Hi Tech at Sea

When Celebrity Cruises new ship, Century, celebrated its inaugural week in New York City in December 1995, it created quite a splash. It seems that every time a new boat sails the seas the offerings onboard get more innovative. This is the only time in memory that a cruise ship received major attention from art critics and for good reason. An important collection, 500 works–photographs, paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings–of modern and contemporary art representing a comprehensive survey of the most important artists and the major developments in art since the 1960s had been installed on the interior decks. Celebrity Cruises is the first line to curate and permanently exhibit a museum at sea of this caliber.

"Celebrity Network," the technology infrastructure operating in all cabins, is a communications link between passengers and the ship's services. With the use of a remote control and a television screen, guests can access many services from their rooms or suites. Some of these include previewing videos of shore excursions and buying tickets for them, ordering room service from an on-screen menu at a specific time, playing casino-style games and paying for them from the cabin, making appointments and shopping in "virtual shops" with the option of delivery to one's home. All information is offered in five languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Even the most savvy spa goers will be delighted with Century's AquaSpa(sm). The largest (10,000-square foot) spa afloat for the number of passengers, its design was inspired by Japanese gardens and bathhouses. In keeping with the name, water treatments head the list of the services available. New to spadom are two treatments found only on the Century: aqua meditation, which takes place in a tub where three swirling warm water shower heads rotate to massage the body; and rasul, an Oriental-inspired therapy, which includes a seaweed soap shower, a heated mud bath and an herbal steam bath. Packages are available and programs can be booked when making cruise reservations.

Celebrity Cruises, 800-437-3111. www.celebrity.com

Spring 1996