Introducing the Celebrity Xcel, the Next Frontier in the Edge-Class

Today, Celebrity Cruise Line introduced their newest ship, the Celebrity Xcel. The name was announced in the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, as the first piece of steel was cut for the ship. 

Celebrity Xcel is the fifth Edge-class ship

The Xcel will be Celebrity’s fifth Edge-class ship. Like the Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Ascent, this ship will be larger than its older siblings, the Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex. 

Like all Edge-class ships, it’ll feature the bright orange Magic Carpet that changes functions throughout the day. It can go from a loading dock for tenders, to a bar for cocktails, to a restaurant. 

It’ll also feature many of the improvements seen on the Beyond and Ascent, like The Retreat resort-within-a-resort area, an expanded Rooftop Garden, and a multi-level Sunset Bar. Inside the ship, the Xcel will get a redesigned Grand Plaza to create a more open-feeling space for the popular Martini Bar. 

A lot about Celebrity Xcel has yet to be revealed

Although bookings are currently open for the new ship, there’s still much to reveal about the new ship. Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge promised, “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.” 

While deck plans are currently available on the Celebrity website, many of the areas are blanked out. We can see that the layout and spaces are very similar to the Celebrity Ascent. Later on, we’ll see these new “game-changing” features, but likely it’ll be new restaurants replacing old ones and different decor. 

Celebrity Xcel will sail Caribbean itineraries starting November 2025

The Xcel will debut in November 2025. It will offer 7-day sailings from Fort Lauderdale, alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

See Celebrity Xcel itineraries here