Kochi: The first foreign cruise vessel of this season will arrive in Kochi on Saturday morning. The ultra-luxury liner ‘Celebrity Edge’ carries 2918 tourists and 1377 crew. According to authorities, 34 foreign and 19 domestic cruise liners will visit Kochi during the current season. The cruise season is all set to become active in Kerala this year after the interval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerala’s tourism sector receives a huge revenue from cruise tourism.
Celebrity Edge is operated by Celebrity Cruise, which is a firm under the renowned travel cruise line brand, Royal Caribbean Cruise. The liner’s biggest attraction is the ‘Magic carpet’, the world’s first cantilever floating platform arranged on a ship. The entertainment platform hovers at the height of a 13-storey building, between the sea and the sky. It could also be lowered to the water level.
The cruise was built in 2018 and it is currently sailing under the flag of Malta. It sails to the Caribbean from November to April each year and its itineraries include Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean islands. Malala Yousafzai was named the godmother of the ship in 2017, and she christened the ship the next year. According to online reviews of the ship, it is best suited for adults who are looking for “lively sophistication.” It also has many restaurants and delis serving high-end meal options. The ship's captain is Kate McCue, who is the first and only American woman to helm a luxury cruise ship.