By
Rebecca Gibson |
Celebrity Cruises’ first-ever brand-designed cruise terminal, Terminal 25 (T25), is to feature ‘Frictionless Arrival’ technology, an exclusive lounge for suite guests and a crew lounge when it opens at Florida’s Port Everglades in late October 2018.
T25, which represents the largest financial investment that Port Everglades has ever made in a cruise terminal, has been designed by architectural firm Bermello Ajamil & Partners to complement the interiors onboard the soon-to-be-launched Celebrity Edge.
“When designing the revolutionary Celebrity Edge, we knew we wanted to design a terminal that perfectly complemented the ship and matched its one-of-a-kind experience,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “With cutting-edge technology, in service of a gorgeous design, T25 is that perfect new home. T25 also happens to be Celebrity’s first ever brand-designed cruise terminal, which not only represents a milestone for Celebrity, but also presented us with the opportunity to set yet another standard in design and create the perfect guest experience.”
Inside, the facility will have the first purpose-built crew lounge of any Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. terminal, which will offer complimentary wi-fi, TVs, optimised storage, quiet relaxation spaces and more. The terminal will also have an interactive light wall art installation and an exclusive area for suite guests that comprises a lounge, elevator lobbies, screening areas and a private rooftop terrace. All guests will benefit from the terminal’s ‘Frictionless Arrival’ technology, which will streamline the check-in process.
T25 will have more than 180,000 square feet of outward-facing glass and a 1,463 square foot GKD Mediamesh that will wrap its exterior. The building has also been designed and built according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards to ensure it can be operated sustainably.
“We are replacing two smaller and outdated cruise terminals with an innovative facility that is inspired by the sleek, futuristic design of Celebrity Edge and can accommodate some of the world's largest cruise ships,” said Steven Cernak, Port Everglades’ chief executive and port director. “The time was right to build a new Terminal 25 that uses cutting-edge technology, such as electronic media-mesh for innovative messaging, to attract contemporary travellers who want to explore the world.”
Once complete, T25 will serve as a homeport for many Celebrity ships during their winter deployment, including the soon-to-be-launched Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette. The facility will be open to other cruise lines when Celebrity is not using it.
Currently, Port Everglades welcomes around 335,000 Celebrity guests per year (9% of its overall passenger traffic), but expects this to increase to almost 500,000 when the terminal is completed.