Celebrity got a jump on the millennium with the 1995 debut of the Celebrity Century, first of a new fleet designed for 21st-century cruising. Celebrity Galaxy followed in 1996 and Celebrity Mercury in 1997. More than ten teams worked with Century’s builders to achieve a comfortable, inviting,
integrated design. With 48% more space than the first ships but only 26% more passengers, this spacious trio has one of cruising’s highest passenger-to-space ratios in their category. Public rooms range in style from an elegant wood-paneled bar to a futuristic disco. Sony Corporation of America designed a sophisticated, interactive Communications and entertainment system, and the company’s music, pictures, and electronic publishing divisions provide products and expertise.
The Galaxy is slightly larger than Century with improvements over her sister ship, including the atrium, with a 40-foot-tall video panel projecting changing images, and a high-tech computer center offering classes. The atrium has been improved further on Mercury, with a spiral staircase leading to the promenade deck, where the port side has the COVA Café (now found on all Celebrity ships).
The Galaxy’s best new feature was a retractable glass dome covering a swimming pool and the surrounding deck. The Oasis, one of the ship’s most popular areas, has an indoor/outdoor grill and bar that in the evening offers alternative casual dining, now available fleetwide. The ships have multilevel, multipurpose observation lounges that become discos in the evening. One of the ships’ two atriums, positioned aft and spanning three decks, opens onto the casino, Rendezvous Lounge, the dining room’s foyer, and a Champagne bar. Century-class vessels, like their predecessors, have multimillion-dollar art collections that are virtually contemporary art museums at sea. The focus for Galaxy, the avant garde. The collections were assembled by Christina Chandris, the ships’ curator and former fine art adviser, in collaboration with the Marlborough Gallery of New York. The line provides information for a self-guided art tour.
Unofficial Guide © 2009
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