By
Laura Hyde |
Celebrity Cruises’ fifth Edge-series ship Celebrity Xcel has arrived at its new homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The ship, which was delivered by French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique in October 2025, will spend its inaugural season sailing seven-night itineraries alternating between The Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
“With each new ship, we raise the bar for the ultimate vacation experience – and Celebrity Xcel stands in a class of her own,” said Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, which owns the Celebrity Cruises brand. “With innovative design, elevated style, and signature hospitality, Celebrity Xcel's arrival sets a new standard for the industry and adds to our collection of experiences that turn the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”
Celebrity Xcel features Celebrity Cruises’ first-ever Celebrity Flagship store
Celebrity Xcel’s onboard experiences were finalised by a global community, known as the Xcel Dream Makers, who tested, tried and voted on the proposed new experiences, from culinary and interior design to entertainment. The ship features four new venues, as well as a three-storey multilevel space, The Bazaar. It is also home to Celebrity Cruises’ first-ever Celebrity Flagship store, which is part museum, part interactive retail experience.
“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 programme, where our guests played a direct role in shaping the ship's features, Celebrity Xcel lives up to her name in every way.”
In summer 2026, Celebrity Xcel will reposition to the Mediterranean, sailing seven- to 11-night journeys from Barcelona, Spain, and Athens, Greece.
Celebrity Xcel will spend its inaugural season sailing seven-night itineraries from Port Everglades