CELEBRITY Cruises, which bases its luxury cruise ship Celebrity Eclipse in Southampton during the summer months, has announced it is to build two new vessels.
The ships will be of a new design and class for the company and will be built at French shipbuilder STX France.
The two 2,900-guest, 117,000-gross-registered-ton ships, developed under the project name EDGE will build upon the modern luxury experience of the brand’s Millennium and Solstice class ships.
At 984 feet long, 123 feet wide and 190 feet high the company says Project EDGE will deliver small ship itineraries with large ship amenities.
Richard D Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, said: “The addition of two project EDGE ships to our fleet delivers on our long-term strategic plan of moderate capacity growth and continues the positive momentum the Celebrity brand has achieved in the premium segment of our industry.”
Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer of Celebrity Cruises, 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 designs and builds some of the most innovative and stylish cruise ships in the world and Project EDGE offers them the opportunity to again set a new standard for modern iconic architecture.”
“We are excited to be collaborating with Celebrity on this dramatic step forward in premium cruise ship design,” said Laurent Castaing, managing director of STX France. “This class of ships will be designed to deliver the destination to holidaymakers who want to experience all the world has to offer.”
Celebrity say the vessels represent a significant leap forward in environmentally- friendly ship design, benefiting from new technologies to drive significant fuel efficiency and an ongoing process to ensure the extensive use of sustainable materials.
The company expects delivery of the first ship in autumn 2018 with the second delivered in the early part of 2020.
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