''Celebrity Beyond'' is a cruise ship owned by

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 19 ...

, taking its name from the company's slogan. The third in the Edge-class, the ship was constructed at the

Chantiers de l'Atlantique Chantiers de l'Atlantique is a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. It is one of the world's largest shipyards, constructing a wide range of commercial, naval, and passenger ships. It is located near Nantes, at the mouth of the Loire river and ...

shipyard, and entered service in April 2022. The ship is captained by

Kate McCue Kate McCue (born January 6, 1978) is an American cruise ship captain. She is currently employed by Celebrity Cruises and is the captain of the '' Celebrity Beyond''. When she became the commanding officer of ''Celebrity Summit'' in 2015, it ...

History

Planning

On 25 May 2016, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., parent company of Celebrity, announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the STX Corporation (then owners of Chantiers) for the third and fourth ships of the Edge class.

Construction

Steel cutting for ''Celebrity Beyond'' occurred on 28 January 2020, at which point Celebrity confirmed the ship's name. At the same time, it was reported that the ship, and sister ship Celebrity Ascent would be an evolution in the Edge class design and feature an increase in gross tonnage, length, and passenger capacity. In August 2020, it was announced that the delivery of Beyond (as well as that of ''

Wonder of the Seas ''Wonder of the Seas'' is the flagship of Royal Caribbean International. She was completed in 2022 in the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the fifth in Royal Caribbean's of cruise ships. At , she is the largest crui ...

'') would be delayed by approximately 10 months due to shipyard closures and delays caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. On 19 November 2020, the keel for ''Celebrity Beyond'' was laid down.

Maiden Voyage

The ship arrived in Southampton on 21 April 2022 for its maiden voyage on 27 April to Barcelona. This initial itinerary called at La Rochelle, Bilbao, Lisbon, Cadiz, Malaga, Palma and concluded in Barcelona. On May 10, 2022, Celebrity Cruises announced that gymnast Simone Biles will be the godmother of the ship. The christening ceremony was held in Florida on November 4, 2022. Kate McCue is the current Captain of Celebrity Beyond and she often brings to the bridge her

Sphynx cat The Sphynx cat (pronounced , ) also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these anim ...

named Bug Naked, whose semi-official title on board is “Maneuvering Support Mammal”. Captain Kate McCue is also the first American Woman to Captain a "Mega" Cruise Ship.

Facilities

Like the other Edge-class ships, ''Celebrity Beyond'' features Eden, a 270 degree, three-deck observation lounge, which features a ramp connecting decks 5 and 6, in addition to a cafe, a bar, and a dining venue. Like the other ships in the Edge class, ''Celebrity Beyond'' is fitted with the ''Magic Carpet'' tender dock, designed to prevent hull collisions while anchored offshore. While sailing, the Magic Carpet is equipped with a bar and can be used as a patio, when positioned at three different decks (Decks 5, 14, and 16). The ship also features a spa and a fitness centre that overlooks the sea from above the wheelhouse ''Beyond'' was the first in the Celebrity fleet to be equipped with

SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the stated goal of ...

Starlink internet connections. The service launched on the September 5, 2022 Celebrate With the CEO cruise.

References

{{Celebrity Ships

Beyond Beyond may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Beyond'' (1921 film), an American silent film * ''Beyond'' (2000 film), a Danish film directed by Åke Sandgren, OT: ''Dykkerne'' * ''Beyond'' (2010 film), a Swedish film directed b ...

Ships built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique 2021 ships