‘The biggest market out there is relaxed luxury,’ says Celebrity boss

Celebrity Cruises’ latest ship Celebrity Beyond was launched over the weekend and chief executive and president Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said it represented the kind of luxury consumers were seeking these days. 

She added she was very satisfied with the position the line had created for itself in order to attract guests who are looking for a more “relaxed luxury” approach.

“We’re not ultra-luxury, and we’re not white-glove service, with caviar everywhere and one hand behind your back, we’re approachable – I believe the biggest market out there is that of relaxed luxury,” she told TTG during the second of two mini-sailings for trade and partners this week. “I don’t think those people we are trying to attract are interested in ultra-luxury; I think they are interested in a luxury experience that’s also fun.”

Celebrity Beyond is larger than its predecessors in the Edge series, with several areas having been expanded upon previous incarnations thanks to design modifications. These lengthened the ship by 20 meters and raised it to 17 decks tall, allowing for the reimagining of The Retreat, the Resort Deck, and the Rooftop Garden.

Lutoff-Perlo also asserted that growing in size did not mean its ships could not offer a luxury experience.

“I think we’re at the perfect size, I don’t see any difference between what we offer and what smaller cruise ships offer when it comes to luxury,” she said. “Everybody said Las Vegas couldn’t do luxury at scale and they do, and I think we do the same.” 

She said the size of the ships allowed Celebrity Cruises to offer “the great shows, the specialty restaurants, amazing bars and entertainment” alongside elements such as The Retreat, a “resort within a ship” where guests have access to additional services and dining options. “We really have the best of both worlds,” she said.

RETREAT INNOVATIONS

Appearing on Celebrity Beyond for the first time is the new category of AquaClass SkySuites, pitched as combining the “immersive living experience” of the AquaClass staterooms with the spaces, services, and amenities of The Retreat.

Lutoff-Perlo added the line was keen to continue revisiting the percentage of accommodation dedicated to The Retreat onboard.

“Coming out of this [the pandemic] we’re trying to figure out the balance of how much we dedicate to The Retreat, for example, 12% of accommodations on these Edge ships are at that level, versus our other ships where that’s 5-6%, so we’ve already doubled the number of Retreat level accommodations here,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “So yes, we’re thinking about the future, is this the right amount? But we are figuring that out as we come out of this period.”

“What I do see already is that people are treating themselves more than they ever have and are buying The Retreat. They’ve lost a few years of vacation, really want to splurge and they have money as they haven’t spent as much, so we’ll see how popular things remain as everything continues to settle down,” she said.

Also new onboard Celebrity Beyond is Le Voyage, a 50-seat restaurant by chef Daniel Boulud and designed by Jouin Manku, a long-time collaborator on Edge-class ships.

WOW FACTOR

With its suites and spaces designed by Kelly Hoppen; the new restaurant and existing culinary propositions; commitment to offering enhanced wellness experiences – such as the partnership with Gwyneth Paltrow, the line’s new well-being advisor – and extensive art selections on board, Lutoff-Perlo has placed Celebrity almost in a category of its own.

“I look above us and I look below us; I have chosen this spot for Celebrity on purpose,” she said. “After my 37 years in the industry, I look at what I like and don’t like and see the unique opportunities – I think brands need unique experience propositions. I want to attract people who thought cruising wasn’t for them. I think we can do a nice job of converting the converted, and getting our loyalty guests back, but I also want people to see what we do and say ‘wow’.” 

Construction has also already started on the fourth Edge series ship, Celebrity Ascent, following its steel cutting in November at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, with Lutoff-Perlo suggesting that ship could be setting sail within 18 months; one final Edge-class ship will also be on the way after that.

She also said the existing fleet would be maintained for the time being: “There’s no plan for Celebrity to decommission any of our ships. As we look at new-builds, we might look at that but at the moment, the ships in our fleet are going to stay.”