As the Director of Hotel Development and Housekeeping, I oversee all new build and revitalization projects, including the Solsticizing of our Millennium Class. In my 15 years with Celebrity Cruises, I have overseen nine new ships and six revitalizations from the set up and operational side. This includes an endless list of details such as crew movement, on board signage, and the selection of many items you see on board. One of the most important responsibilities I have (for both new builds and Solsticizing projects) is to conduct our Practicality Studies. Before we introduce any new concept, venue design, fabric, or piece of furniture, we study it to see how it might impact the hardware, the crew, and the guest experience.
The AquaClass stateroom concept received no less focus. I was involved in creating and implementing the AquaClass stateroom experience when we introduced it on the Solstice Class. As you heard in an earlier blog, when we later began thinking about Solsticizing our Millennium Class ships, the Operational teams rallied to determine if it was feasible to include the AquaClass concept in the Solsticizing scope. While Blu restaurant, one of the core experiences offered, was challenging to implement for my fellow F&B colleagues, converting the staterooms was much easier. With some special modifications like the addition of the Hansgrohe® shower panel and fog-free mirrors, our custom blended bath products and spa inspired amenities, and design changes to the carpet and upholstery, we were able to easily convert the staterooms.
I’ve traveled in AquaClass during my own vacation, and I find that the spa-inspired amenities and services, Blu restaurant, and access to the Persian Garden create a uniquely relaxing and therapeutic way of traveling. AquaClass staterooms have been a welcomed addition for our guests who have recently sailed on the Solsticized Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Summit, and I have no doubt our Celebrity Millennium guests will feel the same way!
Roswita Arnet Director, Hotel Development & Housekeeping
As a part of our ongoing series to showcase our newly Solsticized ships, the Captain’s Club team hosted a day tour for several Captain’s Club Members from the New York area onboard Celebrity Summit on May 6th at Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ. After a great tour of the ship, we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the main dining room. It was great to spend the day with some of our wonderful members and share the latest Celebrity innovations with them in person. If only we could have stayed on for the cruise…
Impressions from one of our members:
My companion Ron Williamson and I were fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the Captain’s Club to tour the “NEW” Celebrity Summit; this turned out to be an exceptionally educational experience. During the tour, we were able to visit various suites and staterooms. We noticed that the addition of balconies to the Celebrity Suites and the addition of the Aqua Class staterooms were among the various improvements made to the ship. Celebrity also enhanced the ship by making some additions to the common areas such as Bistro on Five, the Martini Bar, Cafe al Bacio, Blu Restaurant, and my personal favorite, Qsine.
I am a frequent cruiser (having taken approximately 30 cruises), and I have to say that the Captain’s Club is one of the best loyalty programs at sea. Whether it’s during the reservation process or once you are on the ship, the staff of the Captain’s Club is always there to make your experience more enjoyable.
I am also a travel agent, and when any of my clients ask me about cruising and what my favorite cruise line is, the answer is always the same—Celebrity!
Thank you for the opportunity for me to express how I feel about Celebrity,
Set sail with Celebrity Cruises for the chance to experience Solsticizing. You could win a 7-night Caribbean cruise for two.
Exactly what is Solsticizing?
It’s our $140 million initiative to blend the iconic, award-winning features of our Solstice® Class ships with the best aspects of our Millennium® Class ships. Because we believe every moment of your vacation should be measured by just how far it takes you from the ordinary. That’s modern luxury.SM
Enter our sweepstakes to learn more about Solsticizing and the chance to win a Celebrity Caribbean vacation for 2 in AquaClass, our spa-inspired staterooms with exclusive benefits.
Plus, we’re awarding instant win prizes, like an iPad® or a gift card of up to $100 to places like Crate & Barrel, Wine.com, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and more.
This is Sheldon, your Hotel Director from the beautiful Celebrity Millennium, bringing you the action as we go through the amazing Solsticizing process.
As I walked on board the ship, wonderful memories of fantastic friends that I have made here and all of the exciting places that we have been came flooding back to me. I have spent nearly 5 years of my career with Celebrity on Celebrity Millennium, starting in the year 2000 when I was a part of the opening team that brought the ship out of the yard in St Nazaire, France. I have done contracts here as an Assistant Maitre D’, Food and Beverage Manager, and Hotel Director, covering itineraries in Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Alaska, Caribbean, South America, New Zealand and Australia. This will be my fourth dry dock on this ship after having done previous ones in Palermo, Sicily, Sydney, Australia and Victoria, Canada. So as you can see, I am very happy to be here and to be a part of a new chapter in Celebrity Millennium’s life.
So far, Celebrity Millennium’s dry dock has been extremely successful. This has been achieved through our usual dedication to planning, communication and support for one another. It is really a great experience to be a part of the Celebrity family; everyone’s voice is heard and all feedback is considered so that we can move forward with positive momentum.
Recently I was telling one of my colleagues a wonderful story of how one crewmember’s keen eye for detail contributed to enhancing the beauty of Celebrity Summit during her Solsticizing: I was walking around, speaking with the crew on fire watch, and this particular crew member stopped me and asked if a portion of the ceiling was going to be painted, as it did not fit in with the new décor. I relayed that concern back to the design team, and the very next day scaffolding was being erected and the ceiling was painted. Amazing!
The ship left Miami on April 21st for the short trip to the Shipyard in the Bahamas. Captain Alevropoulos and his team of bridge officers did a great job of getting the ship into the dry dock under very challenging weather conditions. The lifeboats were lowered into the water and were taken away to be completely overhauled and repainted. The remaining water was then drained, leaving the ship high and dry on the blocks. Although some of the Solsticizing work began shortly after leaving Miami, this period is the time when the gangway is placed and the remaining contractors come on board, which means full steam ahead.
It is great to see that most of the people involved in this dry dock are the same from Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Infinity’s dry docks. Everyone is familiar with each other as well as the ship, and they are all absolute professionals. I am looking forward to keeping everyone updated over the next few weeks as we work through to completion and welcome our guests on board in Miami on May 12!
Best Regards
Sheldon Thompson Hotel Director Celebrity Millennium Celebrity Cruises
Being part of Celebrity’s public relations team means telling people what makes our cruises so special. One of the most exciting stories to tell is that of our Solsticizing initiative. For me, a large part of what makes this story so fantastic is the fact that each revitalization includes the addition of more restaurants; this means more ways for you to enjoy our award-winning, made-from-scratch cuisine and authentic, personalized service. With the addition of Tuscan Grille, Qsine, Blu and Bistro on Five to our Millennium Class ships, you can expand your culinary journey through a much richer variety of flavor combinations, textures, pairings and other taste worthy delights.
The same team of chefs who bring these restaurants to life through the development of modern luxury dining concepts, menus and service recently made history! Earlier this month, Celebrity was the first cruise line to have its chefs featured at the prestigious, historic James Beard House in New York City. Once the home of American culinary pioneer James Beard, who laid the groundwork for America’s gastronomic excellence, the James Beard House is today regarded as a culinary performance space.
I had the opportunity to witness our chefs in action that week, as I was overseeing a video shoot aimed at sharing the James Beard House dinner story with you (the resulting piece is below). The chefs’ excitement was palpable as they prepped at the New York Marriott Marquis kitchen (thanks to Executive Chef Armando Monterroso and his incredibly hospitable staff), sourced ingredients locally, finished prep at the James Beard House, and then presented an amazing dinner that dazzled and delighted everyone who attended.
Some people believe that the practice of public relations is all glamour, no substance. That couldn’t be further from the truth. But if that’s the perception, it means we do a good job of making sure people see what we want them to see: the polished finished product, not the hard work that led to it. At Celebrity, what we really want everyone to see is how passionate we are about delivering unforgettable, luxurious vacation experiences. My job is to tell that story, to explain how we create truly restorative vacation moments and to invoke curiosity and eagerness about how a Celebrity Cruises experience is unlike any other at sea. And a large part of what makes Celebrity so special is the food we serve onboard.
Seeing our team of chefs—the chefs behind the made-from-scratch food we serve onboard—shine at the legendary James Beard House, one of the most prestigious culinary performance spaces in the world, was an honor and a privilege.
And shine they did! Scallop tartare with sea urchin emulsion and pickled ginger. Alaskan King crab nage with ramp panna cotta, Osetra caviar and Kumamoto oysters. Baby lamb rib with morel mushrooms. Toro tacushi with sesame-soy emulsion, in wonton “taco” shells. Grand Marnier soufflé. These are but a few of the delectable items that our team concocted for the guests at the dinner.
Our director of culinary operations and James Beard Foundation Award-nominated Chef John Suley led the team of chefs who cooked at the Beard House. Together, they represent six countries across five continents: John is American; W. Thomas Szymanski, Senior Traveling Executive Chef, is from Poland; Rufino Rengifo, Corporate Executive Chef, is from Venezuela; Steve Van Der Merwe, Corporate Executive Chef, is South African; Executive Pastry Chef Thierry Houlbert is from France; Traveling Pastry Chef Ronald Sioson is from the Philippines.
Izabela Wojcik, The James Beard Foundation’s Director of House Programming, said, “We selected Celebrity Cruises to cook at the James Beard House because the culinary journey offered on their ships truly is outstanding. The incredible creativity of Chef John Suley and his team is the reason why Celebrity’s guests have the opportunity to delve into an extraordinary range of globally influenced flavors and presentations.”
“The James Beard House dinner not only reflected our individual styles, but also the diversity of influences that shape our work,” John said. “With a team approach, we bring this same synergy to Celebrity’s onboard culinary experience every day, and hope that our passion for cooking amazing food adds an element of the unexpected, of adventure, even of astonishment, to our guests’ vacations.”
Just as teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of the success of Celebrity’s James Beard House dinner, they’re what make our onboard service so extraordinary, on every ship, every day. That’s a story I personally love to tell, and I hope you enjoy experiencing it firsthand.
Click here to see our chefs put modern luxury on the table in New York City (and bring your appetite when we next see you onboard!).
Tavia Robb Manager, Public Relations Celebrity Cruises
Shortly after the launch of Solstice, it became clear that Blu restaurant (and the Aqua Class experience) was a big hit with our guests. We also knew it would be a welcome addition to the “Solsticizing” of the Millennium class ships. However, as is often the case with complex projects, the question of “How do we do this?” was a bit tricky. As it turned out, it was all about the galley.
We consider each of our restaurants to be a “unique destination unto itself.” As a result, we typically require both a dedicated “Front of the House” (dining room) and a “Back of the House” (kitchen or galley) space to make a restaurant a success. The highly refined and detailed nature of the cuisine in Blu requires a dedicated galley space, so the idea was originally discussed for the Constellation “Solsticizing.” However, the idea was abandoned when, after multiple attempts, we couldn’t find a solution for a dedicated galley. And believe me, it wasn’t for a lack of trying! So, as we began discussions for the Infinity “ Solsticizing ,” we rallied the team and once again asked the question, “How do we do this?”
It is often said that those closest to the problem have the best solution, and this situation is a perfect example of where this rings true. It was actually our shipboard team of Chefs and operations managers—led by our Corporate Food and Beverage Operations Manager, Edi Kevorkyan, and our Senior Traveling Executive Chef, Thomas Szymanski—that came up with the solution to dedicate a section of the main galley for Blu. They were confident that, with a few simple equipment modifications, we could execute the entire Blu menu on the Millennium class just as we do on the Solstice class. And while there were some hesitations amongst our team, we decided to give it a shot.
Not surprisingly, it has worked beautifully; as a result, the process has continued on Celebrity Summit and will move on to Celebrity Millennium later this month. Every member of our team has a voice to help us solve our problems and deliver solutions. After all, “All of us are smarter than any one of us.” And now, many more guests will be able to enjoy the Aqua Class experience, and Blu, as a result.
Scott Steenrod Associate Vice President Food & Beverage Operations
You recently heard from my colleague, Scott Steenrod, who shared the story of how Qsine was brought to life. He mentioned that one of the most exciting things we do here at Celebrity Cruises is create new concepts, and as the Director of Product Development, I couldn’t agree with him more.
Creativity and innovation are at the core of everything we do, whether we’re working with the Food and Beverage Team and our talented chefs to bring our lifestyle book, Excite the Senses, to life, developing exciting new concepts for Celebrity Reflection—our newest ship debuting in October—or finding the perfect name for a new program or venue that can capture its very essence. But, not everything we do is about creating new products. Often times it’s about taking a guest’s experience from “good” to “exceptional.”
For example, when we introduced “eXhale”℠, our luxurious sleep bedding, we thought, “how can we make it an even better experience?” With pure Egyptian cotton linens and plush duvets and pillows, the only stone left unturned was the mattress. But not just any branded mattress would do. So, we set out to not only find a new mattress, but also a manufacturer we could partner with to deliver the most innovative product on the market. After some research and visiting hotel trade shows around the country, we discovered Reverie®, a not so well known yet innovative manufacturer in the field of luxury bedding and adjustable bases.
We worked with them to create a custom mattress for our staterooms that would feature their unique air cylinder technology, plush pillow top, and bamboo mattress cover to keep you cool and comfortable while you sleep. Reverie named this exclusive design, ‘Reverie Dream Lite’. For our suites, we selected their top of the line ‘Reverie Dream’ mattress. Not only did this mattress have their patented technology, but also—with the help of suite butlers—the firmness of the mattress can be customized according to preference.
These new mattresses represent one of the single largest “Solsticizing” investments we’re making on the Millennium Class. I’m so happy the decision was made to move forward because rejuvenation is such a big part of the vacation experience, and we think there’s no better place to start than a good night’s rest. What I am most proud of though, is that these mattresses are made of natural, raw materials farmed in a sustainable manner and are almost entirely recyclable!
How do we maintain the creativity needed to continuously innovate? We utilize the canvas of our beautiful ships devised by our amazing architects and designers. We collaborate with teams across the company to develop the experience that brings the concept to life. We get input from the crew and staff onboard. But, first and foremost, we look for inspiration from you and your feedback. We can’t wait to hear what you think of the new mattresses onboard the newly Solsticized Celebrity Millennium!
Dominique P. Bonavita Director, Product Development
One of the most exciting things that we do at Celebrity Cruises—particularly in our food and beverage department—is create new things. We are constantly pushing the limits of our guests’ experiences further and further from what they would normally expect on a cruise vacation. We find great joy in the “a-ha!” moment where we’ve revolutionized expectations of what dining on a cruise ship can be like.
And, I will admit it—I’m probably the least creative person on our team. This is why the opportunity to be surrounded by the creative minds of Chef Jacques Van Staden and the other members of our team everyday is so much fun for me. I simply never know what they will come up with next!!!
Never was this creativity more alive than when Jacques developed Qsine. With amazing support from our leaders and a blank slate to work with, Jacques literally locked himself in his office (aka the culinary laboratory) with a collection of sketchbooks, an open mind and an iron-will to develop a restaurant that people had never seen before. For him, the opportunity to break through all misconceptions of cruise ship dining was the perfect calling. For several months, he divulged little about his plans to me. He really only consulted me to provide occasional glimpses of prospective service items or to bounce a quick idea off of me about possibilities.
Finally, Jacques emerged like a mad scientist that had just made a new discovery. As we spoke, he quickly rattled off idea after idea—“We call this the food palate pleasers. There are no courses. Guests are taking a culinary journey. The music will be vibrant and upbeat, the ambiance a bit whimsical and mysterious…. And it’s all about the food. Not avant-garde cookery, but real food delivered in ways that most people haven’t seen before. And when it’s all done, we turn your perception of dining upside down.”
The brilliance of the concept was instantly visible, and as Jacques spoke, my enthusiasm for Qsine grew. And, it was all a bit terrifying. Would the guests like it? Was it too creative? Would our crew embrace and understand what we were trying to accomplish? However, from the moment we welcomed our first guests into Qsine on Eclipse, we knew these fears were unfounded. Not only did Qsine represent a breakthrough restaurant concept, but it also came to represent a new standard in creativity and innovation from Chef Jacques and our Food and Beverage team. What’s interesting is that the first guests in Qsine were the senior management from Celebrity and the shipyard, Meyer Werft, dining together at the large communal table in the center of the restaurant. I will never forget how I watched them go from skeptics to believers, particularly as they shared their “palate pleasers” and finished their experience comparing the cupcakes they’d decorated.
With this instantaneous success on Celebrity Eclipse, we were thrilled to be a part of the decision to not only include Qsine on all future Solstice class ships, but also as part of our Solsticizing efforts on the remaining Millennium Class ships. And with our first Millennium Class Qsine on Celebrity Infinity, we saw the restaurant take on an even more dramatic presence amidst the two-story, top deck setting.
It’s a thrill that even more guests will now get to enjoy the “Uniquely Unordinary” experience that is Qsine. And for our team, it’s powerful reminder of how Chef Jacques’ creativity and empowerment leads us on our “Uniquely Celebrity” journey of delivering treasured guest food and beverage experiences with pride and imagination.
Scott Steenrod Associate Vice President Food & Beverage Operations
As the Director of Hotel Development and Housekeeping, I oversee all new build and revitalization projects, including the Solsticizing of our Millennium Class. In my 15 years with Celebrity Cruises, I have overseen nine new ships and six revitalizations from the set up and operational side. This includes an endless list of details such as crew movement, on board signage, and the selection of many items you see on board. One of the most important responsibilities I have (for both new builds and Solsticizing projects) is to conduct our Practicality Studies. Before we introduce any new concept, venue design, fabric, or piece of furniture, we study it to see how it might impact the hardware, the crew, and the guest experience.
As a part of our ongoing series to showcase our newly 
My companion Ron Williamson and I were fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the 
I am a frequent cruiser (having taken approximately 30 cruises), and I have to say that the 
As I walked on board the ship, wonderful memories of fantastic friends that I have made here and all of the exciting places that we have been came flooding back to me. I have spent nearly 5 years of my career with Celebrity on 
So far, 
The ship left Miami on April 21st for the short trip to the Shipyard in the Bahamas. Captain Alevropoulos and his team of bridge officers did a great job of getting the ship into the dry dock under very challenging weather conditions. The lifeboats were lowered into the water and were taken away to be completely overhauled and repainted. The remaining water was then drained, leaving the ship high and dry on the blocks. Although some of the 
Izabela Wojcik, The James Beard Foundation’s Director of House Programming, said, “We selected Celebrity Cruises to cook at the James Beard House because the culinary journey offered on their ships truly is outstanding. The incredible creativity of Chef John Suley and his team is the reason why Celebrity’s guests have the opportunity to delve into an extraordinary range of globally influenced flavors and presentations.”
Shortly after the launch of Solstice, it became clear that 
Finally, Jacques emerged like a mad scientist that had just made a new discovery. As we spoke, he quickly rattled off idea after idea—“We call this the food palate pleasers. There are no courses. Guests are taking a culinary journey. The music will be vibrant and upbeat, the ambiance a bit whimsical and mysterious…. And it’s all about the food. Not avant-garde cookery, but real food delivered in ways that most people haven’t seen before. And when it’s all done, we turn your perception of dining upside down.”