Construction of Celebrity Ascent, the fourth Edge-class cruise ship, officially began this week at the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique following a traditional coin welding ceremony to the ship’s keel.

To mark the occasion, Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, and Laurent Castaing, Managing Director of Chantiers de l'Atlanticue Shipyard, placed a ceremonial coin on the steel docking block.

"Today we celebrate the incredible rise of Celebrity, a ship name that aptly represents the rise, rise and, ultimately, upward trajectory for both Celebrity Cruises and the Royal Caribbean Group," Liberty said. "It's exciting to have our entire fleet back on the water, and moments like this confirm our bright future." We are grateful to everyone who has and will continue to lend their creativity and craftsmanship to this ship as we work together to reach new heights in our industry.”

Ascent is Celebrity's fourth Edge-class ship, following Celebrity Edge, Apex and Beyond. The vessel will be 17 decks high and 20 meters longer than the original Celebrity Edge, and will have more public space on board.

"This new ship will be another great success in the continuity of previous Celebrity-class ships built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Casting said. "We know that our teams have given each other enough evidence of mutual trust to be able to work smoothly on this new project."

Celebrity Ascent is scheduled to debut on December 3, 2023 in Port Everglades, Florida. She will spend her maiden voyage in the Caribbean alternating between East and West.