Celebrity Cruises Charts Bold Course for Sustainability

Royal Caribbean’s subsidiary boasts a new-generation fleet that is literally designed for a more environmentally-friendly sailing future.

As we sail through another Earth Month, Celebrity Cruises continues its progress on developing one of the most sustainable fleets in the industry, promising its newest ships to be shining examples of its parent company’s, Royal Caribbean Group’s, Destination Net Zero initiative to produce net zero emissions by 2050.

Celebrity’s Edge-Class Ships Beyond, Ascent Set New Industry Standards

Since its debut five years ago, Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Class of ships has continued to revolutionize what to expect from a cruise ship. The latest addition to the fleet, Celebrity Beyond, was specially designed with features that reportedly reduce relative fuel consumption by 20% compared to older ships.

Those eco-friendly features include a redesigned parabolic ultra-bow, which allows for more speed and fuel efficiency while also maintaining a smoother sailing experience for guests. The special bow caps a fuel-efficient hull that is entirely coated with millions of tiny drag-reducing bubbles.

Onboard, an emissions purification system captures 97% of nitrogen oxide and 98% of sulfur dioxide, and Shore Power connectivity to reduce emissions further when in port.

Meanwhile, Beyond‘s newest sister ship, Celebrity Ascent, is still under construction and will feature a “tri-fuel engine model” as well as fuel storage and delivery systems capable of utilizing three different types of fuel, including methanol. This power unit will reportedly provide “unmatched fuel flexibility,” allowing for a low-carbon-based solution adaptable for sustainability.

Celebrity’s three, soon-to-be four, Edge-class vessels have already won over a dozen awards, including spots on Travel & Leisure’s World’s Best List and Forbes 2023 Travel Guide.

Beginning with the launch of the 129,500-ton, 2,918-passenger Celebrity Edge in December 2018, cruisers have also been introduced to the Celebrity Apex (equal in tonnage to the Edge but with a 2910-passenger capacity) in June 2021, and then the significantly larger Celebrity Beyond (boasting 140,600 tons and a 3260-passenger capacity) in November 2022.

Identical in size and capacity to the Beyond, Celebrity Ascent is set to join her sisters in Fall 2023.

Whether it is their efficiency features or their overall stylings and iconic features like infinity balcony rooms and the eye-catching “Magic Carpet,” these four Celebrity ships are revolutionizing the industry. But they are not the only ones.

Celebrity Flora Gets Passengers Closer to Nature

While Celebrity’s Edge-class drives industry progress in the shipyards, its latest expedition-style ship sails on the cutting edge of luxury and environmental technology.

The Celebrity Flora is essentially a luxury mega-yacht with room for only 100 passengers, and it is the first of its kind to be designed specifically for environmentally-friendly adventures in the Galapagos.

Along with supplemental solar panels that help reduce emissions, the Flora features a dynamic positioning system that gives it the ability to remain stationary without the need to slam a heavy anchor onto the seabed. The elimination of an anchor also increases the ship’s access to areas with wildlife too fragile to even risk an anchor drop.

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Celebrity officials proudly deem the Flora “one of the most eco-friendly ships sailing anywhere.”

While the entirety of April is considered “World Earth Month,” “World Earth Day” will take place on April 22, 2023. First held in 1970, Earth Day is an annual event set aside to recognize the importance of prioritizing environmental protection.

But Celebrity Cruises is prioritizing environmental efforts year-round, aspiring to industry-leading standards of “environmental and community stewardship” in order to manifest the best vacation possible for its guests, and recognizing that “healthy oceans are good for the environment, our guests, and our business.”