Celebrity Cruises has taken a step forward in ship design with the signing of a letter of intent for a new class of vessels, as announced by Royal Caribbean Cruises and French shipbuilder STX France.
The two 2900-guest ships will be developed under the project name EDGE, will build on the current luxury experience of the brand’s Millennium and Solstice class vessels.
Stretching 984 feet in length, 123 feet in width and 190 feet high, Project EDGE will deliver small ship itineraries with large ship amenities.
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ chairman and chief executive officer Richard D. Fain said the addition of the two vessels to the fleet will deliver on its long-term strategic plan of moderate capacity growth.
Similarly, Celebrity Cruises’ president and chief executive officer Michael Bayley said the new class of ship will deliver the next generation of modern luxury experiences.
“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,” Bayley said.
The vessels are also a significant leap forward in environmentally friendly ship design, benefiting from new technologies to drive better fuel efficiency and an ongoing commitment to the use of sustainable materials.
The company expects the first ship to sail out of the workshop by 2018, with the second vessel delivered early in 2020.
