Celebrity Cruises has launched its newest ship, the Xcel, the fifth vessel in its Edge-class series.
Xcel made its inaugural sailing from Port Everglades on 14 November, featuring seven new experiences that are designed to help guests find their “happy place”.
“Celebrity Xcel was thoughtfully designed with our guests in mind to be the happy place of vacationers globally,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. "From the seven new spaces guests will experience, to the innovative Xcel Dream Makers program, where our guests played a direct role in shaping the ship’s features, Celebrity Xcel lives up to her name in every way.”
The ship accommodates up to 3,260 guests across varying stateroom categories, including 198 suites, 163 Aqua Class cabins, 299 Concierge Class cabins, 664 Verandas and Infinite Verandas, 153 ocean view cabins and 169 inside cabins.
Elevated spaces and experiences include the Eden restaurant’s transformation to the Bazaar, a three-storey, multi-sensory space featuring LED screens and marketplace stalls to create a festival-like experience. The theme changes across voyages, to bring out elements of The Bahamas, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic.
The Club has opened an adult-focused gaming area, while the spa has been fitted with an additional outdoor lounge area, and the Edge class' first water-therapy space. The theatre has also added pyrotechnics and more advanced lasers to deliver 3D effects.
Celebrity Xcel will sail her first season from Fort Lauderdale, offering seven-night itineraries alternating between The Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. In summer, the ship will sail across the Atlantic Ocean to offer seven- to 11-night Mediterranean journeys out of Barcelona and Athens, including all-new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.
Coming up next is the sixth Edge-class ship, Celebrity Xcite, which will start sailing in 2028.