By
Rebecca Gibson |
Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo cut the first piece of steel for the first Celebrity Edge class vessel at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France on 21 November.
The traditional ceremony marks the start of the construction phase for Celebrity Edge, which is the first new ship class since 2008 and will offer various new innovative features. The vessel will be delivered in autumn 2018.
“Cutting the ship's first piece of steel is the traditional first step in the shipbuilding process, and I'm excited to see our dreams turn into reality over the next 24 months,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “We are excited to reveal more details soon, and travellers, trade partners and enthusiasts alike will not be disappointed — this ship is going to be amazing.”
Celebrity used the steel-cutting ceremony to confirm that the name of the second Edge Class ship will be Celebrity Beyond, which will debut in autumn 2020. The third and fourth Edge Class ships are expected to be delivered in autumn 2021 and autumn 2022, respectively.
“Edge Class is destined to be a trailblazer in modern luxury travel,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “The new ships will be on the cutting edge of innovation and the leading edge of design, so the ship names are spot on and offer a sense of how Celebrity Cruises is looking into the future.”