Solstice class cruise ship
Encyclopedia
The Solstice class is a class of cruise ships primarily operated by Celebrity Cruises
, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
The class is constructed by Meyer Werft
of Germany
. At present, there are three active Solstice-class ships; the lead vessel of the class, Celebrity Solstice
, the second ship of the class, Celebrity Equinox
, and the third ship of the class, Celebrity Eclipse
which was recently delivered on 15 April 2010. The fourth ship, Celebrity Silhouette
sailed on her Maiden Voyage on 23 July 2011 and the fifth, Celebrity Reflection
, is currently on order. The first Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Solstice entered service in November 2008 and is the namesake of the class. All Solstice-class vessels have post-Panamax
dimensions.
During the launch of Celebrity Solstice in 2008, she was, at 122,000 GT
, the largest ship to be built at a German shipyard, but this record was surpassed by the Disney Dream
, a 128,000 GT cruise ship of the Disney Cruise Line
currently under construction in 2009.
3.7 billion.
and separate showers. Solstice-class mainly feature industry-standard amenities, such as large staterooms, large theater, and multiple dining options. Signature Celebrity features were also added, such as the Martini Bar. The newest feature of the class is the iLounge; a combination of Internet cafe and an Apple Store. This feature was recently added to Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Silhouette, and on Celebrity Solstice in May 2010.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a Norwegian / American company based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & PLC. As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd...
The class is constructed by Meyer Werft
Meyer Werft
The Meyer Werft is one of the remaining large German shipyards, headquartered in Papenburg. Since 1997, it has been part of the Meyer Neptun Group together with Neptun Werft in Rostock.-History:...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. At present, there are three active Solstice-class ships; the lead vessel of the class, Celebrity Solstice
Celebrity Solstice
Celebrity Solstice is a owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. At the time she was launched, she held the record for the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany; however, her record was surpassed when the Disney Dream was launched in 2010....
, the second ship of the class, Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Equinox is a Solstice-class cruise ship built by Meyer Werft in Germany. Celebrity Equinox is the second of the five Solstice-class vessels, owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is a sister ship of Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette and the forthcoming...
, and the third ship of the class, Celebrity Eclipse
Celebrity Eclipse
Celebrity Eclipse is a , operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is the sister ship of Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, which entered service in November 2008 and July 2009, respectively. A fourth ship in the class, Celebrity Silhouette, she entered service in Fall 2011. She is the third...
which was recently delivered on 15 April 2010. The fourth ship, Celebrity Silhouette
Celebrity Silhouette
Celebrity Silhouette is a , owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth ship in the Solstice class, her sister ships being Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Reflection. Solstice Equinox and Eclipse entered service in 2008, 2009,...
sailed on her Maiden Voyage on 23 July 2011 and the fifth, Celebrity Reflection
Celebrity Reflection
Celebrity Reflection is the fifth and final planned . After delivery in November 2012 it will be owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. It will have one more deck than other Solstice class and will have the first Aqua Class Suites. She will be able to accommodate over 3,000 passengers 150 more...
, is currently on order. The first Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Solstice entered service in November 2008 and is the namesake of the class. All Solstice-class vessels have post-Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
dimensions.
During the launch of Celebrity Solstice in 2008, she was, at 122,000 GT
Gross tonnage
Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage...
, the largest ship to be built at a German shipyard, but this record was surpassed by the Disney Dream
Disney Dream
Disney Dream is the third cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line, part of The Walt Disney Company, which entered service in 2011. The Disney Dream currently sails 3-, 4-, and 5-day itineraries to The Bahamas. The Captain of Disney Dream is Tom Forberg...
, a 128,000 GT cruise ship of the Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal,...
currently under construction in 2009.
History
The first Solstice-class vessel was ordered in year 2005 at Meyer Werft, with one vessel as the first option. Later, option for second vessel was exercised. Meyer Werft reached several milestones in their career while building the Solstice-class. It was their first time to build 122,000-GT cruise ships having post-Panamax dimensions. By that time, the class were the largest cruise ships ever built at the facility. On February and July 2006, the second and the third vessel was ordered respectively. The order for the fourth and fifth ship followed in 2007 and 2008. The class consists of five ships, with expected delivery of one ship each year, from 2008 to 2012, which costs USDUnited States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.7 billion.
Concept and Construction
The keel of Celebrity Solstice was laid on 11 October 2006, and was delivered in 24 October 2008. The keel of Celebrity Equinox was laid on 6 August 2008 and delivered on 16 July 2009. The keel of Celebrity Eclipse was laid on 23 January 2009 and was delivered on 15 April 2010. The fourth ship, Celebrity Silhouette is currently complete while the fifth ship Celebrity Reflection is on order.Features
Some of the finest features of the Solstice-class is the half-acre, freshly manicured lawn named The Lawn Club, which is located in deck 15. A special type of grass, Agrostis Stalonifera, is used in the lawn. The areas such as Patio in the Lawn, Sunset Bar, Lawn Club Shop and The Hot Glass Show is found in the lawn. The staterooms in Solstice-class ships are significantly larger than the previous classes and offers 80% verandas. The staterooms are grouped into seven categories; some of the well-known are the spa-inspired AquaClass and the Concierge class. There is a Penthouse Suite, a 110-m2 stateroom and a Royal Suite, a 54-m2 stateroom. Each room have a living room, dining room and separate bedrooms. There is also Jacuzzi'sJacuzzi
Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
and separate showers. Solstice-class mainly feature industry-standard amenities, such as large staterooms, large theater, and multiple dining options. Signature Celebrity features were also added, such as the Martini Bar. The newest feature of the class is the iLounge; a combination of Internet cafe and an Apple Store. This feature was recently added to Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Silhouette, and on Celebrity Solstice in May 2010.
Design
The original renderings for the Solstice-class was to have powder blue upper decks and funnels. Because Celebrity uses dark blue as a trademark on their ships, the powder blue was subsequently changed to dark blue. The lead vessel, Celebrity Solstice, carries the original concept and design for the class, such as twin funnels with a small "X" on the front funnel and a large "X" on the railings of the hump staterooms. Several months after her service, the "X" logo on the railings were seen by Celebrity as a design flaw. Due to this, the "X" logo on the railings was removed in Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse and to other future Solstice-class ships. In order to compensate, the small "X" on the front funnel was enlarged to ships after Celebrity Solstice.Environmental issues
The Solstice-class ships are reported to offer one of the most innovative yet environment-friendly amenities ever introduced in a ship:- The ship's hull coatings is made of SiliconeSiliconeSilicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
paint that gives the ships a smooth hull appearance and reduces resistance in order to achieve more speed. - The hull design of Solstice-class ships were optimized to save energy. Celebrity Cruises tested more than 90 model tank tests in order to achieve its current design. Paired with the new propulsion arrangement, the ship's saves 8% more energy than the traditional propeller-and-rudder set-ups.
- A new approach in propulsion arrangement, in which, Solstice-class ships are equipped with Common Rail Diesel Engines, which reduces energy consumption and reduce Nitrogen oxideNitrogen oxideNitrogen oxide can refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds:* Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, , nitrogen oxide* Nitrogen dioxide , nitrogen oxide...
(NOx) emissions in all engine loads. - The glasses used in Solstice-class ships are specially glazed to prevent solar heat from entering the ship's inner spaces and filter UVUltravioletUltraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
rays by 99.9%. - High-efficiency appliances to reduce energy load
- A total of 216 Solar panels, used in 500 m2 of the ship's spaces, which can provide enough electricity to power the ship's guest elevators or 7,000 of their LEDLEdLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lights. - Switching from Halogen lampHalogen lampA halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen lamp, is an incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine. The chemical halogen cycle redeposits evaporated tungsten back on to the filament, extending the life of...
and Incandescent bulbs to FluorescentFluorescent lampA fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...
and LED bulbs which reduces power consumption by 80% and generate 50% less heat. - Highly-efficient air conditioning system which are 10% more efficient than the previous Celebrity ships.
- Strong implementation of energy conservation measures in crew members.
- Water reduction technology which reduces the usage of water-producing equipments.
- Advanced Waste Water Purification (AWP) which cleans the ship's waste water and exceed waste water discharge standards.
Ship facts
- Gross tonnage: 122,000-GT
- Length: 1033 feet (314.86 m)
- Width: 121 feet (36.88 m)
- Cost: $ 750 million
Ships
- Celebrity SolsticeCelebrity SolsticeCelebrity Solstice is a owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. At the time she was launched, she held the record for the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany; however, her record was surpassed when the Disney Dream was launched in 2010....
(2008) - Celebrity EquinoxCelebrity EquinoxCelebrity Equinox is a Solstice-class cruise ship built by Meyer Werft in Germany. Celebrity Equinox is the second of the five Solstice-class vessels, owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is a sister ship of Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette and the forthcoming...
(2009) - Celebrity EclipseCelebrity EclipseCelebrity Eclipse is a , operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is the sister ship of Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, which entered service in November 2008 and July 2009, respectively. A fourth ship in the class, Celebrity Silhouette, she entered service in Fall 2011. She is the third...
(2010) - Celebrity SilhouetteCelebrity SilhouetteCelebrity Silhouette is a , owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth ship in the Solstice class, her sister ships being Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Reflection. Solstice Equinox and Eclipse entered service in 2008, 2009,...
(2011) - Celebrity ReflectionCelebrity ReflectionCelebrity Reflection is the fifth and final planned . After delivery in November 2012 it will be owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. It will have one more deck than other Solstice class and will have the first Aqua Class Suites. She will be able to accommodate over 3,000 passengers 150 more...
(will enter fleet in November 2012)