Celebrity Launches 'Designed for You'

 

Celebrity Cruises Dan Hanrahan

President and CEO Dan Hanrahan presents Celebrity Cruises' new brand

Celebrating its 20th year in business, Celebrity Cruises is updating its premium product in a big way by launching a new $200 million brand platform. Starting immediately, agents will begin seeing a new Celebrity logo, a new “Designed for You” tag line and, starting this spring, what officials termed a “Solsticizing” of the line’s Millennium-Class ships.

Celebrity’s president and CEO Dan Hanrahan outlined the latest brand initiatives during a reception Thursday night at the Museum of Arts and Design in Manhattan. “What better time than our 20th anniversary to celebrate Celebrity's history of award-winning service, cuisine, and our new, brand-defining Solstice class?” said Hanrahan.

Top travel agency producers, Captain’s Club members and the news media watched Hanrahan and his staff unveil a painting with the new brand focus on Celebrity Solstice and the new tag line branding.

 

richard fain

A portion of the crowd at the Celebrity event watches the new brand video. Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is on the far right

Solstice, the Game Changer

Hanrahan reiterated what the line, analysts and agents have been saying for more than a year. Celebrity Solstice is a runaway hit with guests. The five-ship Solstice fleet, a $3.7 billion investment, is helping Celebrity’s brand continue to evolve for discerning guests. But now, the line wants more consistency across the fleet so it will incorporate some of those Solstice-class features on existing ships. Most notable is a significant revitalization of all four Millennium-class ships in a phased process over the next four years – with one ship per year receiving the updates. Celebrity Constellation will be the first to receive the new enhancements during scheduled drydock in April.

 

Celebrity Solstice exterior

The Celebrity Solstice cruise ship

Jerry Davis, CTC, president of Alice Travel, Fairfield, NJ, says he’s excited about the Millennium-class ship enhancements. His agency books a lot of bridge groups onboard Celebrity and he’s amazed how much people love Constellation. With the Solstice enhancements, he says Constellation will be even more attractive and likely sell at more advantageous price points [than the Solstice-class ships]. That, in turn, should help agencies sell, he said.

On Constellation’s Deck 4, the existing Internet center will be moved elsewhere and replaced with an ice-topped Martini Bar paired with Crush, whose ice-filled table presents a selection of chilled, top-tier vodkas. Constellation’s Cova Café will be replaced with Café al Bacio including a Gelateria. Bistro on Five and the Enomatic wine bar will be added.

Constellation’s Conservatory will be replaced with the highly popular Tuscan Grill, an alternative dining venue found on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox. “This [addition of Solstice class features] will bring real consistency to the Celebrity brand,” said Hanrahan.

Constellation’s staterooms will receive new carpeting, flat-screen televisions, upholstery and bedding; suites will receive all those features plus new furniture.

New color schemes, carpeting and upholstery will reflect the onboard styling found on the Solstice-class ship. That will occur in every public venue on Constellation, from the Celebrity Theater to Seaside Grill, from the main dining room to Michael’s Club.

Hanrahan wanted agents to know that most enhancements will be completed during Constellation’s April drydock, but the addition of Tuscan Grill will take 10 days to complete after the ship exits drydock. So that venue won’t be open for guests dining on the first cruise after drydock.

New Ad Campaign

Solstice-class ships are now becoming the face of the Celebrity brand, according to Hanrahan. A new video showcasing Celebrity Solstice will run on multiple travel, video, social, lifestyle and news sites. Print ads will appear in trade and consumer magazines and major daily newspapers across North America.

 

The event's Martini bar uses an ice carving shaped in the Celebrity X symbol

In addition, Celebrity will place heightened emphasis on online advertising. Hanrahan demonstrated the new online banner ads at the reception. Celebrity reports that more than 70 percent of cruise enthusiasts go online for research prior to their next vacation. To check out Celebrity's new "Designed for You" branding and video, visit the Celebrity web site at www.celebritycruises.com.

While Solstice is important, Hanrahan also stressed that the new brand platform is designed to encompass a number of guest-friendly factors -- including the new Captain's Club, enhanced dining choices, and the new Celebrity Life onboard activities. The goal, he said, is to connect design, hardware and program innovations with a commitment to guests.

 

Celebrity Cruises new logo

Designed for You

The introduction of “Designed for You” marks the culmination of six months of extensive research, said Hanrahan. “It’s almost as though someone developed the perfect vacation just for you,” said Hanrahan, “because we did.”

 

This mannequin dressed in an outfit constructed of the linens from AquaClass staterooms "greeted" guests as they entered the reception room

Celebrity’s market research survey involved nearly 10,000 international cruisers. The line also conducted focus group sessions with past guests and travel partners. And, Celebrity conducted in-home interviews with some of Celebrity’s frequent guests and prospects.

The research confirmed that most cruise planners are women, that Celebrity’s target customer – 35 and up -- has a household income of $75,000. It also showed that retirees who sail Celebrity have a net worth of $500,000 or more.

Hanrahan stressed that those who sail Celebrity love to cruise, have a youthful mindset, are confident in themselves, are often modern rather than traditional, are accomplished, and are best described as discerning. Travelers who book Celebrity or are potential prospects also said they rely heavily on their travel agent.