The Amazing Cruises Blog: 2012

Here is the very first entry to the fabulous new Amazing Cruises blog! And I will start by telling you how I spent a wonderful day in Freeport with Celebrity Cruises. It turned out to be a highlight of my career. Celebrity Cruises invited me to Freeport, Bahamas to tour the Celebrity Summit as it is nearing the completion of a $30M refurbishment in dry-dock.
Now,imagine what a thrill it was for a ship geek like myself to tour a beautiful, 91,000 ton cruise ship perched high above the waterline on wooden blocks. There she was! High and dry. Propellers exposed…what a sight.

I was with an incredible and friendly group of Celebrity Cruises staff and executives, and they were the most-amazing hosts. In this crew were the wonderful Dondra Ritzenthaler, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing; Dan Hanrahan, President & CEO and Richard Fain, Chairman & CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

We boarded the ship and were taken to the new Cafe Al Baccio for specialty coffees and pasties, or whatever else you desired. Shortly after, we were escorted to the new BLU Restaurant for lunch. despite there being rolls of carpet everywhere and thousands of contractors, I was extremely impressed to see the restaurant fully-functional and set for lunch. It was a wonderful setting, complete with fresh flowers and gleaming tableware. We were offered a full menu along with wine and champagne. The food, service and atmosphere were world class (I completely forgot we were in dry-dock at that moment).

Afterwards, we toured many public areas, and visited the various types of staterooms. The Celebrity Suites now boast wonderful balconies, and are sure to generate great demand. These are some of the best suites at sea, and are one of my personal favorites. Our tour ended in the new conference center where we had a Q&A with Dondra, Dan and Richard. It was informative, relaxed and we all felt very
welcomed. The interaction with all three in such an intimate setting brought me closer to the company. My commitment to the brand, re-invigorated.

Celebrity Summit left the dry-dock yesterday and is sailing for her winter homeport of San Juan. She arrives on January 29th. The ship looks incredible, and will no-doubt attract a new following. The rich earth tones set the stage for all the great new restaurants, bars and lounges. Guests booked on this classy ship have a lot to look forward to, and I urge all Celebrity fans to try the newly "Solstisized" Millennium Class ships. They're the best of both worlds! They are truly THE best premium-class ships out there and an exceptional value. I'm looking forward to my next Celebrity cruise!

Many thanks to Celebrity and everyone responsible for putting together this amazing day. It was one that I will not soon forget.

Enjoy the pictures!

A Warm Welcome