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. Century’s focal point is a three-deck Grand Foyer encircled by a staircase and topped with a painted glass dome lit as if by sunlight during the day and as a starlit sky at night. The piazza has marble floors, burled woods, brass trim, suede furniture, and a waterfall with changing fiberoptic images. Nearby are boutiques and the COVA Café de Milano, a floating version of Pasticceria Confetteria COVA, the Milan-based pastry shop famous for its exquisitely packaged chocolates, pastries,and signature coffees.
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 Century is contemporary masters. 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.
In spring 2006, Century emerged from a $55 million remake that transformed the decade-old ship into one closer to the line’s newer Millennium class. The most important changes are the addition of 314 large, new balconies to cabins throughout the ship and 24 new cabins and suites (2 handicapped -accessible) on the stern of Deck 12. A sushi cafe and an alfresco dining area were added on Deck 12. Another big addition is a specialty restaurant with tableside cooking. The spa was expanded and a cafe added. A new sports deck was added on Deck 14—complete with basketball court and table tennis. Cabins were given new decor, new bedding,new mattresses, duvets, and luxurious Egyptian cotton linens, accented with colorful throws and shams, and flat-screen televisions. On Deck 7, the sports bar became a martini bar. The computer station became a High Seas Computing learning center with newly dedicated space for courses ranging from basic computer use to Web site creation to digital photography. On Deck 4, six cabins were removed to enlarge the children’s area and add a new teen area and video arcade. The remade Century sails on short cruises from Miami, the first time Celebrity has a ship departing regularly from Miami.
Unofficial Guide © 2009
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