On the EDGE: Celebrity orders two new cruise ships

Celebrity Cruises has ordered two new ships to be built by the STX yard in France and scheduled for delivery in autumn 2018 and spring 2020.

According to last night’s announcement, the vessels, designated Project EDGE, will provide “small ship itineraries with large ship amenities” – although how this feat will be achieved remains to be seen.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO, said: “Our new class of ship will set the standard  for premium world travel and deliver the next generation of modern luxury experiences that our guests know and love.”

STX France is currently building Royal Caribbean’s Oasis 3 and has been contracted to build a new class of cruise ship for MSC Cruises. It built Norwegian Epic and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Bayley added: “STX designs and builds some of the most innovative and stylish cruise ships in the world. Project EDGE offers them the opportunity to set a new standard for modern iconic architecture.”

Celebrity said the vessels also represent a step forward in eco-friendly ship design, with improved fuel efficiency and extensive use of sustainable materials.

At 117,000 tons and carrying 2,900 passengers the new design is slightly smaller than the recent Solstice class. Four of the five Solstice ships are around 122,000 tons each and carry about 2,880 passengers. The most recent, Reflection (above), is 125,000 tons and can carry 3,050 passengers.

Celebrity, a division of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, also operates four Millennium-class ships built between 2000 and 2002, and carrying about 1,950 passengers each, plus a much smaller vessel, Celebrity Xpedition, carrying 90 passengers on cruises in the Galapagos islands.

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Celebrity's Captain's Club Bonus

Michael Bayley, Celebrity Cruises' president and CEO will host a Captain’s Club members “President’s Cruise” on board the line’s Celebrity Equinox departing from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) on July 26 next year.

And featured as part of the cruise will be an evening of open-air entertainment and a complimentary dinner rich with authentic Italian fare and robust local wines in Bolgheri, a 15th Century medieval village in Tuscany.

Ports of call on offer include Livorno (for Florence), Villefranche (for Nice) and Porto Torres (Sardinia). During the cruise, members of Celebrity's Captain’s Club loyalty programme (“Classic” level membership or higher) can enjoy a series of culinary events including:
 

A Taste of Nice: A four-course Mediterranean dinner featuring locally-caught seafood, farm-to-table vegetables, artisanal olive oils, local wine pairings and dessert, all created by Celebrity Chefs Thomas Szymanski and Thierry Houlbert, and served in the elegant Murano restaurant. The prix fixe menu is $95pp.
 

Molecular Cocktail dinner: Guests can join Celebrity's James Beard-featured chef John Suley and “The Liquid Chef” Junior Merino for a unique pairing menu combining cocktails from the Molecular Bar and dishes from the ‘uniquely unordinary’ onboard speciality restaurant, Qsine. The prix fixe menu is $95 per person.

A Taste of Spain: Captain’s Club members can enjoy traditional tapas such as Iberico ham and samples of olive oils direct from Andalusia. Celebrity's chefs Rufino Rengifo and Thierry Houlbert will host the evening with Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson, pairing Spanish delicacies with fine wines including Riojas, Priorats and Sherry. The prix fixe menu is $95pp.

Guests on this sailing also can purchase new shore excursions, from the Celebrity Exclusives collection, such as a hot air balloon ride over the Tuscan countryside, a tour via Ferrari of the Côte d’Azur and a specially designed helicopter flight prior to an intimate lunch at renowned Chef Alain Ducasse’s Provencal Inn. Space is extremely limited within the collection of Celebrity Exclusives, and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
 

For more information about the President’s Cruise, Captain’s Club members can log into their member account at www.celebritycruises.com/captainsclub. Anyone over the age of 18 can join the Captain’s Club.

More info: visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk or call 0844 493 2043.

 

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