Celebrity
Cruises' Solstice Caters to Women’s Needs
Some
things just need a woman’s touch.
This
motto has recently led cruise line Celebrity Cruises to begin redesigning some
of their cruise packages, catering towards its growing female customer base. The
revamped packages for the company's Celebrity Solstice ship have been reworked
with the help of five women dubbed Celebrity’s Leading Ladies.
 | AquaClass
StateRoom |
Selected
for their unique business perspectives and objectiveness, the group consisted
of a frequent cruiser, a travel agent, a travel writer, a hotelier and a cruise
considerer. During the four-month design process, the women worked with a innovative
consultancy firm to rework cruise ship staterooms, making them more appealing
to women.
“They [women] are the
most discerning guests when it comes to the stateroom,” said Ellen Taaffe,
Celebrity’s senior vice president of marketing. “Their standards are
high.”
According to Richard Fain,
chairman of Celebrity's parent company Royal Carribbean Cruise Ltd., women travelers
wanted much larger and more comfortable accommodations.
"First,
we decided to make the staterooms larger — an average of 15 percent larger,
in our deluxe ocean view verandas — and then, we decided to make them better,"
Fain said.
With the help of Celebrity's
Leading Ladies, the cruise line decided to improve the flow of its staterooms
by making them larger with a more passenger-friendly layout. As an industry first,
the Celebrity Cruises created a design with a double set of doors that allow room
guests to create a more open space for families or friends traveling together.
The neighboring verandas will also be connectable, creating an expanded deck that
spans the adjoining guestrooms. Additional storage such as hooks, shelves and
nooks will also lend to a room that looks and feels less cluttered.
For
a more visually pleasing look, Celebrity Solstice will steer away from the traditional
bright, bold patterns, opting instead for neutral colors and elegant textures
inside the staterooms. The cruise line hopes the look will appear more sophisticated
and timeless.
Other added amenities
include individual nightstand reading lights, glass showers, fog-free mirrors
and 32-inch flat-screen televisions.
To
cater to those who are most passionate about pampering, Celebrity Solstice will
also feature a special selection of veranda staterooms called AquaClass —
an experience that blends spa elements with highly-personalized service. Available
to the 130 AquaClass rooms are exclusive amenities, relaxation room access and
the Persian Garden steam room. A special AquaClass-only dining room titled Blu
will also be available to passengers.
The
Celebrity Solstice will be available to cruisers in 2008. To learn more about
the female-friendly ship and other available cruises, visit Celebrity
Cruises. |
