seatec - Finnish marine technology review 2/2010 | Page 27

they contributed to make sure that these unexpected guests had the time of their lives.” Dan Hanrahan shared a similar sentiment: “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we could be so impacted by a volcano whose name I can’t even begin to pronounce.” With the launch of the Eclipse, Celebrity Cruises achieved “a perfect 10” – the company now boasts a fleet of 10 ships. MAKING MEMORIES Presiding over the naming ceremony was ship’s godmother Emma Pontin, oceanracing yachtswoman and breast cancer survivor. Pontin noted that for her, life has become more precious than ever: “I now want memories, not just dreams. And memories are what will be created on this magnificent ship,” she said in a poignant address. Memories as vivid as green grass in a summer breeze: like her sister ships – Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox – also Celebrity Eclipse presents The Lawn Club, with real, growing grass (an industry first). In addition, the new ship features the Hot Glass Show, a glassblowing show and studio developed with The Corning Museum of Glass; 10 top-notch dining venues, including Qsine; and widely varied entertainment, including shows with breathtaking aerial acts. With Solstice-class ships the grass is not the only thing that is green: the ships come equipped with Photovoltaic System, an optimised hull design, highly-efficient hull coatings and lighting system using LED lights. With this set of innovations, Solstice-class ships deliver 30 % energy savings in comparison to the average cruise ship. DARING THE RIVER While sounding dire and dramatic, the rescue mission down south did not provide seatec 2/2010 25