Celebrity Cruises Take Delivery Of Apex In World First

In what is a first for the industry, Celebrity Cruises have this weekend taken ‘virtual’ delivery of their new Edge-class ship, Celebrity Apex.

Delivery of Celebrity Apex

The official handover took place via video conference with Chantiers de l’Atlantique officials, with Captain Dimitris Kafetzis ordering the exchange of French and US flags to the sound of each country’s national anthem, as is tradition.

Speaking about the unique handover event and the circumstances surrounding it, Celebrity President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, said: “The day is every bit as meaningful because I know the dedication and commitment from the shipyard team, the on-board crew and our Celebrity shoreside team that went into bringing this ship to life.”

Perlo’s sentiment was echoed by Laurent Castaing, general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, who said: “We had the honour of building the first Edge series ship, Celebrity Edge, and so many wonderful ships throughout our partnership over the years”

Castaing went on to say: “Celebrity Apex is exceptional, and we know she will be well-received and enjoyed for many years to come.”

While Apex’s inaugural sailings from Southampton were postponed earlier this month, Lutoff-Perlo expressed her ‘great anticipation’ that the first Celebrity Apex sailing would depart as planned from Barcelona on 20 May 2020.