Celebrity Cruises floats out new ship Ascent ahead of launch

The moment marked the completion of the ship’s hull and exterior structure, and Ascent will now progress to the next phase of construction.

Celebrity said the vessel will be a “twin sister” to Celebrity Beyond which launched last spring.

President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff-Perl, commented: “Celebrity Ascent will be the embodiment of a relaxed luxury resort at sea and I can’t imagine a more exciting way to start the new year than by celebrating this important construction milestone.

“The collaboration between the shipyard and Celebrity teams continues to be extraordinary and I am grateful to all involved for their passion and expertise.

“Momentum and anticipation are quickly building for this ship and we’ll continue to share her progress and all that awaits our guests onboard this next installation in our ground-breaking, next-generation Edge series.”

Celebrity Ascent is now mooring in her new location at the shipyard, where interior work on the ship will begin and continue over the next several months.

The 3,260-passenger vessel will debut in December with an eastern Caribbean sailing out of Florida.