Celebrity Edge

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Celebrity Edge
Celebrity Edge - Sept 2018 (cropped).jpg
History
NameCelebrity Edge
OwnerCelebrity Edge Inc.[1] (Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.)
OperatorCelebrity Cruises[1]
Port of registryValletta,  Malta
BuilderSTX France
Yard numberJ34
Laid down21 November 2016
Launched23 January 2018
Sponsored byMalala Yousafzai
Completed31 October 2018
Maiden voyage9 December 2018
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and typeEdge-class cruise ship
TypePassenger ship
Tonnage130,818 GT[1]
Length306 m (1,004 ft)[1]
Beam39 m (128 ft)[1]
Draft8.4 m (28 ft)[1]
Decks15[2]
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed21.8 knots (40.4 km/h; 25.1 mph)[3]
Capacity2,918[3]
Crew1,377[2]

Celebrity Edge is a cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is the lead vessel of the Edge class in the fleet, and at 130,818 GT, she is currently the largest ship in the fleet by gross tonnage. She commenced operations in December 2018.[4]

In 2019, Kate McCue assumed command as captain of Celebrity Edge. McCue was the first American woman to captain a "mega" cruise ship when she took command of Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Summit in 2015. Her sphynx cat Bug Naked accompanies her onboard.[5] And now will be taking control of the new Flag ship the beyond

History[]

Planning[]

On 4 December 2014, Celebrity Cruises' parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., announced that they had finalized an order with STX France for two new ships that would compose a new class of vessels for the Celebrity Cruises fleet.[6] Known under Project EDGE, these two new ships were planned to be at 117,000 GT each, with a guest capacity of 2,900 passengers.[6] Deliveries were planned for Fall 2018 and early 2020 for the two vessels, respectively.[6] Each ship is reported to come at a cost of $1 billion.[7]

Construction[]

Celebrity Cruises marked the inauguration of construction for the first new Edge class vessel with the steel-cutting ceremony on 21 November 2016 at the STX France shipyard.[8][9] On the same day, Celebrity Cruises announced the name of the first newbuild as Celebrity Edge, and her sister ship as Celebrity Beyond,[8][9] which was later changed to Celebrity Apex in July 2018.[10]

Celebrity Edge had her keel-laying and coin ceremony at STX France on 21 June 2017,[11] six months following the steel-cutting. She was officially launched on 23 January 2018, marking its float-out from the shipyard.[12] On 27 July 2018, she began her first round of sea trials[13] and completed them four days later, on 1 August.[14] Her second and final round of sea trials were performed in September 2018.[14]

Debut[]

23 months after construction began, Celebrity Edge was delivered to Celebrity Cruises on 31 October 2018.[15] Following her delivery, Celebrity Edge jumpstarted her inaugural season on 6 November 2018 with a transatlantic sailing from France to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[16] As a result of construction progressing faster than expected, Celebrity Cruises announced four three-day preview cruises on 21 November, 24 November, 1 December, and 6 December.[4][17]

Celebrity Cruises had named 2014 Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai as the godmother to Celebrity Edge in April 2017[18] and upon the ship's arrival in Fort Lauderdale, Yousafzai christened the ship on 4 December 2018.[19]

Her official maiden voyage started on 9 December 2018, calling in the ports of Key West, Grand Cayman, and Costa Maya.[4]

Deployments[]

Since December 2018, Celebrity Edge has been homeported at Port Everglades, operating weekly Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings during the winter season,[16][20] and sailing in the Mediterranean during the summer season.[21]

Design and facilities[]

The orange "Magic Carpet" along the starboard side.

Of the ship's newest features, her most notable is an orange protruding platform, called the "Magic Carpet," that is suspended along the starboard side of the ship, which is designed to facilitate safer and more accessible tender embarkation and disembarkation, as well as host dining and lounge space while the ship is at sea.[22] Celebrity Edge is also installed with balcony staterooms, called "infinite verandas," that incorporate the outward patio of the balcony into the stateroom by moving the steel superstructure of the ship inward.[22]

The ship's bow is also designed to maximize fuel efficiency by having a parabolic shape that vertically rises towards its decks. It provides extra sheathing for the bulbous bow and the propellers to reduce drag.[23][24]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Celebrity Edge (34827)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  2. ^ a b "Celebrity Edge". CruiseMapper. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship". Celebrity Cruises. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Kalosh, Anne (8 January 2018). "Celebrity Edge is entering service earlier, five cruises added". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  5. ^ Quindara, Henry. "Cruise kitty makes the cutest first mate". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Staff, C. I. N. (2014-12-04). "Celebrity Cruises Orders Two New Ships". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
  7. ^ Bloom Begley, Laura (November 30, 2018). "Why This Billion-Dollar Cruise Ship Is The Ultimate Ship For Women". Forbes. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Celebrity Cruises Cuts Steel, Announces Names for First Edge-Class Ships". www.cruisecritic.com.
  9. ^ a b Pickford, Mary Ann (2016-11-22). "Celebrity reveals names of new Edge Class ships". Cruise International.
  10. ^ Kemble, Harry (2018-07-24). "Celebrity Cruises changes name of next Edge series ship". travelweekly.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Celebrity Cruises Marks Keel Laying of Celebrity Edge". www.cruisecritic.com.
  12. ^ "New Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship Floats Out". www.cruisecritic.com.
  13. ^ "Celebrity Cruises' New Cruise Ship Begins Sea Trials". cruisefever.net. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  14. ^ a b "New Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship Successfully Completes First Sea Trials". www.cruisecritic.com. 2018-08-01.
  15. ^ Staff, C. I. N. (2018-10-31). "Celebrity Edge Delivered". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
  16. ^ a b Staff, C. I. N. (2018-10-31). "Celebrity Edge Delivered". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
  17. ^ Leposa, Adam (2018-02-23). "Celebrity Cancels Dec. 3 Edge Preview Cruise". Travel Agent Central.
  18. ^ Stieghorst, Tim (2017-04-27). "Malala Yousafzai named Celebrity Edge godmother: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com.
  19. ^ "Celebrity Edge: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai helps christen ship in Florida". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  20. ^ "Celebrity Sends Six Ships to Caribbean for 2019 – 2020 Season". Travel Agent Central. 2017-12-11.
  21. ^ Monk, Dave (13 September 2018). "Celebrity Edge: What to expect on the $1bn cruise ship". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  22. ^ a b Kalosh, Anne (2017-03-13). "Celebrity Edge dazzles with style, Magic Carpet, infinite veranda rooms". Seatrade Cruise News.
  23. ^ Stieghorst, Tim (2018-09-07). "Celebrity and the next wave of hull design: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com.
  24. ^ Street, Francesca (2018-11-27). "Celebrity Edge: 'Futuristic' cruise ship completes maiden voyage". CNN. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
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