Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo celebrated the thousands of engineers, architects, designers, contractors, shipyard employees and Celebrity Cruises teams as the brand took delivery of Celebrity Beyond, the third and most luxurious ship in the fleet’s new-luxury Edge Series.

The moment was particularly special as it marked the shipyard’s first physical delivery ceremony since the pandemic began.

Designed to give guests endless opportunities to disconnect from the world – while simultaneously reconnecting with the world that surrounds them – Celebrity Beyond creats a new world of wonder and approachable luxury with forward-thinking design by the world’s leading architects and interior designers, culinary excellence from Michelin starred chefs, world-renowned wellbeing partners, exquisite art, luxury brand retailers and Celebrity’s uniquely intuitive service.

As part of the historic moment, Lutoff-Perlo was joined by Royal Caribbean Group’s president and CEO Jason Liberty and the ship’s captain, Kate McCue, as they officially took ownership from the shipyard and completed the traditional changing of the flags, hosting a celebratory ceremony onboard Celebrity Beyond while docked in the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

(Photograph by Steve Dunlop)

The momentous occasion was celebrated alongside other Celebrity Cruises executives, shipyard officials including general manager Laurent Castaing, and Beyond’s 1,400 crew members from over 60 different countries.

“The delivery of Celebrity Beyond today marks our ongoing commitment to growth and innovation; today, we celebrate the future of travel and its possibilities,” said Liberty.

“This incredible ship, on this long-awaited day, signifies our commitment to investing in the future of the travel industry, as well as the shipbuilding industry in Europe. We are so grateful to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique team; our own Newbuild and Celebrity Cruises team; our loyal guests and trade partners, and everyone who has contributed their time, resources, creativity and loyalty. We look forward to what’s to come as the travel industry grows to new peaks.”

“We could not be happier to officially welcome Celebrity Beyond into our fleet with the first physical delivery since the pandemic, celebrating this momentous occasion with our exceptional crew and partners at Chantiers de l’Atlantique,” said Lutoff-Perlo.

“With its innovative offerings that reach far beyond expectations from some of today’s most talented designers, artists and creative minds, we believe that Beyond speaks to the growing trend of people seeking new luxury experiences that are personalised, effortless and meaningful. We are seeing a continued desire to travel as business steadily increases, and we see Beyond leading the cruise industry into the next era of luxury. We are more than ready to welcome our guests onboard and show them just how incredible this ship is!”

Celebrity Beyond’s maiden voyage will depart on 27 April 2022, from Southampton, England, for a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting Bordeaux, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Seville, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, Spain.

She will then offer a variety of Mediterranean journeys including nine-night Italian Riviera and France itineraries and 10-night Greek Isles itineraries through early October when she then heads to the Caribbean.

Featured image: Celebrity Cruises Beyond delivery ceremony, St Nazaire, France (Photograph by Steve Dunlop www.stevedunlop.com steve@stevedunlop.com).