Celebrity Cruises reveals stunning design details behind Celebrity Edge as new launch nears

INTERNATIONAL. Celebrity Cruises has unveiled the main feature at the heart of its soon-to-launch ship, Celebrity Edge. The Grand Plaza  will span three decks over 480sq m and form the centrepiece of the vessel.

The 129,500-ton ship, under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, will have a capacity of 2,918 passengers. Preview sailings will take place in late November from Fort Lauderdale.

Starboard Cruise Services will run retail operations onboard.

“How can we show the bones of the ship? Because the bones are so beautiful, you don’t need to put a cover on them.” – Sanjit Manku

Celebrity Edge cruise ship Deck 5 Grand Plaza
Celebrity Cruises has unveiled plans for the focal point of its new Celebrity Edge vessel, the Grand Plaza. The design was inspired by Italian piazzas.

Celebrity Cruises said that the design was inspired by Italian piazzas and will include speciality restaurants, bars and cafés with pop-up performances and, at night, live music.

The designers are Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku of Jouin Manku Studio, also responsible for the Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée and the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. The Grand Plaza has also been inspired by the days when cruise ships featured spectacular ballrooms, dramatic staircases and ornate chandeliers.

Celebrity Edge cruise ship Grand Plaza
The large space will feature restaurants, bars and cafés and host live music and other performances.

The Grand Plaza will have its own seven-tonne chandelier, rising over the Martini Bar to the ceiling three decks above and composed of five levels of 765 blades illuminated by dynamic LED strips that change colour from day to night.

F&B venues will include Raw on 5 and Fine Cut Steakhouse on Deck 5; Le Grand Bistro and Café al Bacio on Deck 4; and the new Grand Plaza Café on Deck 3.

“We couldn’t be happier that the excitement and anticipation around the launch of Celebrity Edge is growing each and every day,” said Celebrity Cruises President and Chief Executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

“We’re thrilled to give everyone another sneak peek of our transformational new ship with the unveiling of The Grand Plaza, the ever-evolving epicentre of Celebrity Edge, and even more beautiful installations brought to life by Jouin Manku, who infused a dynamism and energy that will be felt throughout the ship at almost every turn.”

Manku also designed the Exposed Corridor, which leads to and from The Grand Plaza and the main dining rooms, which features authentic welders’ touches, architects’ markings and engineers’ notes and reveals the bare hull of the ship.

Celebrity Edge cruise ship Pendulum Main Dining Atrium
In the Main Dining Atrium, hanging for three stories between flights of stairs, is another art installation: The Pendulum. Its a base that moves “to the rhythms of the ocean”.

“When we were asked to work on The Grand Plaza, one of our biggest inspirations were people in the shipyard who were able to manipulate steel as if it were plastic,” said Sanjit Manku. “Their awe-inspiring craftsmanship inspired us and had us asking ourselves ‘How can we show the bones of the ship?’ Because the bones are so beautiful, you don’t need to put a cover on them.”

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