After more than four years of limitless passion and hard work by thousands of engineers, architects, artisans, designers and crew, Celebrity Cruises has set sail into a new era. Celebrity Edge officially joined the fleet after a moving ceremony on 4 December where the ship’s godmother, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, was joined by all on-board to “bless this ship and all those who sail upon her.”

The naming event brought together more than 3,000 guests, employees, crew members and students to commemorate the debut of Celebrity Cruises’ first new ship in six years, and first new ship series in more than a decade.

Yousafzai, who is now a student at Oxford University, is the inspirational co-founder of Malala Fund, which advocates for a world where every girl can learn and lead by investing in local education activists, holding global leaders accountable and amplifying girls’ voices around the world.

She discussed those issues before the ship’s crew and guests in a one-on-one interview with Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. From girls’ education to the power of diversity, both share a profound passion and commitment to these important topics.

Celebrity Cruises is proud to partner with Malala Fund and support them in their mission to see the 130 million out-of-school girls around the world get the 12 years of free, safe, quality education they deserve.

“I’m fighting to ensure millions of girls stuck in situations of poverty or war that they didn’t create can learn what they need to choose a future for themselves. But to continue making progress for girls’ education, we need support from leaders in every sector. I am so grateful to Celebrity Cruises for their generous support and investment in the potential of girls everywhere,” said Malala Yousafzai, co-founder of Malala Fund.

At the naming event, hosted by noted designer Nate Berkus, emotions ran high when acclaimed recording artist Andra Day took to the stage for empowering renditions of her Grammy-nominated single “Rise Up” and Oscar-nominated “Stand Up For Something.” Both anthems were chosen for their bold statements about the power of girls’ education and its role in shaping the future.

Foregoing the traditional champagne bottle at the launch, instead the naming ceremony saw a custom-made 18-litre bottle of Badoit French mineral water smashed across the ship’s Parabolic Ultra Bow. The ship’s long-awaited inaugural season will now get underway, sparking a revolution in the cruise industry, with the ship’s cutting-edge design and first-at-sea offerings.

Celebrity Edge will begin her inaugural season sailing alternating seven-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries before transporting guests to the stunning vistas of the Mediterranean with a range of seven- to 11-night sailings from the iconic cities of Barcelona and Rome in 2019. Sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Celebrity Edge will make her first maiden voyage on 9 December 2018. Building on Celebrity Edge‘s incredible momentum, she’ll be joined by Celebrity Apex in 2020, and two additional sister ships in 2021 and 2022.