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I received this press release from Celebrity Cruises and thought it
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Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
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Celebrity Cruises' Century Presents Venetian Gem
Ship's $55-Million Makeover Includes Specialty Restaurant, Sushi Bar
and More
MIAMI, April 28
With today marking the official start of Celebrity Cruises'
$55-million, five-week revitalization of Century, the line announced
that among the ship's multiple new attributes will be a specialty
restaurant quite literally featuring a heart of glass.
Century's new "Murano" specialty restaurant in the center of the ship
will sparkle with magnificent chandeliers handcrafted of Murano glass,
named for the island of Murano near Venice, Italy, where glass-blowing
has been a fine art and tradition since the 13th century.
Complementing the Murano chandeliers will be a large, round granite
medallion composed of jewel-toned stone designed to resemble the
antique paving of medieval European cities and create the feeling of
an Italian piazza. Decorative accents throughout the room will allude
to the adventures of early explorers during the discovery of the New
World.
"Century's Murano restaurant will be a delightful blend of tradition
with a chic, contemporary flair," said Francesca Bucci of BG Studios
International in New York, NY, designer of the venue.
A hand-painted mural at the end of the 66-seat venue will display
whimsical silhouettes depicting a romantic tale of travel and
adventure, while a wine cellar nestled at the aft end of the
restaurant will display a colorful composition of backlit bottles in
glass-fronted, polished nickel wine armoires.
The restaurant's vestibule will welcome guests with a granite floor
and warm pear wood panels reminiscent of the subtle charm and timeless
beauty of Venice.
The menu for Murano will be designed by Celebrity's longtime culinary
and wine consultant, renowned Master Chef Michel Roux. The cuisine and
service will follow the celebrated style of Celebrity's
Millennium-class specialty restaurants -- the "Olympic," "SS United
States," "Normandie" and "Ocean Liners" -- which presented the
industry's first tableside cooking, carving and flambe.
Century's dramatic, two-level "Grand Restaurant" will be entirely
refurbished, retaining the glamour and sophistication that made it so
popular prior to the revitalization, and maintaining the quality of
service and impeccable culinary standards that have won the line
extensive praises every year under the deft direction of Chef Roux and
Celebrity's culinary team.
Among the many other dining options onboard Century will be a 76-seat
Sushi Bar -- Celebrity's first designed specifically to reflect the
popular regional cuisine -- with a casual Asian atmosphere created
through palettes of caramel-colored bamboo plank floors, tabletops
inlaid with cracked coconut, stylish dark wood chairs, and a new
collection of artifacts and artwork.
Surrounded by magnificent ocean views, Century's Ocean Grill, designed
by Celebrity's Fleet Design department, will offer an alternative
dining area with an upscale ambience, where guests can select cuisine
ranging from steaks, chops, salads, antipastos and desserts from a
fixed menu.
Opposite the Ocean Grill, guests will find fresh, made-to-order
omelettes and crepes each morning, and an endless array of pizzas and
made-to-order pastas every afternoon and evening. For the sweet tooth
in everyone, just around the corner, there will be a station offering
a tantalizing array of homemade ice creams and sorbets.
Pairing refreshing sea air with panoramic ocean views, Century's
outdoor Sunset Bar will feature a full service bar designed of teak,
stone and stainless steel, topped with an arched-glass canopy. There,
guests can enjoy an assortment of fresh tapas and appetizers with
cocktails and other beverages.
A Celebrity favorite across the fleet, Cova Cafe, the seagoing version
of the stylish coffeehouse in the fashion district of Milan, Italy,
will serve fresh pastries and cookies to complement its coffees, teas,
and other beverages every morning and afternoon, while at night, the
space will transform to a romantic, lamp-lit wine bar, complete with
live music.
Century will emerge on May 30, 2006, from its aggressive five-week
drydock period with the Murano restaurant, 314 new verandas, 14 new
suites, 10 new staterooms ranging from inside to veranda category, an
expanded number of ConciergeClass category staterooms, and a series of
features and amenities that typify the line's acclaimed
Millennium-class fleet.
Following its revitalization, Celebrity's "new" Century will set sail
on a 9-night "Best of Europe" cruise departing May 30, along with a
series of 12- night Baltic and 10- and 11-night Mediterranean
sailings, a 13-night "Best of Europe" voyage, and a seven-night
Norwegian Fjords cruise.
Century also will be one of the first Celebrity ships to offer short
cruises from the cruise capital of the world, the Port of Miami,
beginning in November 2006. The ship will present four- and five-night
roundtrip Caribbean cruises through April 2007, offering travelers
with more limited vacation time the opportunity to experience what the
award-winning Celebrity brand has to offer.
Celebrity Cruises offers a comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise
experience with highly personalized service, authentic five-star
dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Its nine ships and the
line's service, cuisine and spas consistently dominate top travelers'
surveys. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, the
Caribbean, Europe, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera,
the Panama Canal and South America. For more information, call your
travel agent.
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