The Newest Celebrity Cruises Ship Will Sail This Fall — and We Got a First Look

Celebrity Cruises' new ship, Celebrity Ascent, launches in November 2023, with reimagined restaurants and entertainment.

The newest Celebrity Cruises ship, Celebrity Ascent, will debut later this year with several new features that represent firsts for the World's Best Award–winning line, the company tells Travel + Leisure exclusively.

Arriving in November, Ascent will have three newly designed restaurants, reimagined entertainment venues, and plenty of other bells and whistles to distinguish the ship from its well-liked sibling vessels, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Beyond. Laura Hodges Bethge, the president of Celebrity Cruises, tells T+L that "Celebrity Ascent will raise the bar on the design and experiences" that travelers love on the first three Edge Series ships.

"We are also introducing new theater shows, an expanded drink menu at the Martini Bar, and new bourbon tastings at Craft Social," Hodges Bethge adds. "Plus, we're elevating fine dining at sea with a redesigned Le Voyage by chef Daniel Boulud."

Ascent will be the second ship in Celebrity’s lineup with Boulud's Le Voyage, following the restaurant's success on Beyond. This outpost will have a brand-new design by KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group, known for its work on projects such as the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. And the new cocktails shaking up the offerings at the Martini Bar will include low-sugar options and "fresh, crisp ingredients,” stirred and shaken into drinks such as “lychee and passion fruit martinis,” according to the cruise line.

Also coming to Ascent for the first time will be a plant-based tasting menu at Eden Restaurant (complete with vegan wine pairings) and alfresco dining at Blu, a health-focused restaurant serving lighter fare, which is only open to AquaClass guests. (AquaClass is Celebrity’s ship-within-a-ship concept that gives wellness-minded guests their own spa programs, amenities, and specialty suites.)

Beyond dining, Hodges Bethge promises "updated programming and entertainment" on Ascent, with a reimagined casino and art gallery, plus three new theater shows developed in house. Also in the works, the “Journey to Eden” art installation, which will no doubt be an Instagram trap on par with the immersive, mirrored corridor found on Celebrity Apex. Guests can also shop an only-at-sea capsule collection from Nate Berkus, the celebrity designer who, not coincidentally, created the stunning Sunset Bar on both Beyond and Ascent.

The first preview journey of Celebrity Ascent, which is open to the public, departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 22. The four-day round-trip sailing, which visits Cozumel, Mexico, starts at $1,149 per person. The ship will be in the Caribbean until next spring when it heads to Europe to spend summer 2024 sailing the Mediterranean Sea.

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