Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd’s chairman has hinted again at plans for a possible fifth Edge-class ship.
Richard Fain initially suggested at the first of Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge “reveal” events in Miami a year ago, that in addition to the four Edge-class ships confirmed for delivery by 2022, a fifth vessel was also in the pipeline.
Asked for an update on the number of Edge-class ships during the line’s third reveal event last week – which focused on the culinary offering – Fain told TTG: “I think it’s probably a fair guess that we are happy about the way Edge is going.”
During the event, held at the Pier 36 events space in New York, guests were shown skullmapping technology – a 3D production process that projects animated scenes.
Edge, which debuts in November, will see the line partner with TableMation Studios and Skullmapping to offer “an immersive fusion of technology, animation and dining” with its Le Petit Chef concept, an animated character who appears on guests’ plates and prepares courses “before their eyes”. The technology is designed to “bring tabletops to life”.
Fain said the new concepts were “1% genius, 99% perspiration” by the team, adding: “We have been looking for something more playful, and this was it.”
Edge’s other dining options will include restaurants such as Fine Cut Steakhouse, Rooftop Garden Grill, Eden Restaurant, Raw on 5 and Dinner on the Edge.
Homeporting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Edge will make its first sailing on November 21 and will spend its first season alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, before taking guests to the Mediterranean with a range of 7- to 11-night sailings from cities including Barcelona and Rome in 2019.
The ship will be showcased to the UK travel trade, from May 13-15, 2019, in Southampton.
