Celebrity Cruises laid the keel for its new cruise ship Celebrity Beyond on Thursday at the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

Celebrity Beyond is the latest ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-class, and the construction milestone marks the official beginning of the new ship’s assembly.

The laying of the keel marks the start of assembly.

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Due for delivery in spring, 2022, Celebrity Beyond will be a sister ship to Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex, delivered in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

“In a year that has continuously tested the strength of our industry, it is encouraging that we move forward with building Celebrity Beyond,” said Richard Fain, Chairman, Royal Caribbean Cruises. “Celebrity Beyond signals that as we prepare to return to service, we do so confidently and with great optimism about the future.”

Royal Caribbean Cruises is the parent company of Celebrity Cruises and the second-largest cruise company in the world after Carnival Corporation.

“This is a proud and exciting moment because Celebrity Beyond will continue to elevate an already incredibly innovative and transformative Series of ships for our brand – and the industry,” added Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.

“I thank all of my amazing colleagues and our incredible partners at the shipyard for moving us one step closer to bringing Celebrity Beyond to life,” she added. “We have some special surprises planned with Celebrity Beyond and I really can’t wait to share her with the world.”

Celebrity Beyond will be a larger sister ship to Celebrity Edge.

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While she will be a sister ship to Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex, featuring the same class defining features, such as the Magic Carpet floating restaurant and Eden dining and entertainment complex at the stern, Celebrity Beyond is also expected to debut a number of modifications to the class.

When the second ship of the class, Celebrity Apex, was delivered in 2020, she featured several notable design changes, especially in the passenger experience in the Eden area.

The ship is being built by the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, which has a long-running relationship with Celebrity Cruises. The yard has built a dozen cruise ships for the line, including the world’s largest cruise ships Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.

“This event is a new milestone in the success story we have been sharing for decades with Royal Caribbean Group and Celebrity Cruises,” said Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “Together, once again, we will be striving for excellence, to add a third gem to the prestigious Celebrity Edge Series.”

Tobias King, Project Manager for Celebrity Cruises, and Sébastien Le Boulluec, Project Manager Edge Series at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, placed the ceremonial coin in the keel.