This week, Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain revealed designs for the cruise lines’ first new ship class in 10 years and first new ship in six years. Premiering at the end of 2018, Celebrity Edge will feature expanded staterooms, a ship-climbing Magic Carpet platform, and swanky suites designed by globally recognized architects and designers Nate Berkus, Kelly Hoppen and Tom Wright, who were tasked with creating an innovative, 2,900-passenger ship that would deliver a new cruise experience.
“Our guests don’t want to just skim the world like a magazine—they want to feel a human connection with it,” said Lutoff-Perlo in a press release statement. “Every element of Celebrity Edge is meant to make that connection intense and unforgettable. Our new class of ship will allow guests to experience their journeys with the uniqueness and sophistication that marks the rest of their lives.”
At the center of the Celebrity Edge and the Celebrity brand are five key elements—design, destination, accommodations, culinary and service—said Lutoff-Perlo at the event. During this first reveal, the team focused on the elements of design, destination and accommodations—delivering larger staterooms, bathrooms, beds, and more storage space.
The new Edge Staterooms with Infinite Veranda, for example, are 23 percent larger than line’s Solstice® Class veranda staterooms and are also the largest staterooms in the industry according to Fain. The rooms allows guests to open their fold glass screen to their veranda with the touch of a button, creating a seamless living space from the door to the water’s edge and thus giving guests what Fain says is “a closer connection to the sea.” With the touch of another button, guests can control their stateroom’s lighting, shades, temperature and service options. There will be 918 of these Infinite Veranda cabins on the new ship, setting a new standard of expectation regarding stateroom size.
But that’s not all the execs revealed. When Celebrity Edge makes her first sailing Dec. 16, 2018 from her homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, she will do so sporting double the number of available suites (12 percent versus the line’s standard 5 percent) and two additional stateroom categories. There are two new Iconic Suites situated above the ship’s bridge spanning nearly 2,600 sq. ft. with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus panoramic windows encompassing the dining room, living room and bedrooms. In addition, six new split-level Edge Villas will feature views from two stories of windows, private plunge pools and direct walk-out access to The Retreat Sundeck, which is part an exclusive area called The Retreat for all suite class guests. In addition to the sundeck, The Retreat also boasts a private pool and dining venue Luminae @ The Retreat.
Celebrity is also bringing a bit of magic to the modern luxury line with the debut of the Magic Carpet, a cantilevered platform that moves up and down the ship’s 16 decks on the starboard side to deliver unique experiences. The tennis court-sized engineering feat repositions itself at four of the ship’s decks to offer a different experience at each level.
For example, on Deck 16, the Magic Carpet becomes a specialty restaurant, offering a Dinner on the Edge for up to 90 guests. On Deck 14, the Magic Carpet becomes an open-air expansion of the main pool area, while on Deck 5, it operates as an extension to one of the ship’s specialty restaurants for al fresco dining. At its lowest position on Deck 2, the Magic Carpet serves as a luxury embarkation station complete with LCD screens highlighting the ship’s destination for guests as they wait for their tender.
Another transformative space aboard the Edge is the lush Rooftop Garden, which serves as a games and activities space by day, and a venue for live music or the outdoor movie-and-meal Taste of Film pairing by night.
Celebrity Edge will sail on two 7-night itineraries—an eastern Caribbean cruise visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten; plus a western Caribbean cruise with ports of call in Key West, Florida; Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; and George Town, Grand Cayman. For more information, visit celebritycruises.com/edge.
