Celebrity takes a break from building ships

Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY

Guests gather around the Pool Bar at the new Celebrity Reflection, the fifth and last of the Solstice Class series which made its North American debut Dec. 1, 2012.

ABOARD THE CELEBRITY REFLECTION — It's been a busy four years for Celebrity Cruises.

Since 2008, the brand has debuted a ship every year — five total, all within the Celebrity Solstice series. That has driven parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises' growth spurt from 35 to 42 ships in the last five years.

"I must say, we've become rather adept at rapid expansion," Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean, said during Saturday's naming ceremony in Miami of the Celebrity Reflection, the fifth and final ship in the Solstice series.

That could soon change, at least for Celebrity. During a preview cruise of the Reflection, which officially made its debut in Europe in October but had its North American coming-out party last weekend, it was clear that Celebrity's focus will shift from building ships to building a customer base.

"I actually don't want to grow the brand anymore," Celebrity President and CEO Michael Bayley told the Cruise Log during dinner one night aboard the Reflection. "I want to grow the customer database."

He spoke more about his plans during a press conference earlier in the day. "Our focus is to make sure we position the brand in the right place in the right marketplace," he told reporters.

Murano is one of five specialty restaurants on the new Celebrity Reflection that guests have to pay an extra free to dine at. There are a dozen eateries for guests to try, most included in the package.

He said Celebrity will target a more affluent audience, an educated and well-traveled one with an annual household income exceeding $100,000. In particular, the company will market to potential cruisers in the top 10 most affluent cities in the country.

So rather than building new ships, the company will work on adding more desirable destinations to itineraries, simplifying the booking process and improving culinary offerings, among other things, Bayley said. At least for now.

"We feel as though we've got an exceptional fleet," he said. "We've gone through the growth. We need to start the journey."

The 3,030-passenger Celebrity Reflection started her journey on Saturday with a preview cruise around the Florida Keys. At 126,000 tons, she is the largest boat in the series and boasts several new suites including a two-bedroom Reflection Suite with a shower jutting out into the ocean.

Other new features include a conference facility and expanded spa. Her North American itinerary will tour the Eastern Caribbean for seven nights this winter.

The delivery of the Reflection marked the last of a $3.7 billion ship order that began with the delivery of the Celebrity Solstice in 2008. "Celebrity Cruises can take you to all seven continents of the world, all in modern luxury," Bayley said.