Posh cruising on Celebrity Century

APPRECIATE the finer things as you circumnavigate Australia with your personal butler, writes Brad Crouch.

THE butler did it.

He unpacked the luggage, served afternoon tea, brought hors d'oeuvres and even shined shoes for his passengers before they left for an evening of dining, dancing and theatre.

That is the promise from operators of the Australian-based luxury liner Celebrity Century, now in local waters for a season cruising to New Zealand and circumnavigating Australia.

On the Celebrity Century, pool butlers deliver cool towels, sorbets and iced water to sunbathing guests, while guests who book suites enjoy the services of a personal butler who does the unpacking and so on.

The 1800-passenger Celebrity Century arrived in local waters a few weeks ago, bringing the Celebrity line's distinctive X funnel logo back after a three-year absence.

It has a focus on the finer things in life, from the pampering in its spacious spa through to its food and wine, and the elegance starts on arrival, when passengers are greeted with a glass of chilled champagne to start their holiday in style.

About half of the ship's 900 cabins have private balconies, and features include an art collection with pieces by Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso; the 1000-seat theatre, hosting lavish theatrical productions; and supervised clubs for youngsters aged three to 17.

One of its more intriguing features is its ice bar, featuring a liquid bar counter frozen into rock-hard ice.

Unlike other ice bars on land, you don't need to wear polar clothing to enjoy a drink, as the rest of the Martini Bar is maintained at a comfortable room temperature.

Other bars include Michael's Club, a piano lounge with the feel of a gentleman's club; the Hemisphere nightclub at the top of the ship, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows; the Champagne Bar; the Crystal Room, featuring cabaret entertainment; and a casino.

The ship was launched in 1995 and in 2006 underwent a $US55 million ($A56 million) refurbishment, adding features such as the Murano specialty restaurant to complement dining options including the two-tiered Grand Dining Room and cafes.

While it is the smallest of the Celebrity fleet, at 248m the Century is larger than most other ships based in Australasia.

There is a range of accommodation on board, from staterooms and suites through to the opulent penthouse suites, which feature a baby grand piano.

For health and fitness, there is a large gym with personal trainers and fitness classes, two swimming pools, a jogging track and a deck basketball/volleyball court.

The Celebrity Century will sail from Sydney, Fremantle and Auckland during the summer season, and Celebrity plans to replace it with the larger Celebrity Solstice the following season.

This reflects the huge growth in numbers and size of cruise ships coming to Australia.

It is one of six ships making their maiden visits to Sydney this season.

The other vessels comprise the Discovery, Costa Deliziosa, Radiance of the Seas, Zaandam and Sea Princess.

Sydney Ports Corporation chief executive Grant Gilfillan says there will be 214 vessel visits to Sydney this financial year, compared with 150 last year, and the robust growth is set to continue, with 264 ship visits already booked for the 2012/13 season.
 
February next year will be the high point of the cruise season for Sydney, with a record of 33 ship visits planned, compared with 27 for February this year.

While Sydney with its beautiful harbour and easy access to sights for passengers is an international drawcard, the benefits will spread across the nation as liners cruise to destinations around the continent and thousands of passengers spend money in port stops ranging from capital cities through to regional areas such as Albany, Cairns and Kangaroo Island.