Celebrity Infinity will receive the changes in a scheduled drydock this month. They include significant renovations to the penthouse and royal suites, and the conversion of the specialty restaurant into a Tuscan Grille, one of Celebrity Cruises' signature venues.
Celebrity Summit will follow with a similar drydock in March. Both vessels will undergo work at Grand Bahama Shipyard.
With modular furniture, a metal 'garden-like' design and cabanas, the multifunctional Rooftop Terrace will offer a relaxing, open space during the day. By night, it will be illuminated by decorative lighting, and a large screen and soundscape will showcase movies and other entertainment. Special foods will be available for purchase and presented in serving vessels inspired by the entertainment content, the destination or the occasion.
The Rooftop Terrace will be located on the 12th deck, aft. Aboard Celebrity Infinity, it will open on Dec. 5.
'The popularity of our Lawn Club venues has shown us that some of the richest moments our guests enjoy are when relaxing in beautiful outdoor spaces,' said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and ceo, Celebrity Cruises. The Rooftop Terrace will be a venue where travelers can 'kick back under the stars in the middle of the ocean, with amazing entertainment and food.'
As part of the $16m refresh plan, Celebrity is investing heavily in its Suite Class experience on Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Summit, as every penthouse and royal suite will receive new glimmering fixtures, marble surfaces and comfortable seats in the bathrooms. The rest of the suite will get refreshed with touches like new carpeting, drapes and bed linens.
Conversion of Celebrity Infinity’s S.S. United States restaurant to Tuscan Grille, Celebrity’s Mediterranean-inspired steak house that debuted on its Solstice-class ships, will include complete refinishing of the space and the introduction of a refreshed menu that offers fresh pasta made in-house, an Italian cocktail menu—a first for Tuscan Grille and a wine list focused on the regional wines of Italy.
New foods will include artisanal salumi and cheeses, crispy crab arancini with lemon pepper aioli, grilled branzino with spinach and olive oil and swordfish with Castelvetrano olives, fennel and white wine.
On Celebrity Summit, The Normandie will be converted into Tuscan Grille.
The maritime artifacts in the S.S. United States will be featured in a special display area in Celebrity Infinity's casino entry vestibule. Items include charts, maps, an original place setting and a ship model. Normandie artifacts also will be preserved and displayed on board Celebrity Summit.
Further work scheduled for both ships includes the addition of an enclosed portrait studio similar to that on Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Equinox. The Solarium will get new furniture, new floors and refinished pool tops, and the spa café's finishes will be refreshed. A new cruise sales office will be created. The themed décor in the casino will be removed.
Celebrity Infinity is to enter drydock Oct. 15 and emerge on Oct. 29, before sailing several Panama Canal cruises. On Dec. 5 the ship will begin its South America season, followed by its Alaska season starting in May.
Celebrity Summit will sail seven-night southern Caribbean cruises this winter, both before and after the Feb. 27 to March 12 drydock, then head to Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, in April, for a summer season of seven-night Bermuda cruises.
Travelers who book a 2016 Alaska cruise on Celebrity Infinity by this Oct. 18 will be eligible for two free 'Go Big, Go Better, Go Best!' perks at the 'Go Better' tier, at no extra charge. This can be combined with an on-board credit for those who book Alaska cruise-tours, also by Oct. 18.
