Key Aspects:
- Celebrity Cruises welcomed Celebrity Xcel, the fifth ship in the line’s popular Edge class, during a handover event at France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
- The cruise line also announced the name of its sixth ship in the class, Celebrity Xcite, as that vessel’s steel-cutting ceremony was held at the French yard the same day.
- Celebrity Xcel will be based at Port Everglades for the fall/winter 2025-26 season, offering mostly 7-night voyages to destinations in the Eastern and Western Caribbean, and the Bahamas.
Celebrity Xcel has officially joined the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet following the handover of the 140,600-gross-ton ship at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The ship is the fifth vessel in the line’s innovative Edge class and accommodates 3,260 guests in double occupancy; 3,950 with all berths occupied.
At the same time, the cruise line revealed the name of its sixth Edge-class ship — Celebrity Xcite, which is due to enter service in 2028.
The Edge-class ships are known for their unique designs and venues that include the Magic Carpet, a cantilevered platform that moves between decks and is used mainly as an entertainment space; Infinite Veranda staterooms that feature floor-to-ceiling windows; and the stunning three-deck Grand Plaza, the central hub of the ships.
“Each ship in the Edge Series has reimagined what’s possible at sea through elevated design and experiences that deepen the connection to the destinations being visited,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of parent company Royal Caribbean Group.
“With Celebrity Xcel now joining the fleet and Celebrity Xcite on the horizon, we’re continuing to set new standards for excellence and innovation alongside our trusted partners at Chantiers de l’Atlantique.”
All of the Edge-class ships have been built at the French shipyard. The first four ships in the class are Celebrity Edge (2018), Celebrity Apex (2020), Celebrity Beyond (2022), and Celebrity Ascent (2023).
“Celebrity Xcel and the entire Edge series is the result of close collaboration between our teams,” said Laurent Castaing, general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
“Our continued partnership with Royal Caribbean Group on Celebrity Xcite reflects a shared commitment to excellence and innovation.”
The festive handover ceremony was attended by cruise line and shipyard officials, including Celebrity Cruises’ president Laura Hodges Bethge, ship’s captain Kyriakos Matragkas, and the 1,600 members of Celebrity Xcel’s crew.
Construction of the ship began in June 2024; the vessel aced her sea trials in mid-September 2025, and shipyard staff completed their finishing touches in the run-up to delivery.
Celebrity Xcite Steel Cutting (Photo Credit: Celebrity Cruises)
As for the new-build Celebrity Xcite, her name was disclosed during the ship’s steel cutting ceremony, marking the start of her physical construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique and continuing the legacy of the Edge-class ships.
Ship’s Itineraries to Feature Bahamas, Caribbean Ports
Thanks to shipyard operations that moved ahead of schedule, Celebrity Xcel is debuting earlier than planned. She was originally set to sail from Fort Lauderdale on November 18, 2025, but the cruise line was able to add a 4-night preview voyage departing on November 9, 2025.
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Her preview cruise will make just one port call, to Cozumel, Mexico, while her 5-night maiden voyage, departing on November 18, 2025, will visit Cozumel plus Bimini Island, Bahamas.
Going forward, Celebrity Xcel will offer 7-night seasonal voyages to ports in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. A “Puerto Plata, St. Thomas & St. Maarten” cruise, for instance, will call at Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, USVI; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
In April 2026, the ship will deploy to Barcelona for the summer season, sailing 7- to 11-night cruises throughout the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.
In November 2026, Celebrity Xcel will return to the US, but not to Port Everglades. Instead, her second winter season will be operated from PortMiami.
The homeport and itineraries for Celebrity Xcite have not yet been announced.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
