Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class, with the addition of Celebrity Equinox, is a vivid illustration of the brand’s commitment to delivering extraordinary service with style, in venues boasting some of the best architecture and design at sea. Among them is one unique not only in its design, but perhaps more so in what it creatively communicates to Celebrity guests.

In partnership with leading conservation organization Conservation International, Celebrity Equinox features the Team Earth venue, an interactive exhibit designed to capture the interest and imagination of Celebrity guests through brilliant nature photography, museum-quality exhibits, and digital touch-screen displays.

In addition to the partnership with Conservation International, the Celebrity Cruises design team applied a number of environmentally-friendly attributes to the Solstice Class of ships, including the new Celebrity Equinox:

• Celebrity Equinox is the industry’s second ship (second only to her sister Celebrity Solstice) to use solar energy, with 234 foils and 61 panels – enough to power all of the ship’s guest elevators, or more than 7,000 LED lights.

• The hull was designed explicitly with energy efficiency in mind, with every angle closely tested and examined to achieve optimal cruising speed, guest comfort, and fuel consumption.

• A special silicon coating has been applied to the entire underwater area to reduce frictional resistance and trim fuel consumption. The coating also inhibits marine growth, such as barnacles and algae on the hull, and prevents a breakdown of paint chips into the ocean.

• Celebrity began transitioning from higher wattage halogen and incandescent bulbs to longer-lasting fluorescent and LED lights more than a year ago, as they generate less than 50 percent of the heat of the bulbs previously used, resulting in reduced energy consumption and more efficient air conditioning.

• The high-glazed glass of Celebrity Equinox’s windows reduces heat transfer into staterooms and public areas, in turn reducing energy required for air conditioning. The glazing still allows for natural light to enter the ship, but filters out 99.9 percent of UV rays. Meanwhile, on the balance of the fleet, state-of-the-art window film produced by 3M has been installed to achieve the same benefits.

• Advanced wastewater purification (AWP) systems have been installed on every Celebrity ship, including Celebrity Equinox. These systems are capable of treating all wastewater streams onboard – including grey and black water – and restoring it to close to drinking-water quality before releasing.

• An innovative application across the Celebrity fleet is the use of river rocks instead of ice beds in buffet areas, reducing both water and energy consumption due to a lesser need for ice.

• Every ship in the Celebrity fleet also houses low-energy reverse osmosis plants (water makers) to produce fresh drinking water. The line also is installing reduced-flow dishwashers and low-consumption laundry equipment.