By
Alex Smith |
Celebrity Cruises has held a steel-cutting ceremony at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, to mark the beginning of construction for its newest ship, Celebrity Ascent.
Executives from the cruise line, parent company Royal Caribbean Group and the shipyard signed the first piece of steel, which was cut into the shape of the ship’s silhouette.
“The name of this new ship is very apropos as the industry rebounds, but also as Celebrity continues to lead the industry as an unmatched new-luxury brand and cruise line,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group. “Celebrity Ascent will take the industry to new heights as it pushes the boundaries of what people can experience on a ship and how they experience it.”
The new ship will be the sister of Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex and the upcoming Celebrity Beyond, which is due to enter service in late April 2022.
“What another wonderful moment for our brand, our company and our industry to be in this incredible shipyard making the traditional first cut of steel on this magnificent ship and signalling the bright future that lies ahead,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “While I wish I could share what we have in store for this ship, I can tell you our ‘Ascent’ will be Celebrity Beyond’s sister ship in every way, and then some.”
Celebrity Ascent is scheduled to be delivered in early 2023.