Celebrity Solstice

Celebrity Solstice is the lead ship of Celebrity Cruises' Solstice class, a series of five vessels that defined the brand's modern identity for more than a decade before the Edge class arrived. Built by Meyer Werft at Papenburg, Germany, at a cost of around US$750 million, she was delivered in 2008 as a roughly 122,000-GT ship of some 315 metres, carrying about 2,850 guests across her decks and setting a new standard of contemporary design for the premium segment.

Solstice's most celebrated innovation was the Lawn Club, a half-acre expanse of real, living grass laid across the top deck, an unprecedented feature at sea that gave the class its calling card and hosted everything from bocce and picnics to open-air lounging. The ship also introduced the Hot Glass Show, live glass-blowing demonstrations presented in partnership with the Corning Museum of Glass, along with aft-facing specialty dining venues that turned diners toward the ship's wake. These features, combined with an unusually high proportion of veranda staterooms, positioned Solstice as a design leader on her debut.

Her godmother is Sharon L. Smith, and the ship entered service to strong reviews. Over the years she has undergone refits to keep her contemporary alongside her newer fleetmates.

Celebrity Solstice has spent much of her career on the far side of the world, deploying seasonally to Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific out of Sydney, and to Alaska during the northern summer. Registered at Valletta, Malta, and sailing under the call sign 9HRJ9, she remains in active service with Celebrity Cruises as the ship that launched one of the most successful classes in the line's history.