Celebrity Cruises has taken delivery of it third and “most luxurious” Edge-class ship in a ceremony in southern France.
Celebrity Beyond was officially handed over to the line’s chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo on Wednesday, alongside Royal Caribbean Group chief executive Jason Liberty and the ship’s captain, Kate McCue.
The ceremony was the first to be held in-person at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire since the Covid pandemic.
“We could not be happier to officially welcome Celebrity Beyond into our fleet, celebrating this momentous occasion with our exceptional crew and partners at Chantiers de l’Atlantique,” said Lutoff-Perlo.
“With its innovative offerings that reach far beyond expectations from some of today’s most talented designers, artists and creative minds, we believe that Beyond speaks to the growing trend of people seeking new luxury experiences that are personalised, effortless and meaningful.
“We are seeing a continued desire to travel as business steadily increases, and we see Beyond leading the cruise industry into the next era of luxury. We are more than ready to welcome our guests onboard and show them just how incredible this ship is.”
Liberty said: “The delivery of Celebrity Beyond today marks our ongoing commitment to growth and innovation; today, we celebrate the future of travel and its possibilities.
“This incredible ship, on this long-awaited day, signifies our commitment to investing in the future of the travel industry, as well as the ship building industry in Europe. We look forward to what’s to come as the travel industry grows to new peaks.”
Celebrity Beyond’s 10-night maiden voyage will depart from Southampton on April 27 and will visit Bordeaux, Lisbon, Seville, Malaga, Palma and Barcelona.
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