28 June 2017 – Celebrity Cruises has revealed the next dramatic feature on its newest ship, Celebrity Edge, is a design and architectural marvel spanning three decks called Eden.

It is a unique venue brought to life by internationally-renowned visionaries, where state of the art design is fused into every element, including cuisine served by “Edenists” and the Library of Plants, a five metre tall garden that serves Eden Bar with fresh cocktail ingredients.

Eden embodies the innovative outward-facing design of the new Edge Class ships, launching with Celebrity Edge in December 2018. Spanning three decks at the aft of the ship with nearly 650 square metres of glass, Eden has more outward-facing glass than any other room at sea.

The scale of Eden, measuring 10,438 cubic metres, is bigger than the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, and Eden's area, at 1175 square metres, is larger than the Van Gogh Museum atrium in Amsterdam.

Three innovators partnered with Celebrity to help create the multi-story venue, including veteran Scott Butler of Wilson Butler Architects and internationally renowned designer Patricia Urquiola – who has never designed a venue at sea before.

Celebrity also engaged Queen of the Night creators Variety Worldwide, who have been blending unconventional theatre with dining and nightlife for years. The result is an ever-evolving theatrical journey that puts guests at the centre of the performance.

“Eden, like so many aspects of Celebrity Edge, represents a unique advance in cruise ship design,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “It's an experience that's multi-faceted and innovative. Connectivity to the ocean is one of the most exciting hallmarks of Edge Class, and with more glass than any other room at sea, Eden embodies that outward-facing concept beautifully.”

“Our search for partners who are as passionate about world-class design as Celebrity led us to the incredibly talented Scott Butler and designer extraordinaire Patricia Urquiola, who offered a fresh perspective and keen eye,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “The entire space is magical throughout morning, afternoon, and evening when our guests will experience Eve at Eden, an experience produced by the visionary Variety Worldwide and our very own Cornelius Gallagher. They have all created something magical and magnificent."

A Transformational Venue: Chillful. Playful. Sinful.

By morning, Eden is a chillful escape where yoga, a good book, or coffee and a croissant can be enjoyed with expansive views of the world.

In the afternoon, Eden becomes more playful, with hands-on enrichment seminars, wine tastings and cocktail-making classes to tempt guests. The afternoon also features performances from sitar players to aerialists.

As the sun sets on Eden, the evening ushers in Eve at Eden, a sinful fusion of performance art, culinary exploration and nightlife – like nothing else at sea – that promises to indulge guests' every sense in the Eden Restaurant. Here, Edenists will serve a choreographed series of experiential culinary temptations to surprise and delight.

As dinner comes to an end, guests will be prompted by sensory cues to tempt them back upstairs, past the Tree of Life – an evolution of the iconic living tree installation onboard Celebrity's Solstice Class ships – to Deck Five. Here, the Library of Plants towers five metres above Eden Bar, offering its bounty of fresh ingredients and garnishes for hand-crafted, artisanal cocktails.

“When people think of traditional cruise ship entertainment, there's a very specific image they have in mind, but the exciting thing about Eden is we've actually been invited to break so many of those rules,” said David Ley, Director, Variety Worldwide.

Unique Design

Eden's breathtaking design by Scott Butler was inspired by the golden spiral generated by the Fibonacci sequence. Represented in nature through the bloom of a rose or the curl of a snail's shell, the golden spiral is brought to life through the thoughtfully crafted architecture of the venue. Eden has a 90-metre ramp enveloping the space, allowing guests to meander through the venue on a serpentine journey of discovery.

“When creating Eden, my goal was to create a connection to the sea in a space that will stir imaginations and leave lasting memories of the travel experience,” said Scott Butler, AIA, Founding Partner, Wilson Butler Architects.

Patricia Urquiola designed some of the key features of Eden, including the towering Library of Plants and the impressive hanging plant pillars. Her signature furniture is also used throughout the space.

“In working on Eden with Celebrity, I wanted to design a dynamic environment that changes from morning to night, so guests experience something new every time they visit,” Patricia Urquiola, Designer, Architect, Founder of Studio Urquiola.

Celebrity Edge will home-port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, departing for her first sailing on 16 December 2018. Bookings are open at www.celebritycruises.com.au or through your local travel agent. Celebrity Edge will be joined by three sister ships in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

-ENDS-

See more about the creation of Celebrity Edge's Eden here: https://vimeo.com/221503441

About Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for holiday makers' precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 12 ships offer modern luxury holidays visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible cruise tour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL). For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.com.au, phone 1800 754 500 or see your local travel agent.

About RCL Cruises Ltd Australia:

RCL Cruises Ltd Australia commenced operation in December 2008 as the Australian arm of global cruise holiday company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company offers three cruise brands in Australia and New Zealand: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.  In the 2017/2018 cruise season Royal Caribbean International retains its position as the largest cruise brand in Australia, with a fleet of four incredible ships sailing in the region including Australia's biggest, newest and most modern cruise ship, US$1 billion Ovation of the Seas, South Pacific sisters Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and culinary favourite Radiance of the Seas home porting in Sydney. Australia's highest rated cruise ship Celebrity Solstice will also sail her sixth local season out of Sydney, while Azamara Club Cruises' boutique Azamara Journey  will return for a second season, visiting the west coast of Australia for the first time.

Celebrity Cruises AU & NZ Facebook:              facebook.com/celebritycruisesausnz   

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Media Contacts for Celebrity Cruises

Anna Bathgate                                                      Georgina Grimekis                              

RCL Cruises Ltd (AUS & NZ)                                The D'Arcy Partnership                     

T: 02 9937 5491                                                  T: 02 9281 2230                 

E: annabathgate@rcclapac.com                        E: Georgina@darcypr.com