November 14, 2008 - Celebrity Cruises' new 122,000-ton Celebrity Eclipse will be based at Southampton in summer 2010 offering cruises to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
The ship will also enjoy its launch celebrations in Southampton where the trend-setting new ship will be showcased to UK and Ireland consumers and trade partners over a week long event.
Celebrity Eclipse will be the third Solstice-class ship alongside Celebrity Equinox which launched in July 2009 in Southampton, and then operate out of Civitavecchia (Rome).
Ground-breaking features seen onboard all three 2,850-guest Solstice-class ships include:
- The Lawn Club, the first real grass growing at sea featuring a lawn area larger than eight (8) tennis courts
- A Hot Glass Show, with live glassblowing demonstrations
- Ten different restaurants including the main dining room inspired by old Hollywood glamour, and smaller speciality venues with ambience designed to complement the first-class cuisine
- A new accommodation class, AquaClass, featuring a range of relaxation options such as dream-enhancing television programming, a welcome kit with teeth whitening sample, the option to dine in the exclusive restaurant, Blu, dedicated to guests staying in AquaClass accommodations and complimentary access to the Persian Garden within the onboard extensive AquaSpa facility
- Rooms based on the design inspirations of five women selected for their travel and hospitality knowledge
More than 90 percent of the accommodation onboard Celebrity Eclipse will be outside staterooms, and 85 percent will have a balcony.
Other onboard facilities include 19 different boutiques and shops such as the by-appointment-only Boutique C featuring the specially designed Solstice Diamond.
Robin Shaw, vice president and managing director, Celebrity Cruises, UK and Ireland explained: "The UK and Ireland remains one of the fastest growing cruise markets in the world. Having the newest Celebrity Cruises ship based out of Southampton in 2010, and dedicated to the UK and Ireland, offers a fresh and contemporary alternative to traditional players. Celebrity Eclipse will set new standards in the large ship luxury market and clearly show the ongoing and industry leading commitment of Celebrity Cruises to the UK and Ireland travel industry."
Sailings from UK ports of call are traditionally the most popular and easiest to sell for travel agents. Celebrity Cruises expects to generate a majority of sales for the new ship via this channel, thereby increasing the growth opportunities for travel agents and cruise specialist businesses in the UK and Ireland.
Itineraries for the new Celebrity Eclipse offer traditional Mediterranean favourite destinations, popular northern European cities, as well as short cruise taster options.
