Martin, of GoCruise in The Ribble Valley, was one of the first UK travel agents to attend the engine switch-on of a cruise ship. Here is his diary of the tour.
Arrival
Our party arrives at the shipyard at 9:30am. It comprises some 30 journalists from North America, Europe and Latin America, together with 10 leading travel agents from North America.
Before the tour of the shipyard commences, we listen to brief words of welcome and introduction from Bernard Meyer, owner of the shipyard, together with Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line group, and Dan Hanrahan, president and chief executive of Celebrity and Azamara Cruises.
Donning hard-hats and safety glasses, we set out on the tour. I am immediately struck by the sheer scale of the whole operation. Modern cruise ships are huge, but they are dwarfed by the size of the whole shipyard complex.
On deck
I catch my first sight of Solstice as I enter the vast covered dry-dock. The ship looks small inside the huge building, which houses both Solstice and large sections of her sister ship Equinox. While the super-structure is substantially complete, some of the exterior has still to be painted and many of the balconies are yet to be installed.
Before boarding the vessel for the first time, we use an external service lift and rise approximately 150 feet before ‘walking the plank’ and taking our first steps aboard Solstice on the Lido deck.
Immediately I am struck by how much has been achieved, and yet how much remains to be done in the few months before handover. Everywhere I am surrounded by workmen, cables are suspended from the ceiling, no flooring has been laid and much of the exterior glass and interior panelling has yet to be installed.
Carefully, we make our way up one deck to what will be one of many new, innovative features – The Lawn. This will be a large area of grass where a host of activities will take place year round.
Today it is a wide open metal deck space. However, someone has laid some 50 square metres of garden turf, in the middle of which is a large table with a red button on it. To one side is a large video screen, which shows part of the engine room to the assembled crowd.
Engine switch-on
At around 10.30am, to much applause, Bernard Meyer, Richard Fain and Dan Hanrahan press the red button to switch on Solstice’s main engines for the first time.
A few seconds later the video screen shows the engines turning quickly, and this is followed by the noise of exhaust fumes exiting the ship’s funnels. They worked!
Celebrity Solstice cabins
Before we start the main tour of Solstice, we are taken to see two sample cabins. Upon entry it is obvious that the cabins are spacious, averaging between 180 and 200 square feet – some 15% larger than those in today’s typical cruise ship. The balcony is also considerably larger than is usual.
Cabins are beautifully kitted out with high-quality carpets, fixtures and fittings. They also include a number of innovative features: some have a fourth ‘trundle’ bed, and approximately 400 are adjoining cabins, which feature a shared front door rather than traditional and noisy inter-connecting doors – simple, yet so clever.
Solstice ship tour
We then split into smaller groups for a ship tour. First comes the main outdoor pool area, then the solarium, the roof of which is covered in solar panels.
Moving inside the ship, we visit the forward-facing Sky Observation Lounge, which, although far from finished, is very striking on account of its high ceiling and huge glass windows.
It is here we really get to see Bernard Meyer’s enthusiasm for ship building. Meyer is the sixth generation of a family-owned shipbuilding business dating back to the late 1700s – and his excitement and enthusiasm for the ship is equalled if not exceeded by that of Richard Fain.
Every member of the tour party is invited to sign their name behind one of the panels about to be fixed to the wall of the lounge – the first but not the last really nice personal touch of the day.
The tour continues, and we visit the spa, fitness centre and three-deck-high main show lounge, where we see the sound and light booth – completely empty save for hundreds of dangling cables. How this will be ready in just a matter of weeks I have no idea, but Bernard is certain – that’s all that counts I guess.
We then pass through the casino and Martini bar before viewing the main dining room. According to Richard Fane it is the most expensive dining room ever afloat.
From there, we visit the unfinished shells of no fewer than five speciality restaurants – up from just one on Millennium class vessels.
Shortly after we disembark the ship, we take a series of photographs of the vessel from the rear of the building. For the first time I really appreciate the scale of the vessel – at 122,000 tonnes, the largest ever in the Celebrity fleet.
Celebrity Eclipse
Eclipse is the third of what will eventually be five vessels in the Solstice class. It is amazing that before the first ship is complete and floated out, the second is already well under construction. Today we get to witness the start of construction on this the third vessel.
In a huge steel-cutting and welding complex, myself and the assembled media watch Dan Hanrahan and Bernard Meyer start the computer-controlled laser cutting gear, producing the first of what will be tens of thousands of pieces of steel. In just two years’ time, they will become the third Solstice-class vessel.
Less than 10 minutes later – and while enjoying fine champagne and conversation – the first piece of steel, which turns out to be a profile of a new vessel, is proudly displayed for all to see, touch and once again sign. Fantastic!
Visitor centre
As our day at the shipyard nears an end we get to tour the Meyer Werft visitor centre. Last year some 280,000 visitors paid to visit the shipyard and learn about the proud 300-year history of shipbuilding in the area.
Finally, at 4:00pm, we leave the shipyard to visit a local beer garden and reminisce on what has been a most extraordinary day.
Having seen the ship so near and yet so far from completion, I can’t wait to get on board once she is finished, take yet more pictures from places where I stood today, and marvel at the transformation from construction site to finished article in just four months.
More on cruise
- Meet ourCruise Club members
- Latest Cruise Club features
- Cruise Lines, a TW Group blog by cruise expert Jane Archer
