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This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2017 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Celebrity Edge doesn’t set sail until winter 2018, but is already one of the most talked about cruise ships in the world. With its eye-catching Magic Carpet, cantilevered off the side of the vessel, and the Eden venue, made up of 7,000 square feet of glass, Edge may well redefine what a cruise ship can look like.
“I really admire the way that the ship is being built with an outward-looking design, which allowed me to push the boundaries of design and introduce revolutionary features such as the infinite verandas in each of the rooms,” says Kelly Hoppen MBE, who is working with Celebrity Cruises to deliver the ship’s interior.
The South African, formerly a dragon on Dragon’s Den, and who famously designed Victoria and David Beckham’s home, joins the likes of Nate Berkus and Tom Wright on the team. The latter, best known as the designer of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, is behind the Magic Carpet, an area that moves from deck to deck, transforming as it does.
“The idea and the creation is something that was so carefully thought out and has been executed perfectly,” says Hoppen, who will be working with Wright over the next few months to add a luxurious interior finish to the outlandish idea.
“The ship has so many industry firsts when it comes to interior design,” she adds, listing the Infinite Veranda staterooms, which she says “erase the boundaries between the traditional ship stateroom and its veranda, creating a closer connection to the ocean.” The idea is partially lifted from the best river cruise ships, where the balcony is an extension of the room. Hoppen describes it as “transformational.”
“With the touch of a button, the entire living space becomes the veranda, letting guests walk right out to the water’s edge where the top of the floor-to-ceiling window retracts halfway to balcony level,” she says. These staterooms are 23% larger than Solstice Class veranda staterooms, and feature “exclusively designed plush king-size cashmere mattresses,” while the bathroom space is 10% larger.
Hoppen also singles out the Edge Villas, “that truly invite the outside in,” as an area she’s particularly fond off. These two-storey apartments offer outward-facing views, private plunge pools and direct access to The Retreat Sundeck, which is exclusively for Suite Class. The ship, which has a maximum capacity of 3,373 guests, is the first in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-class, and will be followed by three more ships (the first, Celebrity Beyond in 2020, and two more as-yet-unnamed ships before 2022).
Hoppen, who has worked across yachts, hotels, aeroplanes and homes, says her perception of ships was slightly dated before she began to work on the project. “We have ended up with this warm, modern space that Celebrity Cruises’ current guests will also really enjoy,” she says. “The luxury feel for each of the spaces we have designed is something totally unique. There are a lot of neutral colours and clean lines, paired with different textures and fabrics to give off the timeless luxury feel.”