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Celebrity Cruises expands Edge-class with fifth ship order

Celebrity Cruises has ordered a fifth Edge-class cruise ship from the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, for delivery in 2024.

With three other Edge-class ships on order, for delivery in 2020, 2021, and 2022, the new order reflects the immediate popularity of the new cruise class for Celebrity Cruises.

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“Edge class made an immediate hit with Celebrity Cruises guests and is a state-of-the-art example of technical excellence and elegant design,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  “We can’t wait to build the next one.”

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is the parent company of Celebrity Cruises. It also owns Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises and Silversea Cruises and is a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises and a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros.

“Celebrity Edge has delighted our guests and affirmed Celebrity Cruises as the leading modern luxury brand,” added Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.  “Chantiers de l’Atlantique has been a brilliant partner and we look forward to creating another amazing vessel with them.”

While Celebrity Cruises’ five Solstice class cruise ships built between 2008 and 2012 all came from the Meyer-Werft shipyard in Germany, Celebrity Edge marked the cruise line’s return to Chantiers de l’Atlantique, which built its quartet of Millenium-class ships in the early 2000s.

The Eden entertainment complex aboard Celebrity Edge

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The last of them, Celebrity Constellation, delivered in 2002, homeports annually in the Arabian Gulf, cruising from Dubai this year on a series of alternating itineraries between Dubai and Singapore.

“We are really proud and happy to have built such an outstanding relationship with our customer, based on mutual trust and driven by the spirit of innovation,” said Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

“After the four Millennium-class ships at the beginning of the 2000’s and the four Edge-class ships, this is the ninth ship ordered by Celebrity Cruises at our shipyard and it will be the 24th vessel built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique and operated by RCL.  This is a real testimony of the exceptional level of cooperation we reached together,” he added.

Celebrity Edge was delivered in 2018, the lead vessel in a class that will now include at least five cruise ships by 2024.

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