Celebrity Cruises “Takes The Keys” To Celebrity Silhouette

It’s official: Celebrity Cruises took ownership of the new Celebrity Silhouette in a celebratory handoff ceremony today with colleagues from shipbuilder Meyer Werft. Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Celebrity’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Celebrity’s President and CEO Dan Hanrahan participated in the event, which marks the transfer of ownership of the vessel from the shipyard to Celebrity. We assume there was a check involved (a very large chack) in addition to keys and the owner’s pink slip.

Following a formal naming ceremony and preview cruise July 21-23, Celebrity Silhouette will set sail from Hamburg, Germany, on July 23 on a 7-night cruise to Civitavecchia (for Rome), where the ship will present roundtrip 12-night Mediterranean/Holy Land sailings until November, when the vessel will be the first Solstice Class ship to offer cruises from the New York/New Jersey market.

Celebrity Silhouette will enhance guests’ vacation time with a host of industry-first venues and experiences within The Lawn Club, including the interactive “Lawn Club Grill,” where guests can select and grill their own meats side-by-side with Celebrity’s chefs (or have them cooked to order); the relaxing, private, wi-fi-equipped cabanas called “The Alcoves”; “The Porch,” a breezy, casual dining spot offering sandwiches, coffees, and views of the sea and the ship’s lush lawn; and “The Art Studio,” where passengers can bring out their inner artist. The ship also will introduce another entirely new venue, “The Hideaway,” an intimate, quiet space reminiscent of a childhood tree house, and a new twist on Celebrity’s “Michael’s Club,” with a selection of more than 50 beers from around the world, including craft beers. For more information, visit Celebrity Cruises online.