The new Celebrity Edge was christened Tuesday by Nobel Peace
Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.
"We are honored that Malala agreed to be the godmother
of this ship, a role that reflects centuries of maritime traditions," said
Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Celebrity Cruises Ltd., Celebrity's
parent company.
He said Yousafzai's persistence and achievement was an
inspiration to the crew of the ship.
A native of Pakistan, Yousafzai and two other girls were
shot in 2012 by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt in retaliation for
her activism of behalf of girls' education.
Yousafzai is now studying at Oxford University. celebrity edge
"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," Yousafzai said.
Rather than use the traditional champagne, a custom-made
18-liter bottle of Badoit French mineral water smashed across the ship's bow.