SAINT-NAZAIRE — Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, now under construction in France, got its new name along with its steel-cutting ceremony this week.

“Poised to transform the way modern travellers experience the world – all over again”, the cruise line says the newly-named Celebrity Apex will be the second vessel in Celebrity’s Edge series. The first, Celebrity Edge, is scheduled to launch later this year.

The steel-cutting ceremony took place at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard (formerly STX France) in Saint-Nazaire, France.

“Welcoming Celebrity Apex into our family with the leadership team was a very special moment, especially when we all signed the ship silhouette cut from the first piece of steel,” says Celeberity Cruises President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

She adds: “The success and momentum for Celebrity Edge has been incredible, and with Celebrity Apex we will yet again show how we are taking our brand to the next level. We are offering our guests the best way to experience the world in modern luxury style.”

Celebrity Apex is expected to make its debut in spring 2020, with the third and fourth Edge series ships arriving in fall 2021 and fall 2022, respectively.

Last week Celebrity announced a multi-year, fleet-wide upgrade, dubbed ‘The Celebrity Revolution’. The US$500 million project is billed as a reimagining of the fleet in partnership with more than 500 leading architects, designers, and engineers, all working to bring the rest of the brand’s fleet to Celebrity Edge. The first upgrade will take place in 2019, starting with Celebrity Millennium, and will continue across the fleet through 2023.