The first piece of steel has been cut for Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Apex, at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.
Celebrity proclaims that the ship, when completed, will take her place as the height of modern luxury … hence the name Apex.
From left to right: Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo and Laurent Castaing at the steel cutting in Saint-Nazaire
The second ship in Celebrity Cruises’ revolutionary Edge series comes in the wake of the much anticipated new ship, Celebrity Edge.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, attended the ceremony and said: “Welcoming Celebrity Apex into our family with the leadership team was a very special moment, especially when we all signed the ship silhouette cut from the first piece of steel.”
Lutoff-Perlo added: “We are so grateful for our partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique and are thrilled to work on another very special ship together. The success and momentum for Celebrity Edge has been incredible, and with Celebrity Apex we will yet again show how we are taking our brand to the next level. We are offering our guests the best way to experience the world in modern luxury style.”
Laurent Castaing, general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, formerly STX France, said: “We are proud to celebrate the launch of another incredible Edge Class ship with Celebrity Cruises. The brand is known for many industry firsts so it’s fitting that Celebrity Apex is the first to participate in a steel cutting ceremony under our new name Chantiers de l’Atlantique, another milestone of the great partnership we have built together.”
Celebrity Apex is expected to make her debut in spring 2020, with the third and fourth Edge series ships arriving in autumn 2021 and autumn 2022, respectively.