We helped Celebrity Cruises celebrate the inaugural ceremony
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for the newest addition
to its fleet, Infinity, in San Pedro, California on April 29 as the ship makes its way to Alaska
for the summer season.
Infinity is a sister ship to the 91,000-ton Millennium, introduced 10 months ago
in Southampton, England. Infinity is nearly identical to her older sister,
but a few features are unique. All the ships in the class shared by Infinity
feature an alternative dining venue dedicated to a famous vessel of the past.
On Infinity, this restaurant pays homage to the SS United States, a
state-of-the-art ocean liner built by the United States government and
launched in 1952. She quickly gained fame as the fastest ship in the world
when she won the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean
ever (at the time) -- less than five days. The SS United States Restaurant on
Celebrity Infinity features glass panels from the Ballroom of the original
ocean liner, and the design motif of the entire restaurant is in keeping with
the atmosphere aboard that famous ship.
Also unique to Infinity is the first conservatory at sea, the first dedicated
space for nurturing live plants within a ship, created by Paris-based floral
designer Emilio Robba. Presiding over the separate dedication of the
conservatory were model Cheryl Tiegs and Celebrity Cruises President Richard
Sasso. The conservatory features six live magnolia trees and an assortment of
orchids, hydrangea and yarrow. Pots made of zinc and white wood and silk
flowers add to the atmosphere.
Another convenient feature new to Infinity is a service called Connect@sea,
which allows guests in any stateroom to connect their laptops to a dial-up
connection in order to access the Internet.
Godmother Solveig Wilhelmsen
The two sister ships, Celebrity Millennium and Infinity, are so nearly
identical one could practically call them twins. The colors of the carpet and
fabrics on Infinity are a bit more strident--blue, red and yellow
combinations in bold and busy patterns. Beyond the subtle decor flourishes
that distinguish Infinity, the ship boasts its own unique art collection --
all original, modern pieces, but still in keeping with the eclecticism
present on Millennium.
Let's just say that if you love Celebrity, and Millennium in particular, then
Infinity is going to feel just fine.
