Revolutionary. Innovative. Transformational. Those are strong words to describe a cruise ship, but quite fitting for Celebrity Edge, the flagship of Celebrity Cruises’ newest class of ships. The name is apropos in two ways – the ship’s design is cutting edge and the focus is turned outward so everywhere you look you’re at the sea’s edge.

The designers were new to cruise ship design, intentionally chosen so they would bring a fresh perspective to the cruise experience. Celebrity Edge was the first ship to be completely designed in 3-D virtual reality. Celebrity Cruises recently revealed the ship to media and travel industry at RCL’s first-of-its-kind Innovation Lab at PortMiami. Royal Caribbean vice president of architectural design, Kelly Gonzalez described the 3-D Virtual Reality Cave, “Imagine a large conference room that eight to 10 people would walk into. Now imagine the floor is one seamless sheet of glass and there’s rear projection underneath it. The whole room is Virtual Reality,” Gonzalez continues. “But when you put the glasses on, you and the people you’re with are all sharing the same experience in that room.”

Celebrity Edge Staterooms

Celebrity Edge includes the first ever “Infinite Veranda” which tricks the eye into thinking it meets the water’s edge. The glass walls dividing stateroom and veranda fold back to completely open the space. Then with the touch of a button, the outside wall of glass lowers to become the veranda railing. Instead of the veranda being an extension of the stateroom, the stateroom becomes an extension of the veranda, adding twenty percent more outward facing space and transforming the cabin into your personal seaside viewpoint.

The latest in stateroom automation lets guests control everything from lighting to shades to temperature to service using a simple touch screen. Other stateroom amenities include:

• More than twice the number of available suites, including top-of-the-line, 2,600-square-foot Iconic Suites situated above the bridge, featuring two bedrooms and two baths.
• Six split-level Edge Villas, a new style of luxury suite equipped with a private terrace and plunge pool, and direct access to the adjacent Retreat Sundeck.
• Two Penthouse Suites with soaking tubs on their veranda, dual walk-through showers, and walk-in closets.
• A new category of stateroom for those who choose to travel alone. The Edge Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda is scaled for the individual traveler and offers all the same amenities and services as a double stateroom.

The Retreat

The Retreat is a private utopia accessible exclusively to suite guests. The Retreat Sundeck includes a pool, pool bar, cabanas, and comfortable seating for enjoying the incredible views. Inside, the Retreat Lounge offers complimentary culinary and beverage service, and a dedicated concierge. A private suite-class restaurant, Luminae @ the Retreat, serves exquisite signature menus with spectacular floor-to-ceiling views of the ocean.

The Resort Deck

The amazing views continue from the top of the ship. The Resort Deck includes the pools, solarium, and roof-top garden so guests can enjoy the outdoors and connect with the sea. The outward-facing pool deck has a 25-yard lap pool, sleek martini glass-shaped hot tubs, and plenty of seating to soak up the sun and see the sea. Six spacious cabanas offer a private retreat on the starboard side of the deck. The Rooftop Garden is an enchanting playscape where musicians play perched in the garden’s trees and guests can enjoy interactive games by day or al fresco movie and a meal with “A Taste of Film” in the evenings.

The Magic Carpet is the signature feature of Celebrity Edge. The size of a tennis court, it will ride on vertical rails mounted on one side of the ship, serving by night as a specialty restaurant beside Deck 16, and by day making stops at three other levels for alfresco dining. The lowest is Deck Two, just above the water’s edge, where it will operate as a destination embarkation station tended by sleek new launches to take guests ashore. The launches will serve double duty as lifeboats.

Celebrity Edge will homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., making her first sailing December 16, 2018. Bookings are now open for two 7-night itineraries. For rates and availability on this revolutionary ship, contact the cruise specialists at Covington Travel.