Celebrity Cruises has a new ship headed for the Caribbean this winter.
Celebrity has officially taken delivery of the new celebrity Ascent, the fourth ship in the company’s Edge Series.
The newly-built ship will be heading to Fort Lauderdale in December to begin a season of Caribbean cruising, with the inaugural voyage a seven-day vacation stopping in St Maarten, St Thomas and the Dominican Republic.
Ascent, the sister ship to Celebrity Beyond, which debuted last year, includes everything from the popular Retreat resort-within-a-resort area to a multi-level Sunset Bar to an expanded Rooftop Garden.
The ship will include Daniel Boulud’s popular Le Voyage dining experience, along a new-look casino floor, a new outdoor dining terrace at Blu and a new nightlife experience on the resort deck.
“Celebrity Ascent is yet another example of innovation driving our mission to provide the best vacations responsibly. The ship continues Celebrity’s ambition to redefine premium travel and take it to new heights,” said Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason 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, craftsmanship and passion that went into bringing this spectacular ship to life.”
After the ship’s inaugural voyage, Ascent will sail across the Eastern and Western Caribbean until April.
That will include either a seven-night Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman voyage or a seven-night San Juan, Tortola and St Kitts itinerary.
Ascent will hold a seven-night Holiday Cruise departing on Dec. 24, stopping in The Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman, along with a New Year’s cruise departing on Dec. 31.
“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 Celebrity Cruises President Laura 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 launching a new ship.”