Celebrity Cruises introduced its newest ship, the Celebrity Ascent, in a naming ceremony on Friday, Dec. 1.

Headlining the ceremony were the ship’s co-Godmothers, Captain Sandy Yawn from Bravo TV’s Below Deck, and her sister Michelle Dunham, Founder of the Jacksonville School for Autism, who officially named the ship with the breaking of a champagne bottle on the ship’s hull.

“With each new ship, our ambition is to debut the ultimate vacation experience and Celebrity Ascent achieves this by raising the bar for premium travel,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.  “Her elevated design and new onboard experiences set her apart from competitors and serve as a new benchmark for the travel industry.”

“Celebrity Ascent has been designed to feed our guests travel wanderlust and provide unique experiences they will covet and love,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president at Celebrity Cruises. “Captain Sandy and her sister Michelle, co-Godmothering Celebrity Ascent, add another, and more personal dimension, to this already extraordinary ship. Their connection, combined with the brotherly bond of the ship’s captains, exemplifies the sense of welcome and warm hospitality we strive for on every cruise.”

The Celebrity Ascent will kick off its inaugural Caribbean season, sailing from Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 3 embarking on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, visiting destinations such as St. Maarten, St. Thomas and the Dominican Republic.

After completing its maiden voyage, the ship will offer a variety of alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings through late April, when it will set course for the Mediterranean for sailings from Barcelona and Rome.