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Fincantieri wins new Century refurb
December 22, 2005

Fincantieri has won the contract to revitalise Celebrity Cruises' Century. The work, worth around $55m, will be undertaken at Fincantieri's Palermo shipyard in 2006.

The makeover designed to incorporate on Century a variety of Celebrity's most popular Millennium-class attributes marks the line's most extensive refurbishment, and the first time the company has worked directly with Fincantieri. The Century project will be the largest cruise ship modification to-date for the Palermo yard.

Century will emerge on June 2, from a five-week drydock period with 314 new balconies, 14 new suites, 10 new staterooms ranging from inside to balcony category, an expanded number of ConciergeClass category staterooms, a new specialty restaurant, and a series of features and amenities that typify the line's Millennium-class fleet. The contract with Fincantieri involves Century's major structural modifications, new balconies and associated stateroom interiors, new staterooms on deck 12, and regular drydock work. Other interior outfitting contractors will also handle portions of the work.

Fincantieri's ceo Giuseppe Bono said, 'We are most pleased to have acquired this order from Celebrity Cruises. This further strengthens the growth strategy which Fincantieri has identified in the business area of ship repairs, refurbishments and conversions aimed at providing ship owners with a full range of services, and able to accompany the vessel throughout its entire working life with the maintenance of high quality standards.'

Following the revitalisation, Celebrity's 'new' Century will sail on a series of 12-night Baltic and 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings, a 13-night Europe voyage, and a seven-night Norwegian Fjords cruise. In November the ship will position to Miami sailing four and five-night roundtrip Caribbean cruises until April 2007.

Seatrade Insider

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Just goes to show you, anything is possible in the cruise industry!

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Originally posted by sunviking82:
Does any one have a picture of the "new" Century. The Celebrity web site has a deck plan, but it's still the old layout.

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Originally posted by eroller:
I never thought I would see the day that Royal Caribbean/Celebrity entered into a relationship with Fincantieri. Until now they have avoided the yard like the plague.

Just goes to show you, anything is possible in the cruise industry!

Ernie

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Hi,
When you have a drydock// refit of that magnitude, you really can't pick 'n' choose where you send the ship...Took X a while to find a yard that can take her when they wanted and for the time/work scope needed...How hard it was can be confirmed by how long it took after the initial announcement of WHAT they decided to do, and the current press release confirming WHERE and WHEN it was happening....The fact Fincantieri got the job is a feather in their cap; they are obviously the only yard(s) around that could handle this....and their newbuilds order book is not exactly empty.....

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eroller wrote:
I never thought I would see the day that Royal Caribbean/Celebrity entered into a relationship with Fincantieri. Until now they have avoided the yard like the plague.

Just goes to show you, anything is possible in the cruise industry!

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The tide may be turning...and if Fincantieri get their hands on what they want in the Bahamas and in Bremerhaven they will have even more chances to work with cruise companies they never worked with before.

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sealeg claude wrote:
...The fact Fincantieri got the job is a feather in their cap...

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Just like the recent MSC newbuild contract that went to Alstom Marine’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the refit of CENTURY to the Palermo yard is good news for local workers, especially in a region such as Sicily where there is high unemployment and neglect by governments.

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Celebrity Cruises Leaps Toward New Century
December 22, 2005

MIAMI -- Celebrity Cruises has made a giant leap toward transforming a century into a millennium in just five weeks. The line has signed with Fincantieri in Palermo, Italy, to handle the significant revitalization of its 77,713-ton Century cruise ship in 2006.

The approximately $55-million makeover designed to incorporate on Century a variety of Celebrity's most popular Millennium-class attributes marks the line's most extensive refurbishment to-date, and the first time the company has worked directly with Fincantieri. The Century project will be the largest cruise ship modification to-date for the Palermo yard.

Century will emerge on June 2, 2006, from a five-week drydock period at Fincantieri with 314 new verandas, 14 new suites, 10 new staterooms ranging from inside to veranda category, an expanded number of ConciergeClass category staterooms, a new specialty restaurant, and a series of features and amenities that typify the line's acclaimed Millennium-class fleet. The contract with Fincantieri involves Century's major structural modifications, new verandas and associated stateroom interiors, new staterooms on deck 12, and regular drydock work. Other interior outfitting contractors also will handle portions of the work.

"This is an absolutely phenomenal project," said Celebrity's President Dan Hanrahan. "Century already is an incredible ship, ranked among the top 10 in the world. Our goal now is to align the ship even more with our Millennium- class ships, to offer every Celebrity guest a consistently extraordinary experience across the fleet."

Fincantieri's Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Bono said, "We are most pleased to have acquired this order from Celebrity Cruises. This further strengthens the growth strategy which Fincantieri has identified in the business area of ship repairs, refurbishments and conversions aimed at providing ship owners with a full range of services, and able to accompany the vessel throughout its entire working life with the maintenance of high quality standards."

Among the highlights of Celebrity's "new" Century are:

New Culinary Delights

A new specialty restaurant will present the elegant dining experience praised by guests on Celebrity's four Millennium-class ships, with a menu designed by Celebrity's longtime culinary and wine consultant, Master Chef Michel Roux. The venue, yet to be themed, will follow the style of Celebrity's "Olympic," "SS United States," "Normandie" and "Ocean Liners" restaurants, which presented the industry's first tableside cooking, carving and flambe

The "Casual Dining Boulevard" on the lido deck will be expanded to include a Sushi Cafe, made-to-order Pasta and Pizza Bar, and small ice cream parlor, along with buffet breakfasts, themed lunches, and dinner service with a casual dress code.

Fans of light, healthy spa cuisine will find what they're seeking in a new Spa Cafe inspired by the venue of the same name on Celebrity's Millennium- class ships.

For evening cocktails, a sophisticated new Martini Bar will offer Celebrity's famed menu of more than 30 versions of the popular libation, while outside on the aft deck, a new bandstand and bar complete with tapas carts will offer the ultimate setting for romantic sailaways at sunset, complete with live music.

Enhanced Enrichment Opportunities

"High Seas Computing" will find a home in a newly dedicated space offering Internet access and courses ranging from basic computer use to web site creation to digital photography.

As on the Millennium-class fleet, Century's new art gallery will join the array of trendy boutiques in "The Boulevard," allowing art aficionados to purchase one-of-a-kind works.

Century's "Fun Factory" children's area will be expanded, with a new teen room added to offer a variety of new activities geared exclusively toward that age group.

Celebrity's exclusive "Acupuncture at Sea" program will have a permanent home on Century as it does on the four Millennium-class ships, offering guests acupuncture treatments, therapies and enrichment lectures by licensed doctors of Oriental Medicine.

Century's AquaSpa operated by the elite Elemis Ltd. will be expanded significantly to allow for a number of new features yet to be announced.

Enticing Itineraries

Following its revitalization, Celebrity's "new" Century will set sail on a series of 12-night Baltic and 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings, a 13-night "Best of Europe" voyage, and a seven-night Norwegian Fjords cruise.

Century also will be one of the first Celebrity ships to offer short cruises from the cruise capital of the world, the Port of Miami, beginning in November 2006. The ship will present four- and five-night roundtrip Caribbean cruises through April 2007, offering travelers with more limited vacation time the opportunity to experience what the award-winning Celebrity brand has to offer.

Celebrity Cruises offers a comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experience with highly personalized service, authentic five-star dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Its nine ships and the line's service, cuisine and spas consistently dominate top travelers' surveys. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, the Caribbean, Europe, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, the Panama Canal and South America. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111, or visit the Celebrity web site at http://www.celebrity.com .

Celebrity Cruises / PR Newswire

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Mercury and Galaxy must be due in the future? Although newer, they are not really aligned with the 'Millie class'.

[ 12-25-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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ALMACO to modernise Century
January 10, 2006

ALMACO has been contracted to outfit Celebrity's Century during the vessel's $55m refurbishment taking place at Fincantieri's Palermo shipyard in May.

ALMACO's involvment includes the introduction of a new high class specialty restaurant that will feature a display kitchen. Additionally a new Martini Bar and a larger computer space, High Seas Computing will be built. The existing Cova Café, art and photo galleries, theatre, rendezvous lounge, casino, reception and shopping area will be refurbished by ALMACO.

Century will emerge on June 2, from a five-week drydock period with 508 staterooms and 60 suites having received a refurbished look as well.

Seatrade Insider

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