The ''Celebrity Solstice'' is the

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

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 tours known as ...

s operated by Celebrity Cruises. Built by

Meyer Werft Meyer Werft is one of the major German shipyards, headquartered in Papenburg at the river Ems. Founded in 1795 and starting with small wooden vessels, today Meyer Werft is a builder of luxury passenger ships. 700 ships of different types have be ...

in Papenburg, 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, United States, on 14 November 2008. The first

post-Panamax Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships travelling 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 and description

Externally, ''Celebrity Solstice'' looks very different from previous Celebrity Cruises ships. 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. In a more recent update, the light blue color had been changed to Celebrity's normal dark blue color and the hull was shown having a resemblance to the current fleet's livery, with the promenade deck painted dark blue. Similarly, the large dark blue funnel with a white X that had been the trademark of Celebrity thus far has been replaced by two thin funnels, and it was planned to have the X logo of the company visible in the glass balcony railings on the ship's "hump" (The area of superstructure which extends outward farther than the rest of the balconies). 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 still can be hard to see. An afterthought during the sea trials saw the addition of a white X onto the forward funnel, thus bringing ''Celebrity Solstice'' more closely related to her fleetmates.

Facilities

Her facilities include a theater with a 1,400+ seating capacity and a live grass lawn between the ship's funnels on the upper deck and even a workout room, sauna, indoor pool, and more than four hot tubs.

Construction and career

''Celebrity Solstice'' left

on September 28, 2008, and 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, 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.

2020: spread of COVID-19

In March 2020 thousands of passengers of cruise ships that disembarked in Sydney, Australia were told to self-isolate due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

fears. ''Celebrity Solstice'' disembarked its passengers on 20 March. On 2 April 11 cases had tested positively for the virus in New South Wales alone. One passenger was reported to have died on 1 April. The ship left Australia during the weekend of 4 April 2020 with its crew as did four other vessels.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Official website
{{Celebrity Ships

Solstice A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countr ...

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