''Celebrity Solstice'' is the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...

of the of

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

s operated by

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in ...

. Built by

Meyer Werft Meyer Werft (; ) is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Papenburg at the river Ems. It was founded in 1795, as a builder of small wooden vessels. It has been owned and managed by the Meyer family for seven generations. Since ...

Papenburg Papenburg (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Papenbörg'') is a city in the district of Emsland, Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners. Ge ...

, Germany, she was floated out on 10 August 2008 and christened by ocean scientist professor Sharon L. Smith at a ceremony in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...

, United States, on 14 November 2008. The first

post-Panamax Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. The limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in a publication titled "Vessel Requirements". ...

vessel in the Celebrity fleet, she features innovative interior design and onboard amenities, including an ocean-going live grass lawn, a glassblowing studio, and a 12-deck-high atrium.

Design & Construction

Yacht designer Martin Francis of Francis Design was hired to design her exterior profile. In original exterior renderings, the hull was shown as all-white with powder blue funnels and blue glass upper decks. The large dark blue funnel with a white X that has been the trademark of Celebrity was replaced by two thin funnels, and the company’s X logo was to be visible in the glass balcony railings on the ship's midsection. Throughout her fitting out, sea trials, and launch, it was noted that the glass X, unless seen from certain angles, was not visible. Shortly after, the X was refinished to be darker but could still be hard to see. During sea trials, a white X was added to the forward funnel, making ''Celebrity Solstice'' more closely resemble her fleetmates. The overall masterplan was completed by Boston-based Wilson Butler Architects, which would also design the entertainment venues, such as Main Theater, along with the Grand Foyer, and open decks, including the Lawn Club. Other designers included Tihany Design, which designed the interior of the main dining room; BG Studio, which designed Cellar masters, Passport Bar, Ensemble Lounge, Micheals Club, and Murano; 5 + Design, Galleria Boutique, Fortune Casino, Art Gallery; and RTKL, which designed the Spa. The keel was laid in March 2007 at

in Papenberg, Germany''.'' This would be Celerity return to Meyer shipyard since the Century class, who also built Celebrity's first ships with the Horizon class. The ''Celebrity Solstice'' left Meyer Werft on September 28, 2008. The ship was the biggest cruise ship built in Germany to that point.

History

The Celebrity Solstice arrived in Fort Lauderdale on November 3, 2008. Subsequently, she embarked on a series of short preview cruises for travel agents and dignitaries.NWZonline.de Luxusliner Spezial
, retrieved September 29, 2008 On November 14, 2008, at

Port Everglades Port Everglades is a seaport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, located in Broward County. Port Everglades is one of South Florida's foremost economic engines, as it is the gateway for both international trade and cruise vacations. In 2022, Port Eve ...

, Fort Lauderdale, she was officially named by Sharon L. Smith. She began commercial service on November 23, 2008. ''Celebrity Solstice'' was scheduled to be put in dry dock in October 2021.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Official website

{{Celebrity Ships

Solstice A solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly sun path, excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around 20–22 June and 20–22 December. In many countries ...

Ships built in Papenburg 2008 ships Cruise ships involved in the COVID-19 pandemic