The Celebrity Reflection
Ken Brooks, Celebrity's Director of Sales
for Canada
CWT's Karen Salviato brought her mom, Carole Trumble, on the inaugural
TPI's Karen Kingsley (front) lounges at
The Lawn Club with her guest, Shannon Jacques
Expedia CruiseShipCenter's Josée Mathieu is a seasoned cruiser along with her husband, David Mathieu
Suzanne Vincent, Celebrity's Regional Sales Manager for Canada (centre) with Transat Distribution's Veronique Savoie &
Sandra Wesson
Encore Cruises' Amr Younes & Mary Ogaki
Vacation.com's Christine James & her husband, Tom
Wouldn't you like to experience this lookout shower? Featured in the Reflection Suite.
I was recently invited aboard the inaugural sailing of Celebrity’s latest and last addition to its Solstice fleet, the Celebrity Reflection. After my hectic family cruise this past summer, I was looking forward to a quieter sailing without the 23 members of my extended family. It was just me and my mom (who is also a travel agent), spending quality time together and learning what Modern Luxury means to Celebrity and its passengers.
Being greeted with a glass of champagne was an impressive start to my trip. The 1st thing I noticed was the ship’s beautiful décor. It looked modern, but still comfortable and warm. Karen Salviato, CWT’s Program Manager for Leisure Suppliers, had a similar impression. “Even though the ship seems large from the outside, inside, there is still an intimate atmosphere,” she said while enjoying a pre-dinner drink at the ship’s Ensemble Lounge. This was her 1st Celebrity sailing. “I’ve been more exposed to Royal Caribbean, but I find Celebrity more refined and a little less gimmicky.”
TPI’s Karen Kingsley, another 1st time Celebrity cruiser said, “I love it. I think it’s innovative and I love the feeling of being in a park right now.” She was lounging in a hammock on The Lawn Club, swaying back and forth with the wind. “The experience stands out from other cruise ships. It is luxury and modern.”
According to Dondra Ritzenthaler, Celebrity’s Senior V.P. of Sales, Modern Luxury is a clear and concise description of the onboard experience. In a special presentation called Building Bridges, Ritzenthaler gave examples of what Celebrity considered as traditional luxury vs. Modern Luxury. “It would be like driving a Mercedes vs. driving an Audi,” she said. “It’s reading the newspaper as opposed to reading the news on your iPad or tablet. It’s staying at the Ritz Carlton vs. staying at The W.”
“We’re delighted with how the brand evolved,” said Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “The Reflection is the epitome of Modern Luxury.”
The Celebrity Reflection is the last ship in the Solstice class series. What makes it even more special is that it is the culmination of all the unique features that the other Solstice class ships have – The Alcoves on The Lawn Club, the Molecular Bar, Michael’s Club, Cellar Masters, the enhanced AquaSpa, the addition of the new AquaClass suites and more. Really, no detail is overlooked. Even the washrooms located in the general areas provide guests with 100% Egyptian cotton hand towels to dry their hands. I’d never been so enthused by hand washing.
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I was surprised to learn from Suzanne Vincent, Celebrity’s Regional Sales Manager for Canada, that the 5 Solstice class ships were built in just 4 years. “That’s a 60% increase in our overall ship capacity,” she said. “However, the economy has not been lenient. We now need our travel partners to really rally around and support that 60% increase.”
From the agents and travel partners I spoke to during the trip, it appears as though the support and numbers are
there. According to Josée Mathieu, Owner of Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Ottawa and seasoned cruiser (she’s been on 72 cruises and 25 inaugurals), Celebrity is one of the top selling cruise lines amongst her 3 offices. “I love this class option, the Solstice class,” she said. “I don’t mind referring clients because I know they’ll be happy – and happy clients means returning clients and referrals.
Celebrity is also a top selling cruise line with Transat Distribution. “I’m just blown away by the unique experiences you don’t see on other cruise lines – the Molecular Bar, Cellar Masters, Michael’s Club, The Lawn Club with its cabanas and bbqs. There’s value there,” said Sandra Wesson, Transat Distribution’s Director of Product. “With Europe opening up again and the new Celebrity Reflection, we are well poised for next year.”
With the debut of the Reflection and the success of the entire Solstice class, Celebrity has big growth goals for 2013. “Growth is based on revenue, not passenger count,” said Ken Brooks, Celebrity’s Director of Sales for Canada. “The most important thing for agents to remember is that these new ships command the best dollar. The best dollar for them means money in their pocket. The higher the rate, the higher the commission. And new ships can always command a good price.” Brooks mentioned that the Canadian market was recognized as a growth market for the cruise line and in 2012, Celebrity grew by 12% in the Canadian market alone.
For my mom and I, the 2 day inaugural was just a little taste of what Celebrity has to offer for a truly enjoyable vacation aboard a Solstice class ship. The way I see it, the Celebrity Reflection is at the top of its class. The food was superb, service was refined and the onboard amenities and features were unique and experiential. I just referred to the inaugural as a taste, but maybe it was more like a tease… because my mom and I are already planning our summer sailings. Celebrity and Europe, here we come!
My mom and I grab a bite to eat in MIA prior to boarding the Celebrity Reflection
