Celebrity Cruises maiden ship in its new Solstice Class departed Meyer Werft shipyard yesterday in Papenburg, Germany.  The Celebrity Solstice, at length of just over 1,000 ft., is the largest cruise ship by Celebrity Cruises and from the looks of it, just getting it out of port was no easy task.

The Celebrity Solstice is the first of five ships in Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class: a class of ships that will offer “floating worlds of aesthetic and experiential perfection, where every detail is attended to and every guest is pampered,” according to Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Solstice will offer a range of amenities, never before seen on any other cruise ships.  MarketWatch.com provides us with this list:

• The industry’s first Lawn Club, a lush, half-acre recreation area with real, growing grass.
• The industry’s first Hot Glass Show, with live glassblowing demonstrations presented in association with The Corning Museum of Glass.
• Larger staterooms, with design inspirations offered by a panel of five women, hand-picked for their unique travel and hospitality insights.
• 10 varied restaurants, ranging from the dramatic, two-level “Grand Epernay” main dining room with a sweeping wine tower, to four exquisite specialty restaurants, to several stylish, casual venues.
• An entirely new category of accommodations, “AquaClass,” designed to offer a spa vacation experience at sea rivaling the best of those on land.
• A state-of-the-art theater and stage design, with three new leading- edge shows custom-designed for Celebrity with Poet Theatricals, in their first cruise line partnership.

Ship Detail:

Occupancy: 2,850 (not including crew)
Tonnage: 122,000
Length: 1,033 ft.
Beam 121 ft.
Draught: 27 ft.
Cruise Speed: 24 kts
Inaugural Date: November 23, 2008

According to asap Travel, Royal Caribbean has started taking reservations from members of Royal Caribbean’s Diamond and Diamond Plus Crown & Anchor programs for the Oasis of the Seas maiden voyage in December 2009.  Starting August 28th, any passenger that has sailed on a Royal Caribbean Cruise will have a chance to book a reservation followed by everyone else September 3rd.

The article reads:

The cruise line is doing its share to make sure everyone knows that Oasis of the Seas is ready to start taking reservations.  Rzymowska said “On 3 September we will be direct-mailing 200,000 households — people who have inquired about Oasis, past passengers and Crown & Anchor members. And on 6 September we start a nationwide press campaign, which will run until mid-October.

*Original Post

Illustration courtesy Royal Caribbean

Cruise editor Gene Sloan is the host of USA TODAY’s Cruise Log Blog. His blog brings the latest headlines and news stories from the Cruise Ship industry to people around the world. Today, Gene is bloging live from New York City where he is attending the unveiling of the latest plans for Royal Caribbean new ship, Oasis of the Seas — the largest, most innovative cruise ship ever built. Here is Mr. Sloan’s report

It’s a big day for Royal Caribbean fans — the day they finally find out what gee-whiz marvels the line has dreamed up for its next ship, Oasis of the Seas.

The company that pioneered rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks and surfing pools on the high seas will unveil its plans for the much-awaited vessel — the largest ever built — at an event in New York.

RELATED ITEMS: Royal Caribbean ships will feature “Central Park”; Royal Caribbean’s next ships will be Oasis, Allure

The 220,000-ton giant, which will launch in late 2009, will be more than 40% larger than the largest cruise ship afloat, and Royal Caribbean already has said it’ll include such innovative features as a massive “Central Park” with live trees and outdoor restaurant seating. The ship will hold 5,400 passengers at double occupancy — a number once thought unthinkable in the cruise business.

Want to be among the first to hear the news, which will include the official launch date and itinerary for the ship? Check back here starting at 12:30 PM EST as we blog live from the event in New York’s Nokia Theatre. Live Blog