Celebrity Cruises Launches The World’s First Digital Cruise Ship Experience In The Metaverse

Insider Brief

• Celebrity Cruises launch the world’s first metaverse cruise ship experience.
• Travelers will be able to access the ‘Wonderverse’ experience immersing themselves in the Celebrity Cruise experience.

MIAMI, Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Celebrity Cruises®, known for next generation ships at the intersection of architecture, technology and design, is sailing into the future with the launch of a new virtual experience dubbed, the ‘Wonderverse’.

In an industry first, travelers will get to “see before they sail,” exploring a hyper-realistic, digital recreation of aspects of their newest ship in Celebrity’s transformational Edge® Series, Celebrity Beyond^SM, complete with the ship’s artful and inspiring spaces, entertaining signature moments like Celebrity’s famous Martini Bar Flair Show, and the ability to visit top destinations that Celebrity sails to – from Alaska to the Caribbean and Europe to Asia.

In addition, guests can meet and chat with the line’s key leaders as digital avatars, including President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the inspirational Captain Kate McCue – the first, and still only, American female captain of a major cruise ship, and Nate Berkus, Celebrity’s Edge® Series Travel Ambassador and designer of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Beyond.

Built in partnership with virtual event platform architects Surreal Events, Celebrity’s Wonderverse is also complete with mini games and activities, entertainment, easter eggs, and much more, all hosted on the web at celebritycruises.com/wonderverse.

The experience launches today, in time for the holidays when consumers are dreaming of where to go in the new year and utilizing time with family and friends to explore destinations and plan their travels.

“Celebrity Beyond is the newest, most luxurious and most innovative ship in our fleet and I can’t think of a better ship to showcase its state-of-the-art design than in our state-of-the-art Wonderverse,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “Celebrity has always been at the forefront of consumer desires, literally creating resorts at sea with the design of our ships and the onboard experiences offered; and now we’re bringing this to life in new ways to inspire and connect with travelers.”

“We’ve revolutionized cruise ship design and now we’re revolutionizing where cruise ships are experienced,” said Celebrity Cruises’ Chief Marketing Officer Michael Scheiner. “The Wonderverse allows us to unlock and bring to life the richness and fullness of the Celebrity experience in really exciting ways we can’t do through traditional marketing and advertising vehicles. We believe this has opportunities to expand even further, creating experiences our consumers are looking for.”

Once logged in to the Wonderverse, consumers will move from space to space, enjoying immersive, interactive content throughout, as they learn more about the ship and the destinations they can sail to on Celebrity Cruises, including:

• The Magic Carpet®, considered one of the most unique design innovations ever for a cruise ship, that soars cantilevered above the sea with uninterrupted vistas for enjoying virtual cocktails or dinner. The first space users will experience, it also doubles as a meeting space, providing a dynamic way for users to interact together virtually.
• The majestic Grand Plaza, the social epicenter of Celebrity Beyond, spanning three decks with the brand’s signature Martini Bar at the heart of it all, will serve as a social-first lounge where passengers can connect, listen to music, enjoy Celebrity’s iconic Martini Bar Flair Show and chat with Celebrity’s President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.
• The Resort Deck, featuring a Rooftop Garden, the ship’s Main Pool, unique cantilevered float pools and sunken seating offers interactions with Captain Kate and Nate Berkus, who showcases the brand’s 2024-2025 season offerings. Visitors can also relax in lounge chairs, jump in the pool, and get a drink from the bar.
• The Nate Berkus-designed Sunset Bar, where Berkus shares his personal travel experiences reflected in the internationally-inspired ambience at the multi-level, multi-terraced outdoor space while visitors enjoy one of the most talked about spaces on any cruise ship.

The journey begins with a user-controlled tender game to the iconic Magic Carpet, where participants will have a chance to create their own personalized avatar.  Participants will then be transported to the Resort Deck, where they will be greeted personally by Captain Kate, on hand to help answer questions and can explore the ship from there.

From there, visitors can also experience some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations in the Wonderverse, including the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier in Alaska; the whitewashed beauty of Santorini, Greece; the bright lights of Japan’s capital city of Tokyo and the awe-inspiring Mt. Fuji; and the white sand beaches and clear Caribbean turquoise waters of St. Lucia, all before reuniting with Nate Berkus at the Sunset Bar, where they’ll have the opportunity to ask him a series of questions about the stunning ship and breathtaking destinations. As part of the experience, guests will be able to easily access a portal for immediate bookings.

A next generation ship, Celebrity Beyond goes further than ever-imagined possible for a cruise ship, giving guests endless opportunities to disconnect from the everyday — while connecting with the wonders of the world around them.

Inspirational design from the world’s leading architects and interior designers, fine dining experiences from Michelin starred chefs, world renowned wellness partners, exquisite art, cutting-edge entertainment and luxury brand retailers, along with Celebrity’s uniquely intuitive service, Celebrity Beyond shatters every preconceived notion of the cruising experience, representing the epitome of a relaxed luxury resort at sea.

For more information on all Celebrity Beyond sailings, visit https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-beyond.

For more information or to book a Celebrity cruise, contact a trusted travel advisor; book online directly at www.celebrity.com; or contact Celebrity Cruises at 888-751-7804 or internationally at 316-554-5961.

Media Assets:
Official Teaser Video: https://vimeo.com/780572112/60cef9ad3e
Approved Images: https://bit.ly/celebritywonderverse

About Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of a fleet of 15 award-winning ships redefining luxury cruise travel with cool, contemporary design and accommodation; dining, spa and entertainment experiences for modern tastes; and culturally rich and diverse destination experiences, all complemented by warm, personalized service. Celebrity has pioneered many industry firsts at sea, including: the first use of solar panels on a cruise ship; the first to eliminate use of plastic water bottles; the first American female Captain of a cruise ship; the first-ever all-female bridge and officer team sailing; the first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship; and one of the first legal same-sex weddings performed at sea. Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world, Celebrity journeys to all seven continents, visiting nearly 300 destinations in more than 70 countries. Celebrity Cruises is one of five cruise brands owned by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group. (NYSE: RCL).

About SURREAL Events
Built in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and pixel-streamed to the browser, SURREAL is a platform-as-a-service publishing tool for metaverse creation that combines storytelling, game design and multiplayer immersion—enabling people to live, work, shop and play together like never before. A social-first, device-agnostic and avatar-based platform, SURREAL helps brands across geographies, industries and verticals harness the power of cutting-edge technologies to meaningfully and memorably connect with clients, prospects, employees and fans by bringing any experience to life—in any virtual space imaginable. Visit https://www.surrealevents.com for more information.

SOURCE Celebrity Cruises