PORT EVERGLADES, Fla., Dec. 4,
2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than four years of
limitless passion and hard work on the part of thousands of
engineers, architects, artisans, designers and crew, Celebrity
Cruises sets sail into a new era Tuesday. Celebrity
Edge joined the fleet after a moving ceremony where the
ship's godmother, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, was
joined by all on board to "bless this ship and all those who sail
upon her."
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The naming event brought together more than 3,000 guests,
employees, crew members and students to commemorate the debut of
Celebrity's first new ship in six years and first new ship series
in more than a decade.
Yousafzai, who is now a college student at Oxford University, is the inspirational co-founder
of Malala Fund, which advocates for a world where every girl can
learn and lead by investing in local education activists, holding
global leaders accountable and amplifying girls' voices around the
world.
She discussed those issues before the ship's crew and guests in
a one-on-one interview with Celebrity's President and CEO,
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. From girls'
education to the power of diversity, both share a profound passion
and commitment to these important issues.
"We are honored that Malala agreed to be the godmother of this
ship, a role that reflects centuries of maritime traditions," said
Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, Celebrity's parent company. "We are
especially proud because Malala's example of relentless persistence
and achievement is an inspiration to our crew, who have all worked
so hard and made real sacrifices to build better lives for
themselves and their families."
Lutoff-Perlo added: "I am so very proud to have Malala Yousafzai as godmother of Celebrity
Edge. Malala embodies our commitment to opening the world
through education and gender equality. Seeing her aboard our ship
sends a powerful message to our crew who represent over 70 diverse
nationalities, and our guests who we sail all over the world." She
continued, "The ceremony today was both touching and symbolic of
what Celebrity Cruises stands for. I am grateful to Malala, her
family and Malala Fund for embracing today's events and look
forward to continuing our work together around the world."
Celebrity is proud to partner with Malala Fund and support them
in their mission to see the 130 million out of school girls around
the world get the 12 years of free, safe, quality education they
deserve.
"I'm fighting to ensure millions of girls stuck in situations of
poverty or war that they didn't create can learn what they need to
choose a future for themselves. But to continue making progress for
girls' education, we need support from leaders in every sector. I
am so grateful to Celebrity Cruises for their generous support and
investment in the potential of girls everywhere," said Malala Yousafzai, co-founder of Malala Fund.
At the naming event, hosted by noted designer Nate Berkus, emotions ran high when acclaimed
recording artist Andra Day took to
the stage for empowering renditions of her Grammy-nominated single
"Rise Up" and Oscar-nominated single "Stand Up For Something." Both
anthems were chosen for their bold statements about the power of
girls' education and its role in shaping the future.
The brand chose to forego the traditional champagne bottle at
the launch, and instead smashed a custom-made 18-liter bottle of
Badoit French mineral water across the ship's Parabolic Ultra Bow.
And with that, the ship's long-awaited inaugural season will get
underway, ushering in the premium cruise line's first new ship
series in more than a decade – and sparking a revolution in the
industry, with the ship's cutting-edge design and first-at-sea
offerings.
Celebrity Edge will begin her inaugural season
sailing alternating seven-night eastern and western
Caribbean itineraries before
transporting guests to the stunning vistas of the Mediterranean
with a range of seven- to 11-night sailings from iconic cities like
Barcelona and Rome in 2019. Sailing round-trip from
Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, Celebrity Edge will make her first
maiden voyage on December 9, 2018.
Bookings are now open at www.celebritycruises.com/edge, or
through a travel advisor. Building on Celebrity Edge's
incredible momentum, she'll be joined by Celebrity Apex in
2020, and two additional sister ships in 2021 and 2022.
About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with
its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences
where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and
the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to
provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers' precious time.
Celebrity Cruises' 13 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting
all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible Cruisetour
experiences in Alaska and
Canada. Celebrity is one of six
cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL). For more information, dial
1-800-437-3111, visit www.celebritycruises.com, or call your travel
advisor.
Note: Hi-res images and video are available for download
at www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com.
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SOURCE Celebrity Cruises