Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is best known for offering modern luxury vacations across all seven continents. It took luxury at sea to a whole new level with the maiden voyage in December of its latest cruise ship, the Celebrity Edge. The debutant has already begun to accumulate accolades. The Celebrity Edge was judged the “Best New Ship” for 2018 at Cruise Critic’s U.S. Editors Picks Awards. It also earned Celebrity Cruises two “Best Cruise Line” awards for 2018.
The 1,004 feet long and 128 feet wide Celebrity Edge cruises at 22 knots, has 14 passenger decks and 12 passenger elevators. It can host up to 2,918 guests on double occupancy, 3,373 guests in total and 1,320 crew. Offering an assortment of firsts for the industry, it boasts a radical new outward-facing design, new suite categories, never-before-seen stateroom designs including the Edge Villas. It has a total of 1,467 staterooms where each is 23% larger in size, and the bathrooms are 10% wider than the previous solstice class.
Celebrity Edge set sail on December 16, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida heading to Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, and St. Maarten before heading back to Ft. Lauderdale on December 23. This was followed by a special New Year’s Cruise. In spring, the liner will reposition to Southampton, England, and spend the summer cruising around Europe and the Mediterranean.
Celebrity Edge debuted the latest category of suites, the two-level Edge Villas, on its maiden voyage. The Villa offers stunning views which creates an open and airy environment. The ocean views can be enjoyed even from the bathroom.
The bedrooms have plush king-sized beds with handcrafted cashmere mattresses that are hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, and eucalyptus-treated. Its two-level atrium stairway is set against two storeys of windows that look out over the terrace where there is a three-foot-deep plunge pool and lounge furniture.
Every Edge Villa is served by a butler and offers the convenience of direct walk-out access to The Retreat; an exclusive sanctuary reserved for Suite Class guest. It features the Retreat Sundeck, a spacious outdoor lounge area with plush, stylish furniture, a full-sized pool, and a hot tub, as well as dedicated Pool Butlers. It also consists of the Retreat Lounge, open 24 hours for beverages, gourmet bites, and live entertainment, and an exclusive restaurant, Luminae at The Retreat, which features menus crafted by Michelin-starred chefs.
The other feature making its debut on Celebrity Edge is the Magic Carpet, a dining venue like no other. Perched on the side of the ship, it can move up and down between 13 storeys while offering open-air, panoramic ocean views with a yacht-like, breezy, and casual vibe. The venue has a full bar and space for live music performances.
When on Deck 16, the Magic Carpet becomes the ultimate speciality restaurant high in the sky where exclusive experiences such as “Dinner on the Edge” are hosted for a select number of guests. When it moves down to Deck 14, it becomes an extension of the already expansive relaxing main pool area. On Deck 5, it extends the ship’s restaurants into amazing al fresco seating for close to 100 guests. At the bottom, Deck 2, Magic Carpet hovers above the ocean surface to become an extension of the Destination Gateway, a luxury embarkation station for guests to be whisked away aboard Edge Launches.
Celebrity Edge is the first in the new Edge-class of cruise liners being unveiled by Celebrity Cruise. Three other members of the class are scheduled to enter service between 2020 and 2022. The Celebrity Apex will be the next cruise liner to enter service in 2020. If Celebrity Edge is anything to go by, we can expect more maritime treats in the coming years.