MIAMI, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Celebrity Cruises' new Celebrity Solstice is a vivid illustration of the brand's commitment to delivering extraordinary service with style, in venues boasting some of the best architecture and design at sea. Among them is one unique not only in its design, but perhaps more so in what it creatively communicates to Celebrity guests.
In partnership with leading conservation organization Conservation International, Celebrity Solstice features the Team Earth venue, an interactive exhibit designed to capture the interest and imagination of Celebrity guests through brilliant nature photography, museum-quality exhibits, and digital touch-screen displays.
"This venue on Celebrity Solstice is the first in the travel and hospitality industry to authentically illustrate how Conservation International and partners such as Celebrity are uniting in a global program of the same name - Team Earth," said Celebrity's President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "It's a vivid example of our shared belief in doing all we can to preserve the earth's fresh water, clean air, natural resources, and rich beauty."
Onboard Celebrity Solstice, the Team Earth venue is a dynamic and engaging location, presenting news, inspiring films, audio clips, and compelling stories about the wonders of the planet. Guests also can see how Celebrity achieved the numerous energy-efficiencies that it did on Celebrity Solstice, and how similar efforts across the fleet are significantly minimizing every Celebrity ship's impact on the environment. Among those initiatives:
-- Celebrity Solstice is the industry's first ship to use solar energy, with 216 solar panels - enough to power all of the ship's guest elevators, or more than 7,000 LED lights.
-- The hull was designed explicitly with energy efficiency in mind, with every angle closely tested and examined to achieve optimal cruising speed, guest comfort, and fuel consumption.
-- On Celebrity Solstice, and across the fleet, a special silicon coating has been applied to the entire underwater area to reduce frictional resistance and trim fuel consumption. The coating also inhibits marine growth, such as barnacles and algae on the hull, and prevents a breakdown of paint chips into the ocean.
-- Celebrity began transitioning from higher wattage halogen and incandescent bulbs to longer-lasting fluorescent and LED lights more than a year ago, as they generate less than 50 percent of the heat of the bulbs previously used, resulting in reduced energy consumption and more efficient air conditioning.
-- The high-glazed glass of Celebrity Solstice's windows reduces heat transfer into staterooms and public areas, in turn reducing energy required for air conditioning. The glazing still allows for natural light to enter the ship, but filters out 99.9 percent of UV rays. Meanwhile, on the balance of the fleet, state-of-the-art window film produced by 3M has been installed to achieve the same benefits.
-- Advanced wastewater purification (AWP) systems have been installed on every Celebrity ship, and Celebrity Solstice has it from its inception. These systems are capable of treating all wastewater streams onboard - including grey and black water - and restoring it to close to drinking-water quality before discharging.
-- An innovative application across the Celebrity fleet is the use of river rocks instead of ice beds in buffet areas, reducing both water and energy consumption due to a lesser need for ice.
-- Every ship in the Celebrity fleet also houses low-energy reverse osmosis plants (water makers) to produce fresh drinking water. The line also is installing reduced-flow dishwashers and low-consumption laundry equipment.
"We are thrilled that Celebrity included such an interactive, educational space on their innovative new ship," said Conservation International Chairman and CEO Peter Seligmann. "The Team Earth venue offers a way for kids and adults to learn more about the world's oceans and marine life, as well as the environment as a whole, in a very exciting and engaging way."
Guests visiting the Team Earth venue will not only learn about the energy- efficient attributes of Celebrity Solstice and the entire Celebrity fleet, but about notable conservation efforts around the world. They also will have the opportunity to join the Team Earth online community to receive pertinent news and support global conservation efforts well beyond the time they return home from their cruise, if they choose.
Conservation International (CI) applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity and demonstrate that human societies can live harmoniously with nature. Founded in 1987, CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents to help people find economic alternatives without harming their natural environments. For more information about CI, visit http://www.conservation.org/.
Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 "Top Cruise Ships in the World" in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler (February 2008 readers' poll), Celebrity's fleet - including the new Celebrity Solstice - will be joined by Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit http://www.celebritycruises.com/.
