You have to be on your toes to stay on top of the cruise industry.
Celebrity Cruises showed that it is, making history Saturday night as the newly renovated Celebrity Summit marked her debut with the first-ever classical ballet performance on a cruise ship, featuring pirouetting dancers from the American Ballet Theatre.
It's part of an impressive $500-million fleetwide renovation and update the company calls "The Celebrity Revolution."
Some 1,000 travel agents and 70 international media were among the first to experience the new-look ship on a two-day preview sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Travel Pulse Canada was also on board to explore the reimagined Celebrity Summit before she starts welcoming March 25.
"Celebrity really is in the middle of a revolution," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.
New partnerships with the American Ballet Theatre and Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud are among the unique on-board experiences.
But the biggest change is in how the 18-year-old Summit looks. British designer Kelly Hoppen, who is responsible for areas of Celebrity's buzzy new ship Edge, is taking her modern luxury influence across the fleet with The Retreat with member-only areas for suite guests.
Celebrity calls Hoppen's approach "a coordinated fusion of East meets West" in her creation of the head-turning design, including The Retreat Sundeck and The Retreat Lounge.
The modernization and renovation program rolls out this year and 2020, with Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Reflection being "revolutionized" in 2023.
The new look is fresh and elegant, with understated décor and room amenity updates. The modern luxury feel comes via muted tones, white marble and light-coloured woods. Staterooms, suites and public areas feel brighter and more spacious.
Dark woods are gone, replaced by pale oak, clean lines and creamy, neutral colours. The Rendezvous Lounge, Oceanview Café, and main dining room, Cosmopolitan, have all been renovated. A new Spa by Canyon Ranch was added, the Persian Garden spa was updated and the fitness area expanded.
Boulud, Celebrity's Global Culinary Brand Ambassador, designed signature dishes at Luminae, the restaurant for suite-class guests that is also coming to the rest of the fleet.
Every Summit stateroom was redone in the 39-day project by California-based hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. Renovations include redesigned bathrooms with new finishes and fixtures, better storage and USB ports.
"We went right down to the steel in every stateroom," said Lutoff-Perlo.
Passengers will notice a 100% increase in WiFi speed and a new app to help navigate the on-board experience, smartphone on-ship messaging coming soon. Celebrity is also increasing its commitment to sustainability and ocean stewardship, including the use of paper straws. The Summit is also 15% more fuel efficient since her renovation.
While Edge bowed to raves in December 2018 for its stylish design and on-board experiences, Lutoff-Perlo said the company wanted to bring the same look to the rest of its cruise ships.
"While Edge lifts our fleet, it isn't the only amazing ship," she said.
And Celebrity has more new ships on the horizon.
"We couldn't be more excited about where we're going with this brand," Lutoff-Perlo.
The all-suites, luxury expedition vessel Celebrity Flora, which will sail in the Galápagos Islands, debuts later this spring. The next Edge-class ship, Celebrity Apex, bows next year.
The Celebrity Revolution will help draw customers that are new to cruising or the Celebrity brand, while impressing the company's loyal repeat clients, said Lutoff-Perlo. She said the ships will draw younger and multi-generational family cruisers as well.
"It's a much easier sell. They're keeping up with the times," said Paula Podrachik, a Florida-based travel agent. "It's just luxury, modern luxury, whether you're staying in a balcony (stateroom) or you're staying in a suite, you can't ask for anything better. They thought of everything. They've done it from the staterooms, to the entertainment with bringing in the ballet."
She said while the Summit was showing its age and was due for an update, the new design exceeds expectations.
Dondra Ritzenthaler, Celebrity's senior vice-president of sales, says travel trade partners play a significant role in the company's success.
"What we do is have wave offers for the consumer and we also do incentives for our travel partners," she said.
"Our sale organization out in the field is empowered more than any other sales force in the industry to go and make the decisions on the spot with our travel partners to make sure we're the easiest to do business with," added Ritzenthaler.
"Not only do they know they can deliver for the guest, we deliver for them, too and so whether it's commission or incentives or helping them when they need help, you add that all up and that's the formula that works for us," she said.
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