Celebrity Solstice Nearly Completed

Celebrity's innovative new Solstice is 97 percent completed, according to company sources. The ship will leave its shipyard, Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, today.

The 122,000-ton, 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice is an evolutionary new design for the cruise line and features new-to-Celebrity styles of restaurants, spa amenities, stateroom designs and pool areas.

Slated for debut in mid-November, Celebrity Solstice will -- as do all ships built at Meyer Werft -- transit most unusually from the yard to the North Sea by going backwards! This ship presents even more of a challenge for its marine team as it's the largest ever to cruise down the Ems River and the journey is highly dependant on calm weather conditions.

Once Solstice reaches Eemshaven, in the Netherlands, it will dock for outfitting. That's a term used to describe the final processes of getting a ship ready -- loading on furnishings, completing artistic touches and other chores. The ship will also undergo sea trials, which test its readiness on more technical levels.