Immediately following the signing of an official letter of intent with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft, Celebrity Cruises recently announced that it will soon begin construction on an extraordinary new vessel. The agreement also leaves an option for at least one more ship that may be announced by Celebrity in the near future. The new ship will be the first in an innovative new class of cruising vessels, taking the incredible onboard features and amenities and other luxurious extras that Celebrity Cruises is famous for to an exciting new level.
"We are excited to be collaborating with Celebrity Cruises on this new, breakthrough design and its market-leading innovations," said Meyer Werft Managing Partner Bernard Meyer. "It has taken us many months to develop a strong, working prototype and this next-generation of ships is truly extraordinary."
Once completed, current plans call for the new ship to weigh in at an immense 117,000 tons, a full 26,000 tons larger than Celebrity's top-rated Millennium-class family of ships. The new ship will be the first "wide-body" vessel in the Celebrity cruise ship fleet, and will span a length of 1,033 feet, with a width of 121 feet.
The ship will offer a full-range of 1,425 staterooms, being able to accommodate as many as 2,850 guests (double occupancy) and 1,250 crew members. As with most of Celebrity's ships, the standard stateroom size aboard this new ship will also be one of the largest in the cruise industry, with an average offered space of more than 215 square feet. Also, more than 90% of these staterooms will be outside cabins, and more than 90% of those will boast their own private balcony.
The new vessel is expected to build on the success of Celebrity Cruises' most recent Millennium-class family of ships, featuring an array or world-class dining options, lavish entertainment, dazzling public areas, several swimming pools, onboard shopping, numerous specialty bars and lounges, more wide-open deck space, the ultra-opulent Aqua Spa and fitness center, and so much more!
Other innovative and distinctive features planned for the new ship will be announced in the coming months; however, Celebrity promises a host of new and exciting elements never before seen in the cruise industry, taking the already magnificent Celebrity cruise experience to unprecedented new heights.
"Today's announcement clearly demonstrates the company's continuing commitment to the growth and innovative development of the Celebrity brand," said Dan Hanrahan, president of Celebrity Cruises. "It also strengthens our hand in delivering the incredible service and amenities and the phenomenal cruise experience Celebrity is known for."
Celebrity Cruises has listed a tentative delivery date for the new ship of mid-Fall 2008. It estimates the total cost of the vessel to be approximately $225,000 per berth. With today's new ship and current ship orders, Celebrity predicts fleet capacity to increase by a total of 2.8 percent in 2006, 7.4 percent in 2007, and 7.2 percent by 2008.
