Construction has commenced on Celebrity Cruises‘ fourth Edge Class ship, Celebrity Ascent, at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
To mark the occasion, a ceremonial coin was welded to a massive steel docking block forming the ship’s keel, officially marking the start of construction. Placing the coin in this time-honored maritime ceremony were Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises; and Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
“Today, we celebrate the incredible Celebrity Ascent, a ship name that fittingly represents the climb, the rise and, ultimately, the upward trajectory of both Celebrity Cruises and the Royal Caribbean Group,” said Liberty.
“It’s exciting to have our entire fleet back in the water, again, and moments like this reaffirm our bright future. We are grateful to all who have and will continue to lend their creativity and craftsmanship to this ship, as we work together to reach new heights in our industry.”
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises said: “Bringing another magnificent Celebrity Edge Series ship to life is absolutely thrilling for me and another wonderFULL development for our guests.”
“While exploring the wonders of the world, our guests will be surrounded by the wonders of our Celebrity world – forward-thinking design, culinary excellence, thoughtful well-being experiences, and our uniquely intuitive service. Celebrity Ascent will be the epitome of a relaxed luxury resort at sea.”
“This new ship will be another great success in the continuity of the previous ships of the Celebrity Class built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique,” added Castaing.
Celebrity Ascent is the fourth ship in the line’s ground-breaking Edge Series, a class of ships hailed as engineering and design marvels. Like her sister ships, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Beyond, Ascent will connect guests to the breathtaking world around them like never before. Standing at 17 decks and 20 metres longer than the original Celebrity Edge, Ascent will also feature more space and more luxury onboard.
Celebrity Ascent will debut in Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on 3 December 2023 for her inaugural Caribbean season of alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Bookings on the vessel are now open.