Celebrity's New iLounge For Social, Techy, Shopping Cruisers

With the launch of its new brand platform, "Designed for you," last month, Celebrity Cruises is following up on its cruiser experience with plans for a new venue: Celebrity iLounge.

The first guest to see the new feature will be on Celebrity Eclipse, the third in the fleet's Solstice Class, when it launches in April. The Celebrity iLounge is composed of three main areas: a series of 26 contemporary workstations where guests can check their e-mail, retain their social media connections, or print boarding passes; a retail space offering cruisers the opportunity to see and try out the latest MacBooks, iPods and accessories; and an enrichment center where certified staff will offer guests tips on Mac or iPod usage.

"Our surveys show that our guests rely heavily on the Internet for research, learning and staying in touch, so we think this new offering will be a big hit, as will the contemporary online classes offered through the 'Discover' series of our inspiring and enriching 'Celebrity Life' experiences," said Celebrity's President and CEO Dan Hanrahan.

Enhancing the "Discover" component of its "Celebrity Life" series of enrichment and entertainment experiences, Celebrity will offer in the Celebrity iLounge a series of engaging new courses designed to suit its guests' interests - including do-it-yourself photo books, movie editing and web design, through programs including iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and iWeb. And whether guests are savvy or novice users of Mac or iPod products, Celebrity's certified staff will be well-equipped to assist, following more than 125 hours of training in operating systems, applications, and products. They also will be poised to illustrate to guests the differences between Macs and PCs. As an Authorized Apple Reseller, Celebrity will have products available for guests to purchase, including iPods, MacBooks, and essential accessories.

Located on deck six of Celebrity Eclipse, the Celebrity iLounge will house the 26 MacBook Pro's, classroom and retail area, in addition to display pods, a 56-inch flat-screen TV for use during classes, and an accessible workstation.

The Celebrity iLounge also will be presented on Celebrity Silhouette, which launches in 2011, and the fifth ship in the Solstice Class fleet, which sets sail in 2012.

Visit www.celebritycruises.com.