Celebrity Ascent℠, the fourth ship in our award-winning Edge® Series, made its way from concept to construction last year as the first piece of steel was cut at the Chantiers del’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. This past August, sparks flew as workers welded a ceremonial coin to a massive steel docking block forming the ship’s keel—officially marking the beginning of construction at the shipyard. Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, “placed the coin” during this time-honored maritime ceremony. According to legend (and a tradition that has spanned centuries), the laying of the coin is thought to bless and bring good fortune to the ship.

“Today, we celebrate the incredible Celebrity Ascent, a ship name that fittingly represents the climb, the rise and, ultimately, the upward trajectory of both Celebrity Cruises and the Royal Caribbean Group,” said Liberty. “It’s exciting to have our entire fleet back in the water, again, and moments like this reaffirm our bright future. We are grateful to all who have and will continue to lend their creativity and craftsmanship to this ship, as we work together to reach new heights in our industry,” said Liberty.

We recently returned from our 2022 Celebrate with the CEO sailing on board the stunning Celebrity Beyond℠ with Celebrity Cruises President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. Our 10-Night Greek Islands and Malta journey featured Captain Kate McCue at the helm—along with special guests, Captain Dimitris and Captain Manolis. We had a blast answering guest questions during a special Conversation with Celebrity event; touring the Temple of Poseidon with Captain Dimitris; learning to cook with Chef Teta in Mykonos; and taking in the sunset in Santorini from the Rooftop Garden while being serenaded by a duo of Greek violinists.

This month, we’re thrilled to feature Karen and Keith Hayward, along with their 13-year-old daughter, Taryn. The Haywards live in South Wales and are avid travellers. “We all love to visit different places and experience different cultures, and we all like to learn something from our travels. We’ve been on many different types of holidays—including fly drives, safaris, and camping in many parts of the world. In terms of relaxation combined with the ability to visit somewhere new, cruising works exceptionally well for all of us,” said Karen.

The Haywards first adventure with us was a Mediterranean sailing in 2017 aboard Celebrity Reflection. They had sailed with other cruise lines before but found that the activities for children were limited. After some research, they decided that Celebrity offered everything that was important to them—luxurious accommodations, first-class service, exciting itineraries, and activities for Taryn (who was 9 at the time). As guests of The Retreat, they were particularly impressed with the amount of space they had and how their butler, Joey, took such great care of them. They’ve since stayed in touch with Joey and have met up with him on two additional sailings. “He remembers everything, from the fact that Taryn likes apple juice (with no ice) to her ladybug suitcases,” said Karen. Camp at Sea was also a highlight for Taryn, who spent every moment she could there. “She made friendships very quickly and was extremely well-looked after (which gave us, as parents, real peace of mind and allowed us to relax and enjoy the trip even more),” said Karen.

The Hayward’s first trip abroad after Covid restrictions eased was aboard Celebrity Beyond. It was particularly special and memorable, as Taryn was invited to meet Captain Kate on the bridge. Taryn said, “It was an incredible experience to view the bridge and Captain Kate was so welcoming. She felt like a friend straight away and must be amazing to work with. It’s a forever memory.” Meeting the the first American female captain of a large cruise ship gave Taryn a first-hand glimpse at the role that hard work, determination, and focus play in achieving monumental professional achievement. This was a particularly pivotal moment for Taryn as she prepares for her General Certificate of Secondary Education (or GSCEs), key exams in the United Kingdom. Another memorable event was when Keith (who is musical along with the rest of the family) sang with the house band into the early hours of the morning—something he’s also done aboard Celebrity Silhouette. We wish we could have been there to sing along…Maybe next time.