The "Celebrity Beyond" was commissioned by the American shipowner Royal Caribbean Group
“Our order book is full for the next three years.
Now, it is a question of continuing to fill it for the future”, indicated the director of the Atlantic shipyards, on the occasion of the delivery.
"We are resuming the delivery cycle, which suffered during the pandemic."
The director of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Laurent Castaing, smiled again.
The shipyards of Saint-Nazaire delivered on Wednesday a new giant liner 326 meters long and 60 meters high.
The
Celebrity Beyond
, ordered by the American shipowner Royal Caribbean Group, was built in two years, the health crisis having postponed the initial delivery date by six months.
Billed for "more than a billion euros" according to Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the liner can accommodate nearly 4,000 passengers and 1,400 crew members.
A veritable floating city with restaurants, swimming pools, shops and a theatre, the
Celebrity Beyond
is the third Celebrity Cruises liner built in Saint-Nazaire, and the most imposing of its fleet.
“It's a big day for us.
We can be proud of the work done here,” Lisa Luttof-Perlo, president of Celebrity Cruises, a Royal Caribbean brand, told the crew.
Its CEO, Jason Liberty, hailed an "exceptional" ship and said he was "proud" to deliver his first liner since taking office in January.
A fourth is "already under construction" and a fifth "optional", said Laurent Castaing.
Leaving next week
“The market has restarted, customers are confident.
Our order book is full for the next three years.
Now it is a question of continuing to fill it for the future, ”he assured.
Asked about the future of oil-powered liners, Chantiers de l'Atlantique's director of operations, Jean-Yves Jaouen, replied that the future would be "on the side of multi-fuel solutions".
The first liner powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) built in France should be delivered at the end of the year in Saint-Nazaire to the Swiss shipowner MSC Croisières.
Celebrity Beyond
is scheduled to depart
on April 15.
Her inaugural cruise will connect the UK to Spain, from Southampton to Barcelona.
Society
Saint-Nazaire: Shipyards will build two "super yachts", more luxurious than ever
Nantes
Faced with collapsing traffic, the port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire wants to make its green transformation
Economy
Saint Nazaire
Pays de la Loire
ocean liner
Cruises