Solstice-class cruise ship

The first Solstice-class vessel was ordered in year 2005[4] at Meyer Werft, with one vessel as the first option. Later, option for second vessel was exercised.[4] 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.[4] 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.[4] The class consists of five ships, with expected delivery of one ship each year, from 2008 to 2012, at a total cost of US$3.7 billion.[5]

Celebrity Eclipse departing Southampton

One of the finest features of the Solstice-class is the half-acre, freshly manicured[1] lawn named The Lawn Club, which is located in deck 15. A special type of grass, Agrostis stolonifera, is used for the lawn.[9] 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.[1] 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.[9] There are also Jacuzzis and separate showers.[1] 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.[13]

Design

Celebrity Solstice in Port Melbourne, Australia

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.

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