Celebrity Ascent, the new Edge-class cruise ship for Celebrity Cruises touched water for the first time this week as it was floated out of its construction dry dock at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Celebrity Ascent is the fourth ship in the Edge-class, and will be a sister ship to Celebrity Beyond, the third ship in the class, which debuted with a few differences compared to Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex.

The float out of Celebrity Ascent marks the completion of the ship’s hull and exterior superstructure, as well as most of her internal engineering. She will now be moved to a wet berth where final fit out and finishing will take place.

Rendering of Celebrity Ascent in the Caribbean.

“So much more than a ship, 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,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, CEO, Celebrity Cruises.

“The collaboration between the shipyard and Celebrity teams continues to be extraordinary and I am grateful to all involved for their passion and expertise,” Lutoff-Perlo added. “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 groundbreaking, next-generation Edge Series.”

Celebrity Ascent is scheduled to debut in December this year and will reprise many of the signature features found aboard the Edge Series ships, including two-story Edge Villa staterooms with direct access to the exclusive suite-only The Retreat Sun Deck, as well as Infinite Veranda staterooms.

The Magic Carpet dining terrace is a signature feature of the Edge class ships.

The ship will also of course boast the iconic Magic Carpet, an outdoor dining terrace that slides up and down the ship’s starboard side. There will also be a Sunset Bar and a Resort Deck with exclusive cabanas, infinity-edge plunge pools and two-story Martini-shaped hot tubs.

There will be more than 30 food and drink venues, including the Le Petit Chef Dinner Experience, the Eden Restaurant and Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud, featuring some of the best cuisine at sea.

Later this year, the first cruise ship in the Edge class, Celebrity Edge, will cruise from Dubai to Singapore, marking the first time an Edge class ship has sailed from the city.