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Celebrity Cruises put an indelible mark on the
year 2000 by launching a 91,000-ton ship whose name befit the turn of the
century.
The line chose the name Millennium for its first of four
1,950-passenger Millennium-class ships to join the five-star Celebrity fleet
over three years.
She made her maiden voyage on June 17, 2000, embarking on a
14-night "Russia and the Beauty of the Baltic" itinerary, round-trip from
Amsterdam.
Rick Sasso, then president of Celebrity Cruises, said: "The Millennium ship marks a new era of vessels designed to appeal to the
sophisticated tastes and lifestyles of our discerning customers. Our Millennium guests will experience a new level of refinement, style and excellence, onboard one of the most technologically advanced vessels at sea."
Millennium arrived with the largest luxury suites afloat; 80 percent of the
staterooms with ocean-view, 56 percent of those with verandas. The vessel
expanded upon Celebrity's highly acclaimed signature elements, including
the fleet's museum-quality contemporary art collections, its revitalising
AquaSpaTM facilities, COVA Cafe, Michael's Club cigar lounge and the
award-winning cuisine of Europe's renowned Master Chef Michel Roux.
Continuing the evolution of the distinctive Celebrity ship profile, the
Millennium-class ships were once again being crafted by prominent yacht designer
Jon Bannenberg. The vessels have a powerful, lean and chiseled profile,
and will exhibit a new interpretation of Celebrity's signature stack design and
hull striping.
Millennium-class vessels were be the industry's first cruise
ships to incorporate gas turbine propulsion, which reduce exhaust emissions by
up to 90 percent and considerably curtails noise and vibration.
Sasso added: "Our Millennium-class ships are likely to be the most environmentally sensitive cruise ships in the world. Beyond that, they will have the speed and the infrastructure to embark on any of the worldwide destinations our customers demand."
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