With the smell of freshly mown grass in her nostrils, Maggy Oehlbeck learns how life at sea is changing.
Does the grass grow greener on the high seas? A joke surely, or a trick question. But no. Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, Celebrity Equinox, has the Lawn Club on its uppermost deck. Measuring 2130 square metres (0.2 hectares), it is indeed authentic growing grass – I got down on my knees to sniff it, feel it, but stopped short of eating it.
The grass is a species called Agrostis stolonifera or Creeping Bent grass. A team of dedicated maintenance staff keep it clean and green, which begs the question: "What's your job on the ship?" "I'm a gardener." Life on the ocean waves means many things these days.
The 2850-passenger Celebrity Equinox is the second in the Solstice class of solar-powered ships. The first was Celebrity Solstice; the third, Celebrity Eclipse, will make her debut next year and two more will follow. As well as the lawn club, all the Solstice ships feature a hot glass show (the art of glass-blowing) – novel entertainment and only one of a number of "firsts" at sea as bigger and better ships compete for cruise passengers' dollars.
Activities at the lawn club include lawn bowls and a three-hole putting course. There is also a patio on the lawn, the Sunset Bar and lawn club shop. The green can also be used for croquet, boules and outdoor concerts. Or you might just want to sprawl on it and take in some rays. The mower man will surely go around you.
The glass-blowers' furnace on board is initially startling when you gaze into the white-hot flames. It is, after all, the last thing you would expect to see on a ship. But there are several resident gaffers or highly-skilled glass-blowing artists on board to educate, entertain and demonstrate the art. They know their stuff and are from the famous Corning Museum of Glass. Celebrity Equinox's launch in July was a two-day voyage to nowhere, just out to sea from Southampton, a loop around the Channel Islands and back.
The innovation that has caused the biggest splash since the Solstice class made its debut is the cruise line's new accommodation category, AquaClass, for guests who want to dedicate much of their time at sea to the spa experience. The staterooms are situated within the AquaSpa area itself.
Guests have unlimited access to the relaxation room and the Persian Garden – an aromatherapy and steam room – and have their own dining room, Blu, a 130-seat Mediterranean-influenced restaurant with menus developed by the team behind celebrity eateries Bellagio in Las Vegas and Setai in Miami.
The new health and wellness program, Renew, is designed to help you feel better, live longer and look younger; you can also have your Botox and various other anti-ageing treatments here and teeth whitening if you choose. Failing that, what about the 24-Karat Gold Facial?
With 10 restaurants on Celebrity Equinox, the only problem is choice. The traditional dining room is the double-deck Silhouette. Specialty restaurants are the Tuscan Grille (fabulous steaks and fine Italian food), Silk Harvest (Asian) and Murano (sophisticated international).
An attractive option for many is that day-by-day dining reservations at their restaurant of choice can be made pre-cruise. Just go on line and book the time.
My AquaSpa Cafe breakfasts were fabulous – crunchy granola with fresh fruit and yoghurt parfaits. I was less disciplined at the Oceanview Cafe. Just too many temptations at this international marketplace restaurant, where you could graze on choices from one station, then move on to another and another.
Celebrity Equinox is a design marvel. Gone is the glitz that dominates many a ship. Enter sleek-chic but comfortable sophistication.
The company has certainly done its homework and tapped in to all of the must-haves that affluent baby boomers and mid-life sophisticates seek: a fabulous spa, vast fitness centre, fine food and wine-tastings, classy bars, fantastic pool decks, culturally enriching programs and shopping. The Boulevard is a dedicated shopping precinct devoted to quality, but affordable merchandise.
A glass lift transports guests over four levels to the upper foyer, past a huge vase containing 500,000 Swarovski crystals and an almost six-metre-tall live tree. An impressive collection of artwork is placed throughout the ship and is itself worth more than a passing glance.
The writer was a guest of Celebrity Cruises.
TRIP NOTES
GET ON BOARD
Celebrity Equinox has an 11-night round trip from Fort Lauderdale on November 23. Ports include Cartagena, Colombia; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. Prices from $1384 a person for an inside cabin, plus taxes and gratuities
A 13-night round trip leaves Rome on September 22, 2010. Ports include Naples, Alexandria, Athens, Corfu and Sicily. Prices from $3369 a person for an ocean-view room plus taxes and gratuities.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Phone 1300 754 500, see celebritycruises.com, or your travel agent.
