Celebrity Edge Christened By Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai

On 04 December 2018, the latest addition to the Celebrity Cruises fleet, Celebrity Edge, was christened at ceremony on the quayside next to the ship docked in Port Everglades, Florida.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai was the chosen to be Godmother for the highly anticipated new ship. Over 3,000 guests, employees, crew members and students attended the ceremony to celebrate the debut of the cruise line’s brand new ship, the first in six years!

Richard D. Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, said:  “We are honored that Malala agreed to be the godmother of this ship, a role that reflects centuries of maritime traditions.  We are especially proud because Malala’s example of relentless persistence and achievement is an inspiration to our crew, who have all worked so hard and made real sacrifices to build better lives for themselves and their families.”
 
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President & CEO, Celebrity Cruises, said: “I am so very proud to have Malala Yousafzai as godmother of Celebrity Edge. Malala embodies our commitment to opening the world through education and gender equality. Seeing her aboard our ship sends a powerful message to our crew who represent over 70 diverse nationalities, and our guests who we sail all over the world. The ceremony today was both touching and symbolic of what Celebrity Cruises stands for. I am grateful to Malala, her family and Malala Fund for embracing today’s events and look forward to continuing our work together around the world.”
 
Celebrity Cruises acknowledge that the new ground breaking ship was not a traditional everyday cruise ship and that Malala Yousafzai was not a traditional godmother, the cruise line chose to break maritime tradition, opting to break a bottle of Badoit sparking water against the hull, instead of the usual tradition of champagne.
 
Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and co-founder of Malala Fund, said: "I'm fighting to ensure millions of girls stuck in situations of poverty or war that they didn't create can learn what they need to choose a future for themselves. But to continue making progress for girls' education, we need support from leaders in every sector. I am so grateful to Celebrity Cruises for their generous support and investment in the potential of girls everywhere”.