CELEBRITY CRUISES TAKES DELIVERY OF HIGHLY ANTICIPATED CELEBRITY ASCENT

Royal Caribbean Group Executives and Celebrity Cruises Crew on hand to Celebrate Handover from Shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique

Celebrity Cruises officially takes delivery of Celebrity Ascent at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. The fourth ship in the Edge Series, Celebrity Ascent continues to shatter preconceived notions of cruising with its forward-thinking design, culinary excellence, and expansive onboard entertainment.

Celebrity Ascent will make her official debut in Fort Lauderdale on December 3. This sailing is a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary visiting St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Dominican Republic.

Welcoming the ship to the Celebrity Cruises family were Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Celebrity Cruises President Laura Hodges Bethge, and Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Captains Dimitrios and Tasos Kafetzis, the first brother captains, were also on-hand for the celebration, along with 1,400 crew members. 

To mark the moment, they participated in several maritime traditions including the signing ceremony and the changing of flags onboard the ship. There was also a celebratory toast in the ship’s spectacular three-story Grand Plaza.  

“Celebrity Ascent is yet another example of innovation driving our mission to provide the best vacations responsibly,” said Liberty. “The ship continues Celebrity’s ambition to redefine premium travel and take it to new heights,” said Liberty. “I want to thank and congratulate the Chantiers de l’Atlantique team, our Newbuild and Celebrity Cruises’ teams and their partners for the vision, craftmanship and passion that went into bringing this spectacular ship to life.”

“Celebrity Ascent features all the innovative and award-winning Edge Series signature experiences that launched a new era in cruise ship design, plus a few new enhancements, and I can’t wait to welcome our guests aboard,” said Hodges-Bethge. “It is a true honor to welcome this ship to our fleet and I am so grateful to everyone involved with all that goes into a launching new ship.”

Vacation Experience Highlights 

 Distinctive features and new experiences on Celebrity Ascent include: 

• The Retreat, an exclusive resort-within-a-resort area for suite guests, highlighted by a two-story sundeck;
• Accommodations for modern tastes from modern two-story villas with private plunge pools to staterooms with infinite verandas;
• An expanded Rooftop Garden and stunning Resort Deck featuring unique cantilevered float pools;
• A multi-level, multi-terraced Sunset Bar at the ship’s aft;
• An expanded onboard entertainment program featuring a transformative nightlife experience on the Resort Deck, six new live productions, interactive gaming experiences, and more;
• A redesigned casino floor and brand-new games;
• A new outdoor dining terrace at Blu, the brand’s clean cuisine restaurant for Aqua Class guests;
• A newly designed Le Voyage by Chef Daniel Boulud; 
• And, the return of the Magic Carpet®, offering guests uninterrupted vistas while sipping cocktails or having dinner.

Setting Sail on Celebrity Ascent

Following Celebrity Ascent’s maiden voyage, she will offer a variety of alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations through late April. She then heads to the Mediterranean for sailings from Barcelona and Rome.

Vacation sailing options include:

• The 7-Night Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman itinerary. Or, the 7-Night San Juan, Tortola and St. Kitts itinerary from mid-December 2023 to early April 2024;
• The 7-Night Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman Holiday Cruise departing on December 24, 2023;
• The New Year’s cruise departing on December 31, 2023 for 7 nights and visiting San Juan, Tortola and St. Kitts;
• Kicking off the summer with the ultimate Mediterranean getaway on the 9-Night Italian Riviera and France itinerary;  
• Or, crossing Rome, Naples, Mykonos, and Santorini off a bucket-list during the 12-Night Best of Greece and Italy itinerary.  

SOURCE Celebrity Cruises

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