‘Next gen’ cruises with Celebrity Edge: seeking new horizons

I believe strongly that a brand needs a purpose. Celebrity Cruises’ is to open up the world for its guests. This is at the core of what we do every day; it helps us choose where we travel, what we offer guests on board, and how ships’ crews and land-based employees are guided.

The company is focused on creating a memorable and modern luxury vacation experience for everyone who trusts us with their holiday.

Weaving the company’s purpose into its decision-making was the foundation for the vision of creating the new Edge class of ships, the first of which will be delivered in December 2018.

The ship has been designed in such a way that it will transform not just the brand but the entire industry. In Malala Yousafzai we have selected a suitably heroic godmother for our ship. She is a bona fide heroine who champions young women’s right to safe and secure education.

I am also proud and honoured that Celebrity Cruises has joined her crusade for the next two years as a partner to the Malala Fund.

Celebrity Cruises is an award-winning brand that continually exceeds its own goals, as well as the expectations of its guests, every day. It will raise the bar even further with the launch of Celebrity Edge in late 2018. It is the first of five Edge-class ships that has been designed for our guests to enjoy in the coming years. The attention, headlines and sales that Celebrity Edge has garnered has far exceeded our expectations and only adds to our excitement, as this class of vessel is expected to transform the industry.

Modern explorers

We have raised the bar for the cruise industry and are enticing those who have never been on a cruise before to fall in love with, and book, Celebrity.

Our guests are modern explorers who are curious about the world and eager to experience it. They are affluent travellers who believe that journeys enrich us and make us better people. We sail to more than 280 ports on all seven continents, providing opportunities for guests to experience other cultures and to meet people from all over the globe. This sense of adventure is balanced by having our ship as their ‘home’, always there at the end of a long day of discovery.

Our values are different from those of more traditional cruisers, and we find they are shared by our guests. They care about great design, amazing destinations and what you are able to do in them, world-class service, extraordinary cuisine imagined by our Michelin-star chef and head of culinary operations, and well-appointed and comfortable accommodation.

I have been with our company for over 32 years, but I believe that keeping things the same actually means going backwards, so I make sure we never do that.

The industry is ripe for ‘smart disruption’. Cruising is still only chosen as a holiday by 10% of vacationers, and this represents a significant opportunity. Attracting consumers with new features, while staying true to your brand proposition, and combining that with a purpose that attracts like-minded people will bring more people into cruising, which is exactly what my job is all about.

Smart disruption is the only way to do that. I think we’ve proved that with what’s already been announced about Celebrity Edge.

Our approach to the ship’s design, the ‘infinite verandas’, entertainment, the Magic Carpet, the venues, the Rooftop Garden… I could go on.