Celebrity Cruises has marked a milestone, with the steel cutting for its new Celebrity Apex.

The event took place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard (formerly STX France) in Saint-Nazaire, France. The steel cutting is the traditional first step in the shipbuilding process. Celebrity Apex will debut in the spring of 2020 as the second in the line’s Edge series. It will follow Celebrity Edge, set to debut in November 2018

“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,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.

“We are so grateful for our partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique and are thrilled to work on another very special ship together,” she added. “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.”

The third and fourth ships in the Edge series will debut in the fall of 2021 and fall of 2022.

Celebrity is one of five brands operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.