribute to early 20th Century design aspects — customers will also be treated to a vessel that houses a technological base synonymous with the 21st Century. "If you don't invest in technology you'll be left behind," Sasso said. "When you're more technologically advanced, it makes it much easier to communicate with passengers and travel agents." "We are trendsetters and industry leaders in developing technology and we'll continue to do that," he added. Proving his point is the fact that Millennium will be the first vessel ever built to offer passengers with the premiere application of gas turbine technology. According to Celebrity, the vessel will house a pair of GE Marine Engines' LM2500 + aeroderivative gas turbines and a single steam turbine rather than the conventional four or five large diesel engines used on today's cruise vessels. The turbines then drive the vessel's generators, which work to provide electricity to Millennium's propulsion motors. Long a tenet of naval vessel and specialty fast craft applications, gas turbine propulsion is quickly making inroads with the environment sensitive and performance demanding cruise market. "The gas turbine technology provides for a smooth, quiet and safe excursion," Sasso said. Resulting from this technologically-driven application is not only less noise and vibration, but increased deck space on Millennium, not to mention the fact that the system's compact size requires less space to house and maintain, thus allowing for more spacious staterooms and activity areas onboard. Featuring the largest percentage of ocean view staterooms, with 80 percent of the total 975 staterooms having exterior views, Millennium also boasts the largest suites at sea - measuring as much as 3,000 sq. ft. with verandas. Adding to its list of firsts, the ship also houses the industry's premiere exterior glass elevators. A Historical Discovery It was a time where the trend of simple elegance ruled the day, as was reflected through the famed White Star Line's great ship of 1911 — R.M.S. Olympic. Sistership to the world-renowned Titanic, the vessel was referred to, according to maritime historian, John Maxtone-Graham, "as the first of a huge new class of ships." The Olympic, which debuted in June of that year was "White Star's response to Cunard Line's Lusitania and Mauretania," said Maxtone-Graham, who also acts as Celebrity's historical consultant for the Millennium Class. With the debut of Cunard's Mauretania in 1907, White Star chose a different route of shipbuilding by deciding to build a vessel that focused on comfort rather than speed — thus the idea of Olympic was born. Displacing 45,000-tons, and boasting "all the comfort that a large ship could," Olympic housed a swimming pool, squash and racquetball court and the notable a la carte dining room — the vessel's popular restaurant — that was frequented by Olympic's passengers. After Titanic's tragic and much publicized sinking, White Star returned Olympic to its original builder Harland & Wolff in Northern Ireland, where it received an inner skin to avoid a similar fate. Olympic continued to operate transatlantic crossings until 1935 when it was decommissioned and scrapped in Jarrow, Northumberland. But Olympic still lives today — and not just through memories and drawings. Years later Celebrity discovered that some of the original paneling from the vessel's a la carte restaurant was preserved in an English residence. Its owners, who had purchased the paneling at an auction after the ship had been cut up, recently decided to sell the piece of history to Sotheby's — the Manhattan auction house where Celebrity made its winning bid. Walking into the original a la carte dining room one would be encompassed by the elegant honey-colored French walnut paneling that was flecked by gold colored leaves. Boasting a rose-colored carpet, the Louis XV-inspired room would hold tables with French-backed chairs, as well as an adjacent waiting room where a piano trio played as guests waited to dine. "The paneling will recapture the elegance and glory of one of the North Atlantic's greatest ocean liners," Maxtone-Graham said. The paneling has since been sent to Chantiers for installation on Millennium's historical apex — the Olympic dining lounge. But before taking on this task, the paneling had to be cleaned and restored. A subcontractor hired by Chantiers fixed imperfections such as scratches and discoloration on the paneling. According to Francesca Bucci, an associate at New York City-based Birch Coffey Design, the original paneling for the Lounge Room consists of 40 linear meters of French walnut with gilded details, while the remaining 10-15 percent of the lounge, and the entire wine cellar was filled with a replication of its original. Bucci, whose firm designed the Olympic Dining Room and Lounge aboard Millennium, as well as various public areas, explained that since the paneling is made of wood, it would have to be treated to meet the flammability requirements. "Traditionally, flammable materials would be coated with a special fire treatment," Bucci said. "Since this was a special situation, we could only treat the back of the paneling and sprinkler systems were added in the lounge instead." Bucci also mentioned that an original credenza that once stood in the R.M.S. Olympic's dining room will accompany the paneling in the lounge. Measuring 2 m x 90 cm, the piece will be placed outside of the restaurant's display kitchen. While Celebrity may be taking the path of, as Bucci says, "traditional luxury ambiance," the trends in cruise design are split two-fold. "We basically have two mainstream designs," Bucci said. "The subtle, sophisticated and historical European style, or on the other end, the Vegas-style, flashy decor. For the moment, these are the most popular trends among cruise design." The Future of the Fleet Celebrity has achieved a healthy growth spurt not only by the merger with RCCL, and the addition of its Millennium Class, but by exceeding its expectations as a whole. "We are very steadfast in delivering a quality product," Sasso said. "We promised a lot, and yet we delivered more." As it would seem highly unlikely at this point in time, resulting from an average of 10.7 cruise vessel newbuilds scheduled each year through 2003, how would Celebrity handle a possible downturn? According to Sasso, who has been involved in the cruise industry for the past 29 years, "Not since the fuel crisis of the 1970s and skyrocketing interest rates of the mid-1980s has the industry experienced such a dip." He added, "Our [the cruise] industry has proven to be successful in down markets, today there are ships out there with greater technology. Ships are more attractive and offer more of a variety of amenities, thus attracting more customers." Although Celebrity might be dubbed by some industry insiders as new competition for other cruise lines that have already made their mark, 2000 could also be dubbed as the year of Celebrity. "2000 is our year," Sasso said. "We'll spend a lot more this year on bigger ships, as well as doubling our fleet size throughout the next five years."