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MIAMI – June 27, 2017 – Today, Celebrity Cruises reveals the next exciting feature on its newest ship, Celebrity Edge, which debuts next year. Eden, is a unique venue where state of the art design is fused into every element, including cuisine served by “Edenists.” Spanning three decks at the aft of the ship with almost 7,000 sq. ft. of glass, Eden has more outward-facing glass than any other room at sea. It is a design and architectural feat, brought to life in collaboration with internationally-renowned visionaries.
Eden exemplifies the innovative outward-facing design of the new Edge Class ships. The first of these game-changing vessels, Celebrity Edge, launching in December 2018, reimagines what it means to be connected to the sea and transforms how guests experience each destination. The scale of Eden, measuring 368,640 cubic ft., is bigger than the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, and Eden's area, at 12,650 sq. ft., is larger than the Van Gogh Museum atrium in Amsterdam.
Three innovators partnered with Celebrity to help create this dramatic, multi-story venue, including veteran Scott Butler of Wilson Butler Architects and internationally renowned designer Patricia Urquiola – who has never designed a venue at sea before. Celebrity also engaged Queen of the Night creators Variety Worldwide, who have been blending unconventional theater with dining and nightlife for years. The result is an individualized, ever-evolving theatrical journey that puts guests at the epicenter of the performance.
“Eden, like so many aspects of Celebrity Edge, represents a unique advance in cruise ship design,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “It’s an experience that’s multi-faceted and innovative. Connectivity to the ocean is one of the most exciting hallmarks of Edge Class, and with more glass than any other room at sea, Eden embodies that outward-facing concept beautifully.”
“Our search for partners who are as passionate about world-class design as Celebrity led us to the incredibly talented Scott Butler and designer extraordinaire Patricia Urquiola, who offered a fresh perspective and keen eye,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “The entire space is magical throughout morning, afternoon, and evening when our guests will experience Eve at Eden, an experience produced by the visionary Variety Worldwide and our very own Cornelius Gallagher. They have all created something magical and magnificent."
Eden - A Transformational Venue:
Chillful. Playful. Sinful.
By morning, Eden is a chillful escape where yoga, a good book, or coffee and a croissant can be enjoyed with expansive views of the world. In the afternoon, Eden becomes more playful, with hands-on enrichment seminars and tastings to strengthen guests’ culinary prowess, cocktail-making skills and wine knowledge. The afternoon also features performances from sitar players to aerialists. As the sun sets on Eden, the evening ushers in Eve at Eden, a sinful fusion of performance art, culinary exploration and nightlife – like nothing else at sea – that promises to indulge guests’ every sense in the Eden Restaurant. Here, Edenists will serve a choreographed series of experiential culinary temptations sure to surprise and delight.
As dinner comes to an end, guests will be prompted by sensory cues to tempt them back upstairs, past the Tree of Life – the continuation of tradition and evolution of the iconic living tree installation onboard Celebrity’s heralded Solstice Class ships – to Deck 5. Here, the Library of Plants towers 18-feet above Eden Bar, offering its bounty of fresh ingredients and garnishes for hand-crafted, artisanal cocktails.
“When people think of traditional cruise ship entertainment, there’s a very specific image that people have in mind, but the exciting thing about Eden is we’ve actually been invited to break so many of those rules,” said David Ley, Director, Variety Worldwide.
Unique Design
Eden’s breathtaking design by Scott Butler was inspired by the golden spiral as generated by the Fibonacci sequence. Represented in nature through the bloom of a rose or the curl of a snail’s shell, the golden spiral is brought to life through the thoughtfully crafted architecture of the venue. Eden has a 90-meter ramp enveloping the space enabling guests to meander through the space on a serpentine journey of discovery.
“When creating Eden, my goal was to create a connection to the sea in a space that will stir imaginations and leave lasting memories of the travel experience,” said Scott Butler, AIA, Founding Partner, Wilson Butler Architects.
Patricia Urquiola designed some of the key features of Eden, including the towering Library of Plants and the impressive hanging plant pillars. Her signature furniture is also used throughout the space.
“In working on Eden with Celebrity, I wanted to design a dynamic environment that changes from morning to night, so guests experience something new every time they visit,” Patricia Urquiola, Designer, Architect, Founder of Studio Urquiola.
Celebrity Edge will homeport in Fort Lauderdale, FL., making her first sailing December 16, 2018. Bookings are open at www.celebritycruises.com/edge, or through a travel agent, for the ship’s two 7-night itineraries: an eastern and a western Caribbean cruise. Travelers also have the option to book back-to-back sailings for a 14-night journey. Celebrity Edge will be joined by three sister ships in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
