Celebrity Infinity

The 2001-built Celebrity Infinity cruise ship is the second of the Millennium-class Celebrity liners, with sisterships Constellation, Millennium, and Summit. Celebrity Infinity underwent a "Celebrity Revolution" drydock refurbishment in February–March 2021.

The vessel (IMO number 9189421) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 249048000) and registered in Valletta.

History - construction and ownership

Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 as the Greece-based Chandris Line (operating cruise services from 1974 to 1996). In 1997, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) merged with "Celebrity Cruises Ltd" to form "Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd" (RCCL). The "X" on Celebrity ship funnels is the Greek letter chi, symbolizing "Chandris."

Common features of Celebrity Cruises ships include aft-located glass-walled dining rooms, signature specialty dining venues, multiple bars and lounges, spacious atrium lobbies, a high percentage of balcony staterooms, large sundecks with pools, The Retreat (an adults-only sundeck with a full-size pool, Jacuzzi, cabanas, and bar service), Rooftop Terrace (top-deck outdoor lounge, restaurant, and cinema), expansive spas with thermal suites, and premium retail shops offering top-brand merchandise.

The 2,200-passenger Celebrity Infinity debuted with several unique features, including a two-story library, a retro ocean liner-themed restaurant, and glass-enclosed panoramic elevators. Elegant touches like real grass, solar technology, art displays, natural wood elements, and Scandinavian-inspired design give the ship a refined atmosphere. One long-standing issue was recurring pod propulsion problems on the Millennium-class ships, which caused some canceled and shortened cruises. In 2010, parent company RCCL reached a USD 65 million settlement with Rolls-Royce, one of the pod system's designers. RCCL later stated that the companies had been "clever in improving the reliability of the design."

Decks and Cabins

Celebrity Infinity staterooms (1,085 total, across 28 categories) include 50 Suites, 573 Balcony cabins, 244 Oceanview cabins, and 212 Inside cabins. Most standard cabins are 170 ft² / 16 m². Approximately 60% of all staterooms have private step-out balconies, typically sized at 40 ft² / 4 m². The ship has 26 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest accommodations are the Penthouse Suites (1,430 ft² / 133 m²) with wraparound terraces (1,100 ft² / 102 m²).

During the 2024 refurbishment, the new "Sunset Suite" category was introduced, replacing the former "Family Balcony" cabins. These aft-facing suites offer panoramic stern views from oversized balconies and include The Retreat amenities (with dedicated butler service), exclusive dining at Luminae, and full access to The Retreat Lounge (Deck 4 midship).

The ship has 12 passenger decks, with staterooms on 7 of them.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Trellis Restaurant is the ship’s main dining venue, offering formal breakfast, brunch (on sea days), lunch (on select days), and dinner. A highlight of the two-tiered space is a floor-to-ceiling glass window. Oceanview Café is the buffet restaurant, located aft on the pool deck, serving food from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and offering 24-hour access to tea, coffee, and juice. Hidden stations at the back serve unique offerings apart from the main buffet. The Pool Grille, just forward of the buffet, serves veggie burgers, hamburgers, and hot dogs from noon to 6 p.m.

Here’s the complete list of Celebrity Infinity’s dining venues and food bars:

• Tuscan Grille – 130-seat specialty steakhouse (replaced SS United States in 2015); dinner only, by reservation and at a surcharge. Features fresh pasta, Italian cocktails, fine Italian wines, and premium meats including USDA dry-aged steak.
• Trellis Restaurant – 1,150-seat main dining room (aft); open seating for breakfast (8–9:30 a.m.), lunch (12–1:30 p.m.), afternoon tea (4–5 p.m.), and fixed seating dinners (6 and 8:30 p.m.).
• Bistro on Five – 60-seat creperie, all-you-can-eat format, table-side lunch and dinner service.
• Blu – 98-seat specialty restaurant for AquaClass guests (suites accommodated upon availability); reservations required.
• AquaSpa Café – 116-seat Solarium and Spa bar offering healthy, complimentary meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
• Oceanview Café & Grill – 650-seat indoor/outdoor buffet, self-service, complimentary, open 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• Luminae at The Retreat – Suites-only fine dining restaurant.
• Mast Bar – Poolside burger bar; complimentary lunch offerings.
• Qsine – 86-seat dinner-only specialty restaurant; reservations recommended.

Added during the 2015 drydock, Rooftop Terrace (Deck 12) is a versatile venue with cabanas and modular seating, operating as a daytime lounge and transforming at night into an open-air cinema and bar with themed lighting and specialty dining options inspired by itinerary destinations or events.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Celebrity Infinity generally attracts well-traveled adults aged 45–65, primarily from North America, along with guests from the UK and Europe. The ship’s main entertainment venue is the modern, two-level Infinity Theater (spanning three decks), hosting Vegas-style musical productions focused on pop and Broadway hits. Other performances include musicians, comedians, and vocalists. Music is central to the evening experience, with bands performing jazz, pop, and dance standards in the Rendezvous Lounge. Reflections serves as a quiet daytime space for crafts and dance lessons, transforming into an observation and entertainment lounge in the evenings.

Celebrity Infinity's entertainment and activity venues include:

• Infinity Theatre – 900-seat show lounge hosting production shows, trivia, bingo, classes, and movies.
• Grand Foyer – Three-deck atrium with live music.
• Cinema/Conference Center.
• Martini Bar and Crush Bar (featuring a 12-seat ice-top table).
• Photo Gallery and Shop.
• Fortunes Casino.
• Celebrity iLounge – 24-hour Internet café and Apple product retailer, with available classes.
• Rendez-Vous Lounge & Nightclub.
• The Emporium – Duty-free boutiques for alcohol, tobacco, watches, jewelry, fashion, and souvenirs.
• Café al Bacio & Gelateria – 72-seat a la carte café with desserts and Italian gelato.
• Cellar Masters – 24-hour wine bar with Enomatic dispensers and evening sommelier service.
• Art Gallery and Library.
• AquaSpa & Fitness – Includes Persian Garden thermal suite (rain shower, steam room, sauna, heated loungers), treatment rooms, salon, Solarium, and AquaSpa Café.
• Fitness Center with dedicated aerobics space.
• Solarium Pool – Adults-only area with thalassotherapy pool and two whirlpools.
• Breezes Pool – Includes a splash pool for kids, four whirlpools, pool bar, and Pool Grill service.
• Sunset Bar – 120-seat alfresco bar with cigar offerings.
• Infinity Lounge – Observation lounge by day; dance and entertainment venue by night.
• Fun Factory (kids club) – With age-segmented activities: Shipmates (3–5), Cadets (6–8), Ensigns (9–11).
• X-Club – Teen-only lounge and disco; Video Arcade.
• Sports facilities – Table tennis, shuffleboard, jogging track, multi-sport court, sun deck.

In 2023, Celebrity introduced pickleball courts fleetwide. Equipment is provided free of charge, and playtimes are scheduled separately for adults and families (children aged 6+). On Millennium-class ships, pickleball is played on the Multi-Sports Court (Deck 12).

During the 2024 refurbishment, Michael’s Club (Deck 4) was transformed into The Retreat Lounge (suite-only), and Luminae at The Retreat was expanded.

Itineraries

Celebrity Infinity's itinerary program includes Antarctic cruises in South America, Alaska roundtrips from Vancouver BC, and Caribbean voyages departing from Fort Lauderdale/Port Everglades, Florida.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship was paused from March 2020 to June 2022. Operations resumed on June 25, 2022, with Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale. This was followed by a South America winter season (2022–2023), homeporting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Valparaiso, Chile, and a European deployment (2023).

The Mediterranean program (2023–2025) is primarily based on homeports in Barcelona, Spain, and Piraeus-Athens, Greece. Itineraries (6 to 12 days) include exotic destinations such as Tangier and Casablanca (Morocco), the Canary Islands (Arrecife/Lanzarote, Las Palmas/Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz/Tenerife), Holy Land ports (Ashdod, Israel and Alexandria, Egypt), and popular stops in Turkey (Istanbul, Kusadasi) and Greece (Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Hydra, Volos/Meteora, Thessaloniki, Kavala).

The vessel (Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard/hull number S31) has a volume of 90,940 GT, a DWT of 11,778 tons, and a maximum draught of 8.3 m. The powerplant consists of twin gas turbine generators (two General Electric/GE gas turbines) with a combined output of 50 MW. The registered shipowner is CELEBRITY INFINITY INC, and the management company is CELEBRITY CRUISES INC.

Celebrity Cruises' Infinity is part of the Millennium-class series, alongside Constellation, Millennium, and Summit. Infinity, the second ship in this series, entered service with her maiden voyage on March 3, 2001, initially named "GTS Infinity."

The ship was first drydock refurbished in 2007. Enhancements included the addition of Oceanview Café, Bistro on Five, Café al Bacio, and Cellar Masters (a wine bar). All decorations and carpets were updated with more modern designs. Infinity's second renovation took place in November 2011 in Freeport, Bahamas, adding new "Solsticized" features such as iLounge (computer lab), new dining venues (Qsine, Blu, Bistro on Five/creperie), and new cabin balconies.

Celebrity Infinity refurbishments review (2024–2021–2015–2011)

The ship’s most recent drydock was in January 2024. The refurbishment involved renovations to all interior public areas and staterooms, with certain venues and cabin categories redesigned, renamed, or recategorized.

• Michael’s Club (Deck 14) was transformed into The Retreat Lounge, an exclusive venue for suite guests.
• Luminae at The Retreat (the suite-exclusive restaurant) was expanded.
• A new cabin category, "Sunset Suite" (aft-facing), was introduced. These staterooms offer unobstructed views from their oversized balconies and include complimentary access to The Retreat services (with dedicated butler), exclusive dining at Luminae, and unlimited access to The Retreat Lounge.

The 2021 drydock took place in February at Navantia Shipyard (Cadiz, Spain). The 16-day stay included general maintenance and technical upgrades such as installation of new valves, propellers, stabilizers, sliders, and sonars (echo sounders), as well as cleaning and repainting of the hull and superstructure (excluding passenger decks), propulsion system inspection, and lifeboat servicing.

The list of changes following the ship’s 2015 drydock refurbishment (October 15–29 in Freeport, Bahamas) includes:

• On Sports Deck 12, a new aft relaxation and entertainment venue named Rooftop Terrace was added, occupying space from the stern sundeck. This multi-functional venue features modular furniture and cabanas, operating as an outdoor bar lounge during the day. At night, the area transforms with decorative lighting and a large LED screen for movies and entertainment. The experience includes signature dishes presented in themed serving vessels inspired by the cruise itinerary or special occasions.
• On Plaza Deck 3, the "SS United States" restaurant was replaced by "Tuscan Grille" (steakhouse), offering fresh onboard-made pasta, an Italian cocktail menu, a curated wine list, and premium meats (including oven-roasted USDA dry-aged steak). Also added on Plaza Deck 3 were a new "Future Cruise Sales" office (separate from the Captain's Club), a new portrait studio, and a redesigned cinema that now also serves as a Conference Center.
• Deck 5 saw the addition of a new retail shop. On Deck 11, the Qsine restaurant was introduced. Renovations were completed on the Casino (Promenade Deck 4) and the adults-only Solarium (Lido Deck 10), with both venues receiving new flooring and furniture. The Lido pool area and AquaSpa Café were also updated. The Casino's theme décor was removed.
• All Suite categories, including Royal and Penthouse Suites, were significantly upgraded with new furnishings and amenities. Enhancements included marble-surfaced bathrooms with comfortable seating, improved lighting, new carpeting, updated drapes, and upgraded bed linens.

The 2015–2016 refurbishment project also included sistership Celebrity Summit (drydocked February–March 2016) and had a total cost of USD 16 million.

The 2011 drydock refurbishment introduced the following changes:

• 60 new passenger cabins were added.
• 107 balcony cabins were upgraded to AquaClass Spa category.
• All Sky Suites (mini-suites) received updated balconies.
• Celebrity iLounge (Apple product reseller, Internet center, enrichment classes) was added.
• Bistro on Five (creperie) was introduced on Deck 5, later renamed “Sushi on Five” in 2016.
• On Promenade Deck 4 (midship starboard, Grand Foyer area), the Martini Bar and Crush Bar were added.
• Michael’s Club received a revamped menu featuring over 60 craft beers.
• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded to be shipwide.
• The sunbathing area on Lido Deck 10’s pool deck was updated with new loungers, and new gym equipment was installed in the fitness center.

Major renovations were also made to all passenger cabins and public areas, including upgrades to flat-screen TVs, carpeting, tiling, furniture, and upholstery.