Celebrity Cruises unveiled this stunning ship in Southampton for the European market, following several months of operation in the Caribbean, where it was christened by Malala Youssef, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The Celebrity Edge paves the way for four more sister ships to be launched.
Article from CruisesNews magazine, issue 49 – June 2019
Since the launch of Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Cruises has managed to capture the attention of the industry with a curious novelty: Magic Carpet.
A platform attached to the starboard side of the ship can be raised and lowered from sea level to the top of the vessel, offering multiple uses depending on its position. But beyond this striking attraction, there are many other less noticeable but equally, if not more, important innovations on board. One of these is The Retreat, an exclusive area for suite guests, similar to NCL's The Haven or MSC Yacht Club. Other innovations include Eden, the panoramic multi-level lounge designed by Patricia Urquiola; the Infinite Veranda cabins with integrated balconies; and the four main restaurants, which share a core menu but also offer dishes from the regions they represent. Technology is present in every corner, from the touchscreen control panel in your cabin to the heated bathroom mirror and the app that even lets you unlock your room. The Celebrity Edge is also about sophistication, achieved by hiring the best international design studios that had never before worked on a cruise ship. The result is a beautiful and elegant ship, stylish and one that will set the standard not only for its four sister ships under construction, but also for other ships from other companies in the industry.
The Magic Carpet, as we mentioned at the beginning, is a platform attached to the starboard side that can move vertically and serve several purposes. At sea level, it acts as a boarding ramp for tenders at ports of call, and Celebrity Cruises has taken advantage of this to reinvent the entire tender disembarkation experience. To this end, they have created a spacious lounge, the Discovery Lounge, with seating and a large screen displaying information about the destination, making the wait for the tender more enjoyable. Once aboard the tender, the differences in comfort are noticeable, starting with the plush, upholstered seats instead of the usual uncomfortable plastic ones.
When Magic Carpet is positioned on deck 5 at midday or on deck 16 at night, it serves as the terrace for the Raw on 5 restaurant, which specializes in seafood and gourmet seafood. And when it's on deck 14, at pool level, it becomes a terrace with stunning views.
On the exterior decks, the Celebrity Edge follows a familiar layout, with the buffet aft of the pool, the indoor pool forward, and the spa and sports facilities forward. New this year are six duplex Edge Villas at the bow and the exclusive outdoor area, The Retreat Sundeck, complete with its own pool, jacuzzi, and bar. The exclusive suite amenities also include The Retreat Lounge and, two decks below, adjacent to other suites, Luminae at the Retreat, a beautiful restaurant designed by interior designer Kelly Hoppen. Here, some dishes are created by chef Daniel Boulud, originally from France but highly successful in New York, where he owns ten restaurants, the flagship with two Michelin stars, and nine other restaurants in various cities around the world.
Just beyond the Luminae restaurant, we find the two truly sumptuous Iconic Suites forward, with 178 square meters distributed across a large living and dining area, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two dressing rooms, and, in addition, a 65-square-meter terrace with a Jacuzzi overlooking the bridge. Not far behind are the two Penthouse Suites, with 130 square meters of space and a 19-square-meter terrace, but the real revolution on the Celebrity Edge is the balcony cabins, although here, that name doesn't quite do them justice. The Infinite Veranda cabins feature a balcony enclosed by a double-pane horizontal window, the upper panel of which can be electrically lowered to enjoy the sea breeze. At the same time, the balcony area is separated from the rest of the cabin by a glass partition that can be fully opened, so the balcony space is seamlessly integrated into the cabin's overall design. In this way, the Infinite Veranda cabins have their 19 m2 plus 4 m2 of the balcony, forming a very spacious and bright cabin.
Returning to the exterior decks, while the aft third of the Solstice class was occupied by natural grass lawns, on the Celebrity Edge we find a garden, albeit a much more urban one. The Rooftop Garden is an elegant landscaped area with wooden benches and tree-shaped sculptural lampposts, presided over by a small stage with a giant screen. It's a very pleasant area, and it has its own open-air grill restaurant, perfect for enjoying the feeling of dining on a park terrace. A little further back, we find the legendary Sunset Bar with views aft. Regarding the Oceanview Café buffet, located below this entire area, it's practically identical to those on the Solstice-class ships. Celebrity Cruises must have thought, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's one of the brightest, most varied, and best-performing buffets in the cruise industry. The lower passenger density on this premium ship compared to standard cruise lines, and its overall design, certainly contribute to its success.
Interior Facilities:
The public facilities on the Celebrity Edge are primarily located on decks 3, 4, and 5, and are defined by three key points: the Oculus Theater at the bow, The Grand Plaza in the center, and the Eden Lounge aft. The Oculus Theater extends the stage with a circular platform that flows into the seating area and features the latest technologies, including large mobile screens, laser mapping, and elevating and rotating platforms. Adjacent to the theater, The Club nightclub, with its two levels, sets it apart from the Solstice class, offering ample seating as well as a large dance floor, where onboard artists also perform. During the day, a laser obstacle course is set up in the nightclub to test your flexibility.
The Grand Plaza is a three-deck atrium with The Martini Bar at its base, a striking feature with its round bar crowned by a light installation that appears to emit rays in all directions. Surrounding the atrium are several of Celebrity Edge's specialty restaurants, such as the aforementioned Raw on 5, specializing in seafood, seafood delicacies, sushi, and caviar, and Fine Cut Steakhouse, a steakhouse where you can enjoy meats and fish in a luxurious and sophisticated setting. Further aft, you'll find Blu, a restaurant serving breakfast and dinner for AquaClass cabin guests. Booking this room includes a range of spa and wellness extras, and Blu offers healthy dishes in addition to reinvented classics.
Further aft, we find Eden, a luminous space spanning three decks bathed in natural light streaming through the enormous aft window. Plants abound, hanging from the ceiling and adorning the walls and in pots, interwoven with geometric shapes, Nordic-style armchairs, and burgundy leather sofas. The result is captivating, offering a variety of privacy and comfort options within a single space. For instance, a ramp spirals upwards along the entire rear of the bar and the window. You can choose a secluded nook on the ramp behind the bar, seats close to the window in the middle of the ramp, or sit on the main deck of Eden, where you can be seen and viewed from every angle. In addition to the bar, a deli serving sandwiches and snacks is tucked away in one corner, while a side staircase leads down to Eden Restaurant, featuring an innovative culinary experience prepared in an open kitchen. While we have dinner, several characters, called Edenists, perform small performances, at a certain time of night, they do it on a small stage in the center of Eden, very close to the audience present.
We still need to talk about the four main restaurants: Cyprus, Mediterranean-style; Tuscan, Italian; Normandie, French; and Cosmopolitan, American. They all share a menu, but in the evening, they also offer dishes from the cuisines they celebrate. These are truly elegant restaurants, befitting the high standards expected by a premium guest like those of Celebrity Cruises.
There's another restaurant near the atrium, Le Grand Bistro, which offers a unique and innovative experience. Besides being a charming French bistro that serves as a café during the day and an elegant Parisian restaurant at night, it features Le Petit Chef, a surprising show based on video projections on your table. Animated characters prepare dishes right before your eyes, and when they've finished, the waiter serves you the real dish, identical to the one prepared in the animation.
Finally, it should be mentioned that on deck 3 we find the reception, the excursions desk, and the complete Camp at Sea children's facilities, in addition to the Discovery Lounge, for boarding tenders as we explained at the beginning.
We can certainly say that the Celebrity Edge has achieved its goal: to innovate and surprise with great style. It will spend July offering 7-night cruises between Barcelona and Civitavecchia, and vice versa, before continuing with 10- and 11-night circular cruises from Civitavecchia until November 1st, when it will return to the Caribbean.
In early 2020, its sister ship, the Celebrity Apex, will arrive, beginning its voyages in April and May with cruises from Southampton. It will then spend the peak season sailing between Barcelona and Civitavecchia, and even between Barcelona and Barcelona from late August to September, before crossing the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale in October. Meanwhile, the Celebrity Edge will focus on 10- and 11-night cruises to the Greek Islands, embarking and disembarking in Civitavecchia.
