Celebrity Cruise Line 15 ships offer splendid itineraries, stylish traveling to see the world

We boarded Celebrity's Eclipse for an exciting 15-day cruise from Buenos Aires to the Antarctic. Here, we joined fellow cruisers to board our bus for a shore excursion and spectacular wildlife. 

CELEBRITY'S FLEET SPANS THE GLOBE, WITH CLASSY STATE OF THE ART SHIPS

Celebrity's handsome ships are easily recognized by the line's distinctive trademark "X" logo.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

THE GREEKS have long been good travelers.

• So it's no surprise that Celebrity Cruises owes its heritage to the Greece based Chandris Group, which launched the company in 1988-89.

• We're Celebrity fans, dating back to its founding by the Greece-based Chandris Group whose first ships were Mercury and Meridian. These elegant vessels quickly established Chandris as an appealing, up-market big-ship operator. 

Celebrity shore excursions include a wide range. Here "Cookie and Keller" enjoy a bike ride in Vietnam.

ONE CAN easily spot a Celebrity ship with the line's signature "X," displayed on the funnel. It's the Greek letter chi for "Chandris." If Chandris sounds familiar, you're old enough to remember Chandris Line, a Greek shipping company founded in 1960 by popular ship builder and developer Antonios Chandris. His began operating ocean liners between his native Greece, to Europe, Bermuda and Australia. Chandris initiated the "X" tradition on its funnels, paying homage to the first letter of  Chandris in Greek: Χανδρή. The chi was the logo for Chandris then continued with its successor, Celebrity Cruises.

CELEBRITY IS rightly  proud of its ships "bells and whistles'' and modern venues, including state-of-the-art cabins, restaurants, bars and attractions geared towards R&R. Its Edge, for example, is touted as "revolutionary -- designed to raise the bar of cruising."

It features a trend-setting outward facing design encouraging guests to feel connected to the sea. A terrace pool deck provides spectacular views as the ship sails between ports. 

We explored Antarctica aboard Celebrity for a thrilling wildlife adventure. Close-up communion with king penguins was a highlight of our Equinox cruise from Argentina, a wondrous 15-day voyage. 

The resort deck offers a beautifully tended rooftop garden with an urban “playscape,” unique to Celebrity. An  asymmetrical pool also faces the sea. Comfy seating encourages a picnic while watching a movie in the garden.

Celebrity doesn't rest on its laurels, coming out with a new ship every two years. It keeps vessels for around 20 to 30 years before retiring them.

Celebrity Cruises operates 15 vessels. We've cruised on 7 of those, including several voyages on the line's dowager ship, Celebrity Millennium, which is a quarter-century old old and still a favorite. Another highlight of our 155 cruises was a spectacular Celebrity itinerary through Asia, with Bali's breathtaking landscapes and sails into Hong Kong and Singapore.

MILLENNIUM also goes to India and South Korea and smaller ports in Malaysia.

Our cruising friends enjoy glass blowing classes and demonstrations on Celebrity cruise's Solstice class ships.

We were fans in the line's busy period between 2000 and 2002, when Celebrity launched four ships: Millennium, Infinity, Summit and Constellation -- carefully chosen names carrying on the sentimental naming tradition of Chandris, whose Romantica was an early ship.

Writer Christene "Cookie" Meyers gives a reading aboard Celebrity Millennium. 

These larger, modern Celebrity ships carry 2,200-plus passengers -- still reasonable compared to today's largest ship, Icon of the Seas, with 7,600 passengers.  We like Celebrity's sizes and its all-glass elevator banks, lively art lectures, stunning onboard art collections, variety of inviting, relaxing areas and a focus on culinary experiences.

Celebrity also initiated a series of programs and enhancements designed to improve onboard experience, including glass blowing among the  expanded adult enrichment program, afternoon tea and a spa cafe dinner option. This is Blu, open exclusively to passengers staying in AquaClass cabins.

Cookie and Keller on Celebrity, enjoying the scenery in Halong Bay off the coast of Vietnam

We've also sampled Celebrity's 48-passenger Celebrity Xpedition (a delightful 24 staterooms) which gives a wonderful close-up view of the creatures and landscape of the Galapagos.  The ship, in fact, helped put Celebrity -- and Darwin's famous islands -- on the map. .

For Celebrity's itineraries, discounts and more: celebritycruises.com

ON TAP: We cruise to Lisbon where we photograph dolphins, enjoy fado clubs and try a tuk-tuk tour. Then we cruise to Gibraltar's famous bay which offers a view of two continents and splendid sea life.   Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, cruising, performance, nature and more: www.whereiscookie.com