Sixty-three cruise ships are heading our way for the southern hemisphere cruising season between October and April, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). One of our top favourites is among them – Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge.
The Weekly was wowed when we took our first look at Celebrity Edge in her debut season Down Under. This is a ship that can turn cruise sceptics into cruise fanatics.
From October 21, 2025, she will be back for her third season in the region, with enticingly mixed itineraries. If you like short cruises, there are four- and five-night sailings from Sydney to Tasmania. Love a long cruise? The 18-night Tahitian Treasures cruise from Sydney to Honolulu via French Polynesia is the one for you.
In between, there are 10- and 11-night cruises out of Sydney to the Barrier Reef and back. If it’s New Zealand you want to see, you have lots of choices. Cruises range from 11 nights (one-way Sydney to Auckland) to 12 and 13 nights Sydney return.
Not all cabin categories have sold out, so look out for last-minute bargains. Getting a taste of the Celebrity lifestyle could be easier than you’d think.
What makes the Celebrity Edge so special?
Since her official maiden voyage in December 2018, Celebrity Edge has racked up multiple awards. At the time of writing, there are 45 listed on her Awards and Accolades page.
She’ll be forever known as the ship that first brought a Magic Carpet to sea. This cantilevered platform jutting out of the ship’s starboard side has floor-to-ceiling glass walls on three sides. Think views, views, views!
The Magic Carpet can be shifted up and down to offer extra prime seating and outlooks where required. It’s not an elevator, it’s a balcony extraordinaire.
On Deck 2, the carpet is functional, assisting with tender embarkation and disembarkation. Higher up is where the fun begins. On deck 5, it acts as an open-air dining extension of the ‘Raw on 5’ sushi restaurant. On Deck 14 it turns into an al fresco lounge and bar connected to the main pool area.
The place to be, the place where you’ll really feel on the edge of your seat, is on Deck 16. Here, the Magic Carpet turns into a speciality dining venue, serving ‘Dinner on the Edge’. It’s a feast for the eyes in more ways than one!
More Magic Carpets to come
Celebrity Cruises knew it was on to a good thing with its Magic Carpet. It adorns the other ships in the Edge Class range, Apex, Beyond and Ascent. A fifth, the Celebrity Xcel, joins the fleet in November. No doubt she’ll have razzle-dazzle features of her own alongside her Magic Carpet.
After her inaugural season in the Caribbean, Xcel will head to Europe for the 2026 summer, focusing primarily on the Mediterranean.
But wait, there are more novelties in store…
Now here’s a surprise!
In January 2025, Celebrity Cruises announced a new venture, Celebrity River Cruises, with an initial order for 10 river ships. Priority bookings for sailings on the Danube and Rhine rivers opened on September 3, and guess what? They sold out in six minutes! The remaining inventory will no doubt be in great demand.
The first two ships on river duty will be the Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, and the company promises that they’ll have “a patent-pending industry-leading design”. It will combine “the iconic features of Celebrity’s Edge Series ocean ships with European charm”.
Tellingly, there will be “revolutionary open decks offering the most outdoor space on the river, including the first-ever cantilevered dining pods”. There will be an infinity-edge plunge pool (pictured at top), eight restaurants and bars and more.
So there you have it: Magic Carpets at sea and cantilevered wizardry on the rivers too. Don’t forget to pack your carpet slippers!
Come on board a Celebrity
Click here for more on Celebrity’s ocean cruises, and here for updates on its river offerings.
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