I’ve seen the future of cruising – and it’s all about BOTOX treatments, glassblowing and relaxing on deck on real grass.
Despite impressions, I haven’t gone completely crackers as these are a few of the features – including female-friendly cabins designed by women – that will be on show next week when Celebrity Cruises brings its newest ship to the UK.
The much anticipated new Celebrity Equinox will be in Southampton for eight nights of launch and naming celebrations.
While few doubt that next year will continue to be tough as we continue to struggle out of recession, ships such as Equinox and its sisters Solstice and the yet to be delivered Eclipse, give a glimpse of the kind of cruise vessels set to notch up the ‘wow’ factor over the next 18 months.
Cruise lines may not be immune to tough economic times, yet they are sending out positive messages about prospects moving forward.
Cruise company executives are renowned for being constantly upbeat, yet those I spoke to in the past week are genuinely excited at the prospect of ground-breaking new vessels appearing as we head towards 2010.
There are certainly going to be some incredible new ships to choose from with new launches coming from, among others, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Thomson Cruises.
NCL’s Norwegian Epic and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas will be true mould breakers not only in terms of their size but the on board innovations being promised.
P&O Cruises’ Azura is seen as a return to the company’s more traditional roots albeit with a modern twist while Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth harks unashamedly back to the golden age of luxury ocean liners.
It’s also great to see that Thomson Cruises is helping fill the gap left by the imminent departure of Ocean Village by bringing in a current Costa Cruises’ ship – Costa Europa – next year under the name Thomson Dream.
This will return the Thomson fleet to four ships and provide more Mediterranean fly-cruise options next summer, particularly for first-time cruisers.
Now I’m going to pre-empt the arrival of the latest arrival to the Celebrity fleet following the introduction of Celebrity Solstice last autumn.
Southampton will be the place to see Equinox, the for-runner of Celebrity Eclipse which is to run cruises from the port in April 2010 and is expected to generate 40,000 new passengers for the company.
All three 2,850-passenger premium vessels will be in service next year, with Solstice sailing in the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Equinox offering 10- and 11-night Mediterranean fly-cruises from Rome (Civitavecchia) and Eclipse running dedicated UK departures to the Med, Canary Islands and northern Europe.
All the feedback I have received from travel agents who have been lucky enough to experience Celebrity Solstice has been overwhelmingly positive.
Anticipation is now building towards the arrival of Equinox on the south coast next week, particularly Celebrity’s take on the increasingly popular spa/rejuvenation holiday.
For all three of the Solstice class ships include 130 spa cabins located close to the two storey AquaSpa area.
Passengers in these balcony cabins will have unlimited access to the AquaSpa Persian Garden aromatherapy steam room, featuring heated ceramic loungers, and the Relaxation Room, which offers sea views from comfortable loungers.
AquaClass passengers also have complimentary access to Blu, the ship’s Mediterranean-influenced specialty restaurant and can use the venue exclusively for breakfast.
Cabin amenities – this is where the female influence comes into play – include Swedish Isotonic, body and hypo-allergenic pillows; jugs of iced tea; calming lavender oil in a reed diffuser; and a five-jet shower designed to invigorate and relax-
If that wasn’t enough pampering, there’s a range of new treatments on offer including what is described as the “24-Karat Gold Facial” – don’t ask! A “lash and brow bar” will provide a variety of eyelash enhancements.
Massages, wraps, facials on board acupuncture and even BOTOX cosmetic treatments will help you look younger than when you embarked on your cruise.
A half-acre Lawn Club with real grass, glassblowing show, 10 restaurants and entertainment, including breathtaking aerial acts will be part of the mix on the 122,000-tonne ship
Celebrity Equinox enters service July 31 from Southampton on an eight-night Norwegian Fjords cruise, followed by a series of sailings from Rome in August.
Related posts:
- Can Celebrity Eclipse Azura? Discussing “eclipses” at a time when flights across the...
- Celebrity Equinox – A Modern Take On Cruising I’ve just had a taste of a new cruise...
- Cruise Lines Out To Capture Early Sales There is a real sense of excitement around the...
- Shipping forecast It would be easy to assume that the time...
- Top of the Cruise Charts It’s always fascinating to hear feedback from cruise passengers...
Leave a Comment