Celebrity Beyond

So how long does it take to build a cruise ship from scratch? In the case of Celebrity Beyond, roughly two years from the start of production in January 2020 to the end of the sea trials in February this year with a price tag of $1.3 billion. That amount of money buys you a lot of ship and state of the art facilities. She’s still an Edge class ship but boasts an extra deck and is 20 metres longer than her two sister ships. Following on from Edge and Apex she shares the most popular innovations such as the Infinite Veranda cabins, but areas like the ‘Retreat’ are now two storey and the much loved Rooftop Garden seating and dining area is 40% bigger boasting two clear sided float pools suspended over the ocean with a new seating area.

The Magic Carpet is still orange and moves up and down 13 of the 17 decks of the ship alternating between being a trendy bar with live entertainment, to being a romantic extension to Raw on 5 seafood restaurant and a tender platform or port days. The Cabanas on the pool deck are facing the pool again rather than out to sea, but there are still plenty of cosy corners if you just want to read a book in the shade with a cuppa or a cocktail.

If you choose an Aqua grade cabin you have complimentary access to the eight zone thermal spa suite and the healthy eating ‘Blu’ is your exclusive restaurant. The suite guests still get exclusive access to the ‘Retreat’ sundeck and their exclusive restaurant is Luminae. For everyone else you’re still split between the four complimentary main restaurants Cyprus, Tuscan, Normandie & Cosmopolitan. In general, they share around half of their menus but the other half is still given their French, Mediterranean, Italian or global twist. If their menus still don’t appeal, there are a further eight speciality restaurants with a nominal cover charge. New to Beyond is ‘Le Voyage’ which is by Michelin Star chef Daniel Boulud. It’s a well-kept secret on deck 4 and we didn’t find it until our last day! If you want to take the opportunity to try the food of a triple Michelin Star chef, the $75 cover charge is a bargain as his usual menu is around the $200 mark on land without the dessert! Like most of the smaller speciality restaurants, it’s close to the Grand Plaza which is the heart of the ship and has a great atmosphere when the bartenders are showing off their cocktail making skills.

The entertainment on this ship will rival the best London West End and Broadway shows. If they wanted to replicate any of them, I’m sure they could, but they have chosen to innovate with their entertainment which was amazing and varied. Eden, which spans three decks, features ‘a sinful fusion of performance art, culinary exploration and nightlife’ in a tropical setting with a living wall. The theatre is at the other end of the ship and boasts a 20 foot 4K LED screen which curves 110 feet around the stage and integrates with new floor projection technology to give everyone great visibility and involvement with the performers.

The other person who has got involved with her adoring fans is ‘Captain Kate’ – the first American female captain of a large cruise ship since 2015 who travels with Bug Naked, a hairless sphinx cat who spends his days with her on the bridge. Captain Kate looks a bit like Sandra Bullock, has nearly 3 million social media followers and was previously the captain on Celebrity Edge. In the short time we were on board, she spoke several times over the PA system and was on stage for a meet the captain interview. We also saw her chatting to passengers around the ship. In a final push to bring younger cruisers on board, the extraordinary gymnast Simone Biles has been named godmother to the Celebrity Beyond and will officially name her at the inaugural ceremony in Fort Lauderdale in November.