Celebrity Cruises has cut the first steel for its third ship in the Celebrity Edge class, Celebrity Beyond.

Chairman and chief executive of Celebrity Cruises’ parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises, Richard Fain, joked that his hand shook every time he signed off one of the $1billion ships. “It’s scary,” he laughed.

In a special ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France, Celebrity Cruises has also revealed the exciting entertainment concepts on Celebrity Apex – including a tree taking centre stage in one of the three new shows on board.

The 20ft-high structure weighing 1.4 tonnes will have 3,000 LED colour-changing leaves to light up the theatre stage in Tree of Life. Two other shows, Crystallize and Rockumentary, will also use a 110ft-long LED wall with 12 panels and 17million pixels, said Lisa Lehr, vice-president of entertainment on Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Apex will also be all-inclusive for suite guests, with drinks, tips and wifi covered, president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo announced ahead of a tour of the ship in Saint-Nazaire, France, where it is being built.

The deal will apply to predecessor Celebrity Edge and every ship that has the Retreat area for suite guests. Managing director for the UK and Ireland, Jo Rzymowska, said she was “really excited” about Apex’s christening on 30 March in Southampton.

“To have the naming in the UK and a mini-season of sailings from Southampton shows the commitment to the UK,” she said. “I’m impressed by how far along Apex is. I can’t wait for March to come.”

Apex will have a new craft beer venue and new menus in its four main restaurants.

Like its predecessor Celebrity Edge, Apex will feature the Magic Carpet venue that moves up and down on the side of the ship, as well as staterooms with infinite balconies.

It also features the three-storey Eden venue, open-air plunge pools with 270-degree views, an outdoor Rooftop Garden and 29 restaurants and bars. Many areas have similarly been designed by former Dragons’ Den star Kelly Hoppen.

The godmother to the ship will be Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of international non-profit body Girls Who Code and author of the bestselling book Brave, Not Perfect. She follows in the footsteps of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who christened Celebrity Edge in Florida in November 2018.

On 1 April, Apex will begin the first of five sailings from Southampton to Northern Europe before heading to the Med for a summer season of seven-to-12-night itineraries. 

On 26 August, sailing from Barcelona, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is bringing her wellness brand Goop on board to offer guests three sessions to exercise their mind, body and soul.

In November, Celebrity Apex will cross the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale for a winter season of week-long Caribbean sailings. After Celebrity Beyond, two more ships are on order for the Celebrity Edge class, due for delivery in 2022 and 2024.

10-night cruise of northern European capitals on Celebrity Apex, leaving Southampton on April 13, costs from £1,519pp, celebritycruises.co.uk