The $875 million Celebrity Edge arrived at Fort Lauderdale's
Port Everglades after a 15-day transatlantic crossing.
To accommodate Celebrity Cruises' first new ship in six
years, Port Everglades spent $120 million to reconfigure and upgrade two older
terminals into a moden terminal called T25.
Both the terminal and the ship sport high design and
state-of-the-art technology. The terminal will operate an expedited arrivals
process and a dedicated lounge for premium guests booked in The Retreat.
Chock full of new features, the Edge's signature amenity is the Magic Carpet, a nine-ton movable platform cantilevered on one side
of the ship, which can serve as a dining venue and a shore excursions departure
platform.
"This has been more than four years in the making,"
said Celebrity CEO Lisa-Lutoff-Perlo, who shepherded construction of the ship
at the Chantiers de L'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, along with Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman Richard Fain and RCCL executive vice president
maritime and newbuilding Harri Kulovaara.
The Edge, which will sail from Port Everglades during the
winter on Caribbean itineraries, is designed to carry 2,900 passengers, the
same general capacity of Holland America Line's Nieuw Statendam, which debuts
next month, and Virgin Voyages' inaugural ship the Scarlet Lady, which is
scheduled to arrive in January 2020.