Sparks flew as workers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard welded a ceremonial coin to a massive steel docking block forming the ship’s keel, officially marking the beginning of construction on the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises new Celebrity Ascent, which is poised to enter service in 2023.
The coins, in this time-honored maritime ceremony, were placed by 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 Jason 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.”
“Bringing another magnificent Celebrity Edge Series ship to life is absolutely thrilling for me and another wonderFULL development for our guests,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “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.” said Laurent Castaing. “We know our respective teams have been giving each other enough proofs of mutual confidence so that they can work smoothly on this new project.”
Celebrity Ascent will debut in Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on December 3, 2023 for her inaugural Caribbean season of alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
