By
Rebecca Gibson |
Chantiers de l’Atlantique delivered the new Celebrity Edge to owner Celebrity Cruises – and laid the keel for her sister Celebrity Apex – at its yard in Saint-Nazaire, France on 31 October.
The shipyard’s general manager Laurent Castaing officially handed the 2,918-guest, 117,000gt vessel over to Celebrity’s president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s chairman and CEO Richard Fain during an onboard ceremony. Celebrity Edge’s 1,377 crew members and executives from both the cruise line and shipyard also attended the event.
“The Celebrity team has done an outstanding job and I cannot thank the Chantiers de l’Atlantique team enough for delivering this game-changing ship and for its ongoing partnership,” said Fain. “The company’s work continues to transform the way our guests experience the world.”
Chantiers de l’Atlantique constructed and outfitted Celebrity Edge over a 23-month period, completing her ahead of her original planned delivery date.
“Thanks to the confidence Celebrity Cruises granted us and to the exceptional level of cooperation between our respective teams, we are proud to have designed and built one of the most innovative cruise ships ever,” said Castaing. “This achievement demonstrates once again our capacity to deliver right on time ships of the highest quality to our most demanding customers.”
Designed completely in 3D, Celebrity Edge features 29 new dining venues; guest accommodation with new Infinite Verandas and an expansive spa created by British designer Kelly Hoppen, MBE; The Rooftop Garden developed by architect Tom Wright of WKK; a Grand Plaza and artwork installations created by Jouin Manku Studio; and the three-deck Eden dining and entertainment venue. Another highlight will be the Magic Carpet – a ship-climbing platform the size of a tennis court that can be positioned at four different levels to provide additional space for restaurants, the pool deck and the Destination Gateway, an embarkation station for guests joining tenders to get to shore.
“Today is a very special day for all of us as we have been eagerly anticipating this moment for more than four years,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “There are so many aspects of Celebrity Edge that are more ground-breaking than we could have ever imagined, and it is all a testament to the hard work, creativity and talent of everyone who helped bring this magnificent ship to life.”
Celebrity Edge will be christened by Malala Yousafzai, the youngest-ever Noble Peace Prize recipient and now Nobel Laureate and UN Messenger of Peace. On 6 November, the vessel will then embark on a transatlantic voyage to her new homeport at Port Everglades in Florida, US. Designed by architectural firm Bermello Ajamil & Partners to complement the interiors onboard Celebrity Edge, the new Terminal 25 is Celebrity’s first-ever brand-designed cruise terminal. It features ‘Frictionless Arrival’ technology, a lounge and rooftop terrace exclusively for suite guests, and a purpose-built crew lounge.
Celebrity Edge will spend her inaugural season operating alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, before repositioning to the Mediterranean in spring 2019 to sail seven- to 11-night voyages.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique has already started work on the second Edge Class ship, marking the start of the keel-laying process with a traditional coin ceremony after signing the handover agreement for Celebrity Edge. Celebrity Apex will be delivered in 2020, and two additional Edge Class ships will follow in 2021 and 2022.