BOTOX AT SEA - HOW OLDER SHIPS STAY FRESH AND NEW – BY MAUREEN MCKEON
On a recent site inspection I was reminded of how older ships are new again and made me think of the Botox craze that has taken over the country and how this applies to the cruise industry.
There a lot of changes made recently on a few of planners’ favorite 3, 4 & 5 Night cruises. Check out what’s new with Celebrity’s Century, Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas and Carnival’s Fascination.
Dawn of a New Century
Like many elegant ladies, Century recently took a little trip to Europe to get a little work done. Time well spent from what we’ve seen. Popular with meeting planners because of her 4/5 night Caribbean itineraries, Century now has some of the special features that were brought out with Celebrity’s later series of Millennium class vessels.
Here’s a run-down on what she’s had done:
· New balconies added to ocean view staterooms – for a total of 393 veranda staterooms
· Expanded Concierge Class of 176 staterooms
· 14 New Sky Suites, for a total of 75 butler-serviced suites
· 10 handicap accessible staterooms including 2 of the new Sky Suites
All stateroom categories feature enhanced amenities including premium mattresses, Egyptian cotton linens, Euro pillows, Flat screen TVs and wireless internet access and upgraded bathroom fixtures.
Century’s Aqua Spa by Elemis has also been completely renovated and enlarged and their Fitness Center and Barbershop upgraded. 24 hour Internet stations and innovative new Martini Ice Bar – with a frozen stone bar - have also been added.
Century will offer 4 and 5 night round-trip Caribbean cruises in the fall from Miami.
Extreme Make-over for her Royal Highness –Majesty of the Seas
 The 1178-room Majesty of the Seas recently underwent renovations extending to every area of the ship. From new restaurants, expanded spa and fitness facilities to refurbished staterooms, public areas and lounges – quite extensive changes were made to ensure this successful ship continues to satisfy today’s meetings market.
Perhaps most important to meeting planners is the addition of an upgraded and expanded Conference Center made possible by sacrificing the former champagne bar and library! (Just goes to show how much RCI is committed to meetings at sea!) A/V equipment has also been incorporated into the design of the 3 meeting rooms which make up the Conference Center.
Of course everybody’s favorite was Boleros (formerly the midship lounge) where the mojito’s were a huge hit. And the surroundings were also very inviting: new furnishings, carpet, and window treatment plus a new “observation’ bar overlooking the dance floor. The Latin band motivates lots of dance action, turning a formerly underused venue into the center of the evening’s action.
The additions of Johnny Rockets for hamburgers, Sorrento’s for pizza and Latte-tudes for Seattles Best Coffee put Majesty on a par with RCI’s newer ships. And with the renovations of Windjammer Marketplace, a much more diverse array of international foods can be offered at breakfast as well as lunch.
Regardless of stateroom category, passengers now rest super-comfortably on new nine-inch thick spring mattresses, with separate two-inch thick micro-fiber pillow tops and upgraded linens. This was truly a delightful way to sleep – the very same new sleep system as on Royal Caribbean’s newest ships.
Majesty of the Seas offers 3 & 4 night sailings from Miami to CocoCay and Nassau – and will remain a very popular choice for short incentive programs and meetings at a very affordable price.
Fascination – High marks for a major upgrade
Carnival Cruise Lines recently upgraded Fascination, a staple among their 3 and 4 night cruises, during a 35-day dry-dock that added a miniature golf course, patisserie, teen club and other features.
The multimillion-dollar work brings new enhancements to the vessel. The new Café on the Way, located on the Promenade Deck, serves specialty coffees and sweets. On Empress Deck, a new gallery was added to house the artwork for shipboard auctions and a new Atrium Bar.
A newly designed Internet café and a new 1,200-square-foot conference room have also been added. In addition, Spa Carnival was renovated with new private treatment rooms, updated exercise equipment and various cosmetic enhancements to the 12,000-square-foot facility.
Staterooms and suites weren’t left out. They now have all new décor, remodeled bathrooms and flat screen TVs. The work also included upgrades in carpeting and upholstery and modifications to the layout of the aft lounge and casino area to accommodate larger groups.
The 70,000 ton Fascination sails year-round from Miami on three-day cruises to Nassau and four-day cruises to Key West and Cozumel.
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