A fifth Edge-class ship is headed to the Celebrity Cruises fleet. Celebrity’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., has entered into an agreement with French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique for the new vessel, with delivery slated for fall 2024.
The new order is contingent on financing, Royal Caribbean said.
The first ship in the Edge class, the Celebrity Edge, was delivered last year and represented a number of new product innovations for Celebrity Cruises, particularly as it relates to technology. In addition to eye-catching features like the Magic Carpet – a platform cantilevered off the side of the ship that moves up and down throughout the day, performing various functions as a dining space or tender platform – the ship incorporates a number of guest-friendly automation features in its new Infinite Verandah staterooms, such as the ability to lower a shade or exterior glass with the push of a button, or adjust the lighting into a number of preset “moods.”
On the ship’s two-night preview cruise, our cruise editor, Susan J. Young, said the new ship class “definitely lives up to its pre-launch hype,” saying that it elevates the brand much as the Celebrity Silhouette did when it debuted approximately 10 years ago.
A number of travel advisors we interviewed agreed, saying that the new ship edges from a premium into a “premium plus” product category – not only for its sleek, modern décor, but also for the attention to small details in terms of its service and culinary product.
In addition to the just-ordered ship, Royal Caribbean has preexisting orders for three other Edge-class vessels. They are scheduled for delivery in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
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