Grill your own dinner on new cruise ship, get free apron

Celebrity Cruises new 2,886-guest Celebrity Silhouette will debut soon with all the bells and whistles of her previous 122,000 ton Solstice-class sister-ships. Look for iPad art tours, a “trendsetting onboard experience and larger than normal staterooms. Sailing from New York, a whole lot of New Yorkers and tri-state area residents will be on board, starting their vacation without taking a flight, maximizing their vacation time. Also on board will be something new and unique to this vessel; the industry’s first interactive, open-air grilling restaurant The Lawn Club Grill.

“People tend to associate grilling with the relaxing, carefree mood of summer – exactly what a Celebrity vacation is all about,” said Jacques Van Staden, Vice President, Culinary Operations. “What can be better than experiencing something that’s popular among so many cultures around the world, while relaxing near a lawn of growing grass, surrounded by an endless view of the sea?”

The highlight of the dining experience at the 58-seat Lawn Club Grill will be the opportunity for guests to serve as their party’s “Grill Master,” by being paired with a Celebrity Cruises chef to assist in preparing the menu for their table over custom-built, ventilated grills. This unique, one-on-one interaction will give the Grill Master a one-of-a-kind, firsthand lesson in proper grilling techniques and other tricks of the grilling trade.
“Our guests consistently tell us that fresh, exciting culinary experiences are essential to their enjoyment of their vacation, and we are always looking for new ways to deliver that to them,” said Van Staden.

All guests will have the opportunity to choose from a gourmet salad bar, a la carte “build your own” pizzas and more than 12 grilled specialties. “Grill Masters” will receive a complimentary apron as a memento.

“Just as we introduced the ‘uniquely unordinary’ experience of using iPad-based menus to design individual culinary journeys featuring dishes presented in unexpected ways in Qsine on Celebrity Eclipse, we are introducing customized, open-air grills to the cruise vacation dining experience.”

By combining a premium culinary experience with the sensation of relaxing on the top deck of a ship, surrounded by live grass and cool ocean breezes, Celebrity’s aim is to celebrate the passion people have for grilling, as they enjoy their precious vacation time.

I think they might just get that done when guests grill their own dinner at The Lawn Club Grill.

New Celebrity cruise ships to be bigger and have more features

Celebrity Cruises president Dan Hanrahan announced today some big changes to their popular Solstice-class ships. As an evolution of the Solstice-class signature Lawn Club, an on-deck grass area, the line will add several new features on upcoming Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection.

Calling the new Celebrity cruise ships an “evolution of what we’re doing” Hanrahan outlined the upcoming changes.

While Celebrity Silhouette will be the same 122,000 tons as her three younger sisters, the new Celebrity Reflection will be wider, taller and weigh in at 126,000 tons with the addition of another deck of staterooms.

Among other features that will shake things up on the new ships:

  • The new Lawn Club Grill, an open-air restaurant and display kitchen will take place of the grassy area on other Solstice-class ships. A $30 charge per person will apply.
  • Continuing parent-company Royal Caribbean Internationals focus on the arts, The Art Studio allows small, intimate hands-on interaction and instruction with experts.
  • The Gathering Table will be where culinary activity becomes part of the art experience. Cabana-style private retreats called The Alcoves will offer the popular adults serenity experience for an additional charge. Picnic baskets will be available for an extra charge also.
  • Continuing the serenity focus, The Hideaway will an indoor, tree house like ambiance for casual dining.
  • Signature lounge Michael’s Club will evolve into beer tasting venue with 50 international beers with a Rascal Flats feel by day and a Kings of Leon feel at night.

Celebrity’s Solstice-class ships feature larger than normal staterooms including spa-focused AquaClass accommodations. These premium staterooms include the line’s Concierge-class amenities, priority seating in Blu, a specialty restaurant created just for AquaClass guests. Other Concierge-class amenities include priority check-in, evening hors d’ooeuvres, a menu of pillows to select from, Egyptian cotton over-sized towels, complementary shoe-shine service, use of a golf umbrella and binoculars and more.

Celebrity Cruises currently operates 10 ships world-wide sailing itineraries in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands.

Flickr photo by mascardo1