Celebrity cruises really has the Edge!

Celebrity Edge is the first of four new cruise ships that will debut under Celebrity’s Edge Class. Edge will debut in autumn 2018 and will feature several innovations for the cruise line. Among the first-at-sea inventions will be a moving deck and cabins with “balcony” spaces that can transform from outside to inside.

Measuring 117,000 gross registered tons, Celebrity Edge and its four sister ships will have a double passenger capacity of 2,900 people, making them larger than the line’s Millennium-class ships but slightly smaller than those in the Solstice Class.

All four ships are being built at the STX shipyard in France. The second ship, Celebrity Beyond, is scheduled to debut in spring 2020. The two yet-unnamed ships will sail later in 2021 and spring 2022.

Perhaps the most innovative feature cruisers will find on Celebrity Edge will be a moving deck, dubbed the company calls the Magic Carpet. The tennis-court sized deck is cantilevered off the side of the ship and can move up and down, all the way from the bottom at Deck 2 and up to Deck 16.  Its function will vary depending on which deck the Magic Carpet has been placed.

When stationed on Deck 2, the Magic Carpet will serve as a throughway for passengers getting onto and off of tender boats, as they will be able to walk directly from the ship onto the Magic Carpet and then onto the tender without any need for ramps or unwieldy stairs. This will make it much easier for mobility challenged cruisers to get between the cruise ship and the tenders.

When not in use for tendering, the Magic Carpet will be stationed either on Deck 5 as an al fresco extension to a raw bar restaurant there or on Deck 14 where it will serve as a location for happy hours and late-night parties.

At dinner time, the Magic Carpet will become an alternative restaurant on Deck 16, with a theme that changes daily. One night passengers might be treated to a lobster bake, the next bubbles and barbecue.

Celebrity Edge will debut several new cabin classes, as well as the line’s first cabins for solo travelers. One of the cabin classes, the Infinite Veranda, is also a first for ocean-going vessels.

Designed to blend indoor with outdoor, Infinite Verandas make the balcony a part of the overall cabin, thanks to bi-fold doors that can be either completely closed creating a true balcony or left open, creating a sunlit indoor space that adds about 23 percent more space to the room . The balcony features a floor-to-ceiling window that can be opened when the bi-fold doors are closed — again creating the “real” balcony feel. When the bi-fold doors are open and the window is closed, the entire section is air-conditioned, giving passengers an expansive view of the outdoors with the creature comfort of A/C.

Edge will have 918 Infinite Veranda cabins, including 16 single-accommodation rooms, the first cabins the line has ever created specifically to solo travelers.

No other non-suite cabins have been revealed, but the line has said all double occupancy cabins will feature king-sized beds with cashmere bedding, while the single occupancy Infinite Veranda rooms will have queen beds.

New door lock technology in the rooms will enable cruisers to open their cabin doors using an app on their phones.

Celebrity also revealed two new suites, as well as an exclusive suite enclave called The Retreat.

The largest of the two new suite categories will be the two Iconic Suites, each coming in at more than 5,000 square feet. Both will be located above the bridge, facing forward, essentially giving occupants the same view as the captain.  Iconic Suites have two bedrooms and 700-square-foot balconies  placed over the bridge wing; balconies will have private Jacuzzis and cabanas. The two Iconic Suites are mirror images of each other.

The second new suite category is the two-level Edge Villa, which features an elevated master bedroom, large living room and two full bathrooms. The six Edge Villas will each span decks 14 and 15. Each Edge Villa balcony will feature a private plunge pool. Additionally, cruisers staying in Edge Villas will have direct walk-out access to The Retreat sundeck, a part of a suites-only complex called The Retreat. (This suite-only enclave is another first for Celebrity.)

The Retreat, which will be free to use but only be available to passengers staying in suites, includes a private pool and sundeck, lounge and restaurant. The lounge will serve breakfast and host a happy hour daily.

The line has revealed little about Celebrity Edge’s public spaces, but we do know of the pool deck, referred to as the Resort Deck, and The Rooftop Garden, a unique space that combines the popular top-deck Lawn Club found on the Solstice-class ships with the Rooftop Terrace that is so popular on Millennium-class ships.

The Resort Deck will be located on Deck 14 and was designed by architect Tom Wright. It features two-story windows, with chaise lounges positioned about them facing out to sea. The deck’s large pool is flanked by sculptural trees and two “martini glass” Jacuzzis that overlook the deck below.

The Resort Deck will also feature six oversized, private, for-fee cabanas.

Not far from the Resort Deck, The Rooftop Garden is an area filled with live greenery and sophisticated, fabricated tree sculptures. The sculptures, in addition to being interesting to look out, double as seats for musical performers.

During the day The Rooftop Garden will host yoga and various games and activities. At night, passengers can show up for live music and the line’s “A Taste of Film,” which pairs movies and dining.

As with all other Celebrity ships, Celebrity Edge will feature an adults-only Solarium.

Celebrity hasn’t revealed much about Celebrity Edge’s dining venues, but we do know about a couple of specialty venues.

Within the Rooftop Garden will be a Rooftop Garden Grill, a for-fee alternative eatery, which will serve gourmet burgers during the day and transform into a swanky barbecue joint at night.

Another alternative dining venue will be a raw bar on Deck 5.

For suite passengers, the line’s suite-only Luminae, which is a partitioned section of the main dining room, has been turned into the Luminae at The Retreat, a standalone restaurant located on Deck 11.  Luminae will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Celebrity Edge’s itineraries will alternate between weeklong Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings, departing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale starting December 2018. Eastern Caribbean voyages will visit San Juan, Tortola and St. Maarten. Western Caribbean cruises will take passengers to Key West, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

This is must for me to try next year! Is the Edge on your to do list????