As the first ship to introduce Solstice-class features and amenities, the newly refurbished Celebrity Constellation departed from Amsterdam on May 9. After undergoing a process of upgrades dubbed “Solstication,” the Constellation emerged as the first of four Millennium-class ships that will receive this nearly complete refurbishment totalling $200 million across the Millennium-class fleet.

The schedule for the first “Solstication” was rather tight, as it was completed during a two-week technical dry dock that took place at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. During an exclusive first look, Cruise Business Publisher Teijo Niemela boarded the Celebrity Constellation three days before the first paying passengers embarked the ship in Amsterdam to observe the last stretch of the project, which was carried out by dozens of turn-key contractors, many more subcontractors and hundreds of workers.

One of the challenges of the project was the addition of new dining venues, the Bistro on Five and the Tuscan Grille. Normally it is rather difficult to build and start up an entirely new restaurant and galley in just two week’s time. Despite both venues getting ready, there was no plan to offer these venues for paying guests until mid-cruise at the earliest.

According to Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, the decision to add new venues came rather late. “When we had introduced the second of our Solstice-class newbuildings, the Equinox, it was a no-brainer that the Tuscan Grille and Bistro on Five were the most popular new dining venues in our Solstice-class ships, while on the bar side, the Martini Bar & Crush as well as Cellar Masters were the natural additions as well,” she said.

Joseph Miorelli, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Project Manager (who has overseen the Constellation at the shipyard during reconstruction), said the sheer amount of re-carpeting and building two completely new galleys were big tasks. “We installed approximately 36,000 square feet of new carpets in cabins and public rooms,” Miorelli said.

Next in line for “Solstication” will be the Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Summit – scheduled to be carried out simultaneously in fall 2011 during scheduled dry docks – while the overhaul for the Celebrity Millennium will take place in spring 2012. Cruise Business Review will publish a complete report on the Celebrity Constellation “Solstication” project in its summer 2010 issue.

In the meantime, check out our slide show below, which shows the progress of the refurbishment in three different areas, namely The Martini Bar, Cellar Masters plus Bistro on Five and the Tuscan Grille, during the last three days of the Celebrity Constellation refit.

Photo credit (opening photo): Steve Brown