Celebrity Cruises unveiled its latest addition, the Celebrity Ascent, in a grand naming ceremony held on Friday, Dec. 1.

The ship’s co-Godmothers, Captain Sandy Yawn of Bravo TV’s Below Deck, and her sister Michelle Dunham, Founder of the Jacksonville School for Autism, officiated the ship’s naming by christening it with a champagne bottle on the hull.

“With each new ship, our ambition is to debut the ultimate vacation experience and Celebrity Ascent achieves this by raising the bar for premium travel,” remarked Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “Her elevated design and new onboard experiences set her apart from competitors and serve as a new benchmark for the travel industry.”

Laura Hodges Bethge, president at Celebrity Cruises further added, “Celebrity Ascent has been designed to feed our guests travel wanderlust and provide unique experiences they will covet and love.” She had more to add, “Captain Sandy and her sister Michelle, co-Godmothering Celebrity Ascent, add another, and more personal dimension, to this already extraordinary ship. Their connection, combined with the brotherly bond of the ship’s captains, exemplifies the sense of welcome and warm hospitality we strive for on every cruise.”

The Celebrity Ascent will commence its inaugural Caribbean season, departing from Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 3 for a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, featuring ports of call such as St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Dominican Republic.

Following its maiden voyage, the ship will offer a diverse range of alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings through late April before embarking on Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona and Rome.