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Ship Statistics
There is poetry to be found in the grace, strength, and perfect symmetry of the new Celebrity Infinity. As the ship unfolds before you, inviting exploration, beauty can be seen in every detail, painting, and sculpture . Immerse yourself in Notes, a digital music library. Breathe in the scents of orange, lavender, and cinnamon in a relaxing aromatherapy session in the AquaSpa. At the Trellis Restaurant, you'll be served on fine china, with silver, white linen, and fresh flowers, while a quartet plays softly in the background. It's all part of the attentive, yet unobtrusive service you'll enjoy, a reminder that elegance and civility are not entirely of the past.
Ship Highlights
Overview Celebrity's Infinity Public rooms The Grand Foyer, a three-deck atrium, lies at the center of Celebrity Infinity; its highlight is a sprawling onyx staircase. The main "business" area is here -- including the Shore Excursion boutique, bank, and guest relations. The Constellation is Infinity's top-deck lounge and is comfortable and contemporary with fantastic views on three sides; we loved the wooden section dividers with port holes. The Celebrity Theater is another success; seating 900, it spans three tiers. The highlight? The eye-catching sight of a series of flaming torches behind glass that, on closer inspection, are actually handkerchiefs lit by under-lights. Fortunes, the ancient Egyptian-esque casino, is your typical flashy onboard gambling den, possessing the usual (slots, blackjack, etc.). Less successful: A bunch of nondescript lounges -- the Rendezvous, the Martini Bar and the Champagne Bar, are lumped together, the relocated Notes CD library (which was constantly disheveled and poorly designed) is tucked away in a hard-to-find glass turret, and Michael's Club, which Celebrity describes as an "intimate hideaway" was such a "hideaway" that it was rarely populated by more than one or two people. Online@CelebrityCruises, the ship's Internet cafe, is attractively laid out but was seldom very busy. There's a stand-alone cinema -- with comfortable, rocking, velvet seats -- but the flick selection was extremely limited. Decor Celebrity's designers have created a very elegant, classy ship. Stepping into the lobby is a show-stealer: Seeing the white onyx stairway backlit with yellow neon is like stepping into Oz. Lined with three-story-high mahogany pillars, this stairway is surrounded by long white flowing curtains. What I love most are the dramatic architectural details found in few other ships -- a warm lightness achieved by acres of glass and beech wood accents surrounding mahogany paneling. Art adorns most walls; it will please some, not all, but never leave you indifferent. The exterior glass elevators provide dramatic sea views; a 15-store shopping emporium features designers like Donna Karan, H. Stern and other high-fashion notables; and the alternative dining rooms are the most elegant I've encountered yet. Throughout Infinity, the silk floral displays of Emilio Robba are strikingly beautiful. Activities Few things can bring a family together like a Celebrity cruise. Aboard Celebrity, children experience the time of their lives. The Celebrity X-Club Youth Program offers a full compliment of age-specific activities and entertainment all year round. Children can expand their world through the exploration of science and nature or participate in a full menu of activities including talent shows, treasure hunts, dinner parties,* the Late-Night Slumber Party* and more. Special areas of the ship are even set aside as "children only," such as the Shipmates Fun Factory, teen centers and pools. While the ship is docked, guests have the option of leaving their children onboard for an Afternoon Get-Together* and lots of other exciting activities in the Fun Factory.
Entertainment
One passenger was overheard saying that the variety of entertainment options presented were like a "three ring circus" and someone responded "no, a six-ring circus." I go with the latter. Activities mostly followed cruise ship standards (art auctions, bad hair day seminars, vegetable carving, wine tastings, bingo and ballroom dance lessons). The ship has a cinema that shows movies-just-out-on-video. Celebrity's nightly theatrical performances, ranging from Broadway compilations to piano concertos, won raves from passengers on my cruise. Another highlight was the performance of a harpist each night in the Cova Cafe Milano. Indulge yourself with a latte sipped in a cozy cafe or a perfectly blended martini. Roll the dice, play your card or spin to win in our thrilling casinos. Exclusive performances and dazzling shows promise to fascinate your mind and captivate your imagination. No matter which form of entertainment you're interested in getting lost in, Celebrity's Infinity remains well equip.
Fitness and Recreation The AquaSpa, operated by Steiner, features a generous-enough work-out room (to avoid traffic jams on the treadmills each has a sign up sheet) with floor space for fitness classes. Surprisingly there aren't many -- the Daily Infinity lists just four each day. The spa also offers the usual services, from beauty salon to massage. One relatively funky addition is the Persian Garden aromatherapy room, which is like a steam room with different themed areas. It's an extra cost service. The AquaSpa, with thalassotherapy pool, AquaSpa Cafe, cabanas with floor-to-ceiling windows that can be closed off for privacy, and twin whirlpools require an additional tariff to enter. A note about the locker rooms. The women's, in particular, was quite small. There's a sauna -- with a great porthole view -- but no steam room. The floors are covered in tile that is dangerously slippery when wet and dirty towels and bathrobes tended to pile up in unseemly mounds. Family Celebrity offers the basics, and its programs are downright dynamic but Celebrity is light on the kind of services strollers-for-rent, stores selling emergency supplies, etc., that can really make it easy for families to cruise. Children pay the third-or-fourth person per cabin rate. Under the age of 12, Celebrity recommends kids pay half of the usual tip amount. Celebrity Youth Program covers ages 3 - 17. Ship Mates (3 - 6), Celebrity Cadets (7 - 9), Ensigns (10 - 12), and Admiral T's (13 - 17) operating 9 a.m. - noon; 2 - 5:30 p.m., 7:30 - 10 p.m. on sea and port days. In-cabin sitting is available for $8 per hour (two kids max); requests must be made onboard through the ship's Guest Relations or Stateroom Services departments. Group baby-sitting is available in the children's playroom for ages 3-12 from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.; cost is $3 per hour for one child, $5 per hour for two or more kids in the same family. "Parent's Night Out" is a formal-night only program where counselors host kids for a pizza party; there's no charge. Passengers who need to request high chairs and cribs, etc., must call Celebrity's Special Services department (800-242-6374) no later than 72 hours prior to sailing. Celebrity has an "unlimited soft drinks" program for those under 18; cost is $4.50 per day plus 15 percent tip. Fellow passengers Across the board -- a delightfully diverse passenger base that included family groups, young couples, and anniversary celebrants (so many the ship actually held a party for them). There was a sprinkling of older folk -- and we observed the staff to be extremely kind and gentle with disabled passengers -- and there were lots of kids. Solo cruisers didn't stand out though there were dance hosts at appropriate venues (like the Constellation Lounge's pre-dinner big band fests). There was also an interesting international diversity -- and we're not just talking crew. We spotted numerous passengers from Asia and overheard German, Spanish, British-English and even Russian being spoken. Dress Celebrity takes the dress code very seriously and "The Infinity Daily" newsletter provides guidance on what is -- and isn't -- permitted on any given day. On a seven-day cruise there are two formal nights. Diners at the S.S. United States, the ship's elegant alternative restaurant, also are required to dress formally (while we saw a handful of male passengers in tuxedos, jacket and tie for men, cocktail dress or pants for women, is acceptable). Gratuity Celebrity guidelines suggest gratuities of $3.50 for stateroom attendants, $3.50 for waiters, and $2.00 for assistant waiters. The line also recommends tips of 75 cents for the assistant maitre d' and 50 cents for the chief housekeeper. All suggested tips are per person, per day. |
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is the line's second Millennium class vessel. Like the Millennium, its sister ship, new concepts, from a two-story library to the retro ocean liner-themed alternative restaurant to the all-glass seaview elevators, are replicated on Infinity. The line's fleetwide dedication to art, natural woods, and sleek near-Scandinavian styling lends this ship, like others, an elegant, contemporary air.