In a groundbreaking industry-first, travelers can now immerse themselves with a Celebrity ship before they ever set sail in the brand's all-new, 'Wonderverse.'Visitors can also explore and book vacation itineraries; chat with ship designers and leaders including beloved American interior designer Nate Berkus, Captain Kate McCue, and the line's President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-PerloMIAMI, 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 BeyondSM, 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."Story continues"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

Meta's (META) shares sank this week after its disappointing third-quarter earnings report and as the company's pivot to the metaverse draws increasingly negative sentiment. In the year since Facebook became Meta, the company has spent billions investing in its metaverse plans. That investment has yet to pay off. For one, the division that oversees the company's metaverse efforts, Reality Labs, has been losing money, clocking a loss of $3.7 billion last quarter alone

In the virtual environment, Surreal recently partnered with DNABLOCK to clients and attendees to create photorealistic 3D avatars which mirror facial and physical features.