Travel

A record number of people will take a cruise this year and Celebrity is making a $1 billion bet

A record number of people will take a cruise this year and Celebrity is making a $1 billion bet
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A record number of people will take a cruise this year and Celebrity is making a $1 billion bet

The Celebrity Edge is the latest cruise ship to join Celebrity's fleet.

The $1 billion ship kicks off the company's first group of new ships in six years, and it comes at a time of rising demand.

The number of cruise passengers rose 20.5 percent over the past five years, according to Cruise Lines International Association. This year, 27.2 million passengers are expected to take a cruise, compared with 25.8 million last year.

The Celebrity Edge will make its first voyage in December.

One feature is a 22,000-square-foot spa with a beauty salon, fitness gym, wellness program and more than 124 treatments. The Spa claims to be an experience like no other, infused with natural elements and inspired by a concept called SEA, which stands for sea, earth, and air.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to show that 27.2 million passengers are expected to take a cruise this year, compared with 25.8 million last year.