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Solstice class cruise ship

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Name
  
Solstice

Operators
  
Celebrity Cruises

Built
  
(2007-2012)

Builders
  
Meyer Werft

Preceded by
  
Millennium Class

In service
  
2008–Present

Solstice-class cruise ship

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 five 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 delivered on 15 April 2010. The fourth ship, Celebrity Silhouette, sailed on her Maiden Voyage on 23 July 2011; and the fifth, Celebrity Reflection, was launched in August 2012. 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.

Contents

Celebrity Solstice 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.

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, at a total cost of USD 3.7 billion.

Concept and Construction

The keel of Celebrity Solstice was laid on 11 October 2006, and was delivered on 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 was delivered on 18 July 2011 and the fifth and final ship, Celebrity Reflection was recently handed over on 9 October 2012.

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 stolonifera, is used for the lawn. The areas such as Patio on the Lawn, Sunset Bar, Lawn Club Shop and The Hot Glass Show are found on the lawn. The staterooms on Solstice-class ships are significantly larger than the previous classes, with 80% having a veranda. The staterooms are grouped into seven categories; including the spa-inspired AquaClass and the Concierge class. There are two Penthouse Suites, a 110-m2 stateroom and several Royal Suites, a 54-m2 stateroom. Both have a living room, dining room and separate bedrooms. There are also Jacuzzis and separate showers. Solstice-class feature amenities such as large staterooms, a 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 café 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 from Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse and from future Solstice-class ships. In order to compensate, the small "X" on the front funnel was enlarged on ships following Celebrity Solstice.

Environmental details

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 silicone 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 was optimized to save energy. Celebrity Cruises conducted more than 90 model tank tests in order to achieve its current design. Paired with the new propulsion arrangement, the ship saves 8% more energy than the traditional propeller-and-rudder set-ups.
  • Common rail Diesel engines, which reduce energy consumption and reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions at all engine loads.
  • The exterior glass used in Solstice-class ships is specially glazed to prevent solar heat from entering the ship's inner spaces and filter UV 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 LED lights.
  • Switching from halogen lamp and incandescent bulbs to fluorescent and LED bulbs which reduces power consumption by 80% and generates 50% less heat.
  • High efficiency air conditioning system, 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 equipment.
  • Advanced Waste Water Purification (AWP) which cleans the ship's waste water and exceeds waste water discharge standards.

    • Ship facts

  • Gross tonnage: 122,000-GT
  • Length: 1,033 feet (314.86 m)
  • Width: 121 feet (36.88 m)
  • Cost: $750 million

    • References

    Solstice-class cruise ship Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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