The Celebrity Edge vessel is set for her maiden voyage, a seven-night sailing on 9 December.
Starboard Cruise Services, and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton have revealed a next-level shopping experience aboard Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Edge.
The vessel is set for her maiden voyage, a seven-night sailing on 9 December from the new Terminal 25 in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
As reported, Celebrity Edge sailed to Terminal 25 on 6 November ahead of its inaugural itineraries.
The 306-metre long vessel, which can carry 2,918 passengers (double occupancy) and 1,320 crew members will cross the Atlantic again to embark on a series of seven to 11-night trips to cities including Barcelona and Rome in Spring 2019 [click below to view a fly-by *video].
NAMING CEREMONY
Among the highlights of the inaugural season is the naming ceremony by the ship’s godmother, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Malala will be on board for the ceremony on 4 December and will unveil the custom Malala Fund merchandise collection developed by Starboard. Proceeds will benefit her global campaign for girls’ education.
A long-time partner of Celebrity Cruises, the Celebrity Shops offer a custom-crafted selection of brands and experiences curated for Celebrity Edge guests.
Covering more than 7,000 square feet, The Celebrity Shops comprise of To the Edge (branded lifestyle), The Gem (Fine jewellery), Time is Now (Timepieces), Attraction (Beauty) Spirited (Beauty) and Sense of Self (Fashion Accessories) stores on Deck 4.
On Level 5, the offer comprises a Bulgari Boutique, Cartier Espace store and a Tiffany & Co Boutique.
The Celebrity Shops feature world-class brands, exclusive products and discovery events. The shops carry brands available for the first time at sea, products designed exclusively for Celebrity Edge and brands that will ‘initiate discovery.’
A Tiffany standalone boutique onboard Celebrity Edge.
BRANDED RETAIL SPACES
Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany each have branded retail spaces on board (standalone boutiques by Bulgari and Tiffany and a dedicated Cartier Espace).
According to Starboard, brands that pursue ‘meaning beyond commerce’ include the Malala Fund Collection, supporting Malala Yousafzai’s global campaign for girls’ education, Shinola, the watch brand leading Detroit’s manufacturing renaissance and environmentally conscious companies, 4Oceanand S’well, which are committed to reducing plastic waste.
Featured brands under the theme of empowerment also include Kallati Jewelry, Malala Fund Collection, Melissa Odabash, Rae Feather, John Hardy, Veuve Clicquot and S’well. These are led and/or inspired by dynamic women.
Other brands such as 4Ocean and S’well are ‘rooted in sustainability’ and environmental awareness. The John Hardy fine jewellery brand, for example, has founded a campaign to replant bamboo in Bali, where the company is based.
Celebrity Edge floated out of its dry dock at the STX France shipyard earlier this year.
CUSTOM COLLECTIONS
Celebrity Edge will also feature stores with exclusively created custom collections.
These include the Edge Steel Collection, a limited-edition fashion jewellery range made from the first cut of steel used to build the ship. Pieces are inspired by elements of the ship’s architecture and design, such as the Magic Carpet, outdoor movie screen on the Pool Deck and design features in the solarium.
A limited-edition fine jewellery collection by Reout Kallati, CEO and designer of the Kallati jewelry brand is also available. Pieces from the Kallati Edge Captain’s Collection were inspired by the architectural features of Celebrity Edge.
The Time is Now store on Deck Four.
The Malala Fund Collection, also offered on board, is an assortment of best-selling books and custom keepsakes inspired by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, the ship’s godmother and her global education campaign for girls’ education. Celebrity will donate 100% of the proceeds to her Malala Fund.
Finally, the Celebrity Edge Branded Collection offers exclusive apparel, home and collectable products designed to celebrate the new Celebrity Edge vessel.
SENSORY SHOPPING JOURNEY
The Celebrity Edge shopping experience is created as a Sensory Shopping Journey, indicated Starboard, which draws guests into a series of experiences that engage all five senses.
Fine jewellery is available from luxury brands including Bulgari, Cartier, John Hardy, Kallati, Le Vian, Roberto Coin, Stephen Webster and Tiffany & Co.
Timepieces from the likes of Bulgari, Cartier, Citizen, Fendi, Gucci, Hublot, Michelle, Shinola and TAG Heuer are part of the onboard retail offer alongside skincare and fragrances labels such as Chanel, Lancôme, Dior and Estée Lauder, plus new “discovery” brands including Atelier Cologne and Jo Loves.
On the liquor front, premium spirits from brands such as Bacardi, Belvedere, Crown Royal, Grey Goose, Hennessy, Jack Daniel’s, Johnnie Walker, The Macallan, Patron Tequila, Veuve Clicquot and Woodford Reserve are offered on Celebrity Edge, some exclusively.
Leather goods and accessories are well represented through brands including Coach, Marc Jacobs and Swarovski. Discovery brands such as Aspinal of London, Rae Feather, Mary Frances, Melissa Odabash and Orlebar Brown are also present.
FIRST-AT-SEA CONCEPTS
Meanwhile, Starboard is to debut several first-at-sea brand concepts for Celebrity Edge, including the Vintage Watch Collection, limited edition vintage timepieces specially curated by Starboard. The collection features brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin.
Starboard has also customised various Celebrity Edge retail experiences. These include the Art/Jewelry Walk with Kallati Edge Captain’s Collection. Passengers can enjoy a guided tour of the ship and the design elements that inspired the limited edition, numbered jewelry collection.
Entitled Women with Edge, this gives passengers the chance to learn about the women behind many of Celebrity Edge’s brands.
Located on Deck 4, the To The Edge store offers branded lifestyle products.
Atelier Cologne Consultations are also available, allowing passengers to enjoy personal consultations with fragrance experts and to take home personalised scent selections, while the Jo Loves Fragrance Tapas Experience, offers participants the chance to learn about Jo Loves fragrances.
The Tradition of Time Seminars enables cruisers to explore the history of timepieces from sundials to smartwatches, celebrate the evolution of timekeeping and experience a brief watchmaking demonstration.
A hands-on workshop (Sail to Bali with John Hardy) sees the store transformed and guests made to feel like they have sailed to Bali, where traditional jewellery making techniques inspire John Hardy’s designs. The workshop includes the eight-step process used by John Hardy’s own artisans.
DELIVERY ELEMENT
Beth Neuman, President & CEO Starboard Cruise Services (left) told TRBusiness in a recent interview. “To give a taste, the guests onboard tend to be quite deep learners and the experiences they are looking for are more in-depth. The discovery part is so important and Celebrity is opening up the world to people. Our retail approach is very much about that.”
Speaking once details of the shopping experience had been released, Neuman commented: “The shopping experience we’ve brought to life for Celebrity Edge is completely in a category of its own.
“Celebrity is all about transformative travel and finding joyful and meaningful experiences, so our retail programs echo that with a ‘five senses’ theme and touchpoints in every store. From finding your own signature scent to learning the art of watchmaking, guests will enjoy exceptional service and be inspired to see the world in a whole new way.”
Being able to design every aspect of this ship has been transformative for the Celebrity brand, according to Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “Having the opportunity to custom-design the innovative Edge retail programme with Starboard undoubtedly contributes to our guests’ ultimate cruise experience.”
The addition of Celebrity Edge, will mean Starboard manages retail operations on 10 of the cruise line’s 13 shops. Starboard will operate with more than 750 brands on more than 90 ships by 2020.
*Video courtesy of Celebrity Cruises