By
Laura Hyde |
Celebrity Cruises has revealed that the fifth Edge-series vessel to join the fleet will be named Celebrity Xcel.
“The Edge series has shattered preconceived notions of cruising, and I am thrilled to announce our next bold step as a brand with Celebrity Xcel,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “True to her name, this next ship will ‘Xcel’ beyond her sister ships with entirely new experiences, yet to be revealed, but that will change the game all over again.”
The ship is currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. Executives from both Royal Caribbean Group, the owner and operator of Celebrity Cruises, and the shipyard cut the first piece of steel for the new ship on 7 November 2023.
Celebrity Xcel will debut in November 2025
Celebrity Xcel is scheduled to debut in November 2025 and will sail its inaugural winter season from Fort Lauderdale, Florida offering seven-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico and the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten
Celebrity Xcel debut will come less than a year after its sister ship, Celebrity Ascent, on 3 December 2024. Celebrity Cruises officials took delivery of the ship at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France on 8 November 2023 ahead of its maiden voyage from Fort Lauderdale, visiting St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Dominican Republic.