Luxurious Makeovers

You may have seen the recent reality TV show on the Discovery Channel about the renovation of Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas. If you missed the show, what you didn't see was Royal Caribbean spending millions of dollars to give Sovereign of the Seas a whole new look and a young vibrant attitude. 62 verandahs were added and the dark and closed-in buffet was scooped out and expanded.

Lounges were rearranged to maximize space such as Bolero, a latin flavored lounge which features salsa and merengue was added. They also added à la carte food options like Johnny Rocket's, Seattle's Best Coffee, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. And last but not least, two incredible teen and children areas were created.

Cruise lines spend a large amount of time and tons of money on making sure their products are the most luxurious way to travel and that boast state-of-the-art amenities, making them a destination in themselves.

Holland America Line just spent $225 million on its fleetwide Signature of Excellence enhancements fleetwide adding amenities to their ships, including the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine, teens-only activity areas and all new cabin amenities including flat-panel TVs and plush-top Mariner's Dream Beds.

And just two weeks ago, Celebrity Cruises' Century set sail again following a $55-million makeover that took just 5 weeks to complete. The revitalization of the 70,000 ton Century is the line's most extensive refurbishment to-date.

A number of expansions and cabins have been added to the ship, including 314 verandahs, 14 new suites, 10 staterooms ranging from inside to verandah categories, and an expanded number of Concierge Class category staterooms. Among Century's new amenities is a specialty restaurant called "Murano" which will be adorned with Murano glass chandeliers and feature a menu crafted by renowned Master Chef Michel Roux.