Celebrity Takes Delivery of its Newest Ship… While Also Revealing What’s Next

Fans of Celebrity Cruises have two big reasons to cheer as the cruise line announced a double dose of good news. Not only has the cruise line welcomed its newest ship to the fleet, it’s also revealed the name of the ship that’s coming next.
Celebrity Xcel — the fifth Edge-class ship in the fleet — joined the cruise line officially. It will begin sailing with passengers in November. Image courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
Celebrity Xcel Joins the Fleet to Sail From Fort Lauderdale
First, the line has officially taken delivery of its newest ship, the long awaited Celebrity Xcel.
Xcel marks the fifth ship in Celebrity’s Edge class. Built in France, the sister-ship to Celebrity Edge, Ascent, and others continues to set the bar when it comes to luxury cruising.
While most lines choose to continually build mega-ships that push the limits of the number of passengers onboard, Celebrity’s Edge class goes a different direction. With only about 1,650 staterooms, the new Celebrity Xcel carries roughly 3,300 passengers at double occupancy. That’s about half as many passengers as newbuilds from other lines.
Meanwhile, those fortunate enough to sail will have some of the most luxurious surroundings available on any major cruise ship.
The famous Magic Carpet — the cantilevered open-air bar area that hangs over the side of the ship — is a staple of this class, including Xcel. Eden, the multi-story nature themed spot aft on Edge ships has been transformed into The Bazaar, a spot that celebrates the sights and sounds of destinations around the world with all new styling.
Onboard there are 14 cafes, bars, and lounges and 18 different restaurants (including four different main dining rooms). Like other ships in the class, there is the unique circular theater that offers some of the best entertainment we’ve seen at sea. There’s the Rooftop Garden and the Solarium for those that want quiet places to relax.
The Retreat (shown here on Celebrity Ascent) is a private deck area for those staying in higher-end suites.
And for people that want the most luxurious experience on the ship, The Retreat makes its appearance on Xcel. This special group of suites features its own private spaces, including its own sundeck and pool where you can enjoy the sun in a more private location away from the rest of the ship.
Having personally sailed Edge-class ships before, we can tell you firsthand that they have to be seen to be believed. While any new cruise ship is nice, these ships seem to take it to a whole other level.
Celebrity Xcel will begin sailing with passengers in November from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Next summer, the ship will move to Europe, sailing Mediterranean routes from Barcelona and Athens.
Brand New to the Fleet, Xcel Will Get a Sister Ship with Celebrity Xcite
Executives also had a steel-cutting ceremony to mark the start of construction on the new Celebrity Xcite. Image courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
While normally welcoming an entirely new ship to the fleet is enough news, Celebrity is going even bigger.
That’s because in addition to welcoming its newest ship, the cruise line also revealed the name of its next ship during a steel-cutting ceremony that marks the start of construction.
Celebrity Xcite will be the sixth ship in the line’s Edge class, making it a sister to the previously mentioned Xcel. It’s being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire
With construction now underway, Xcite still won’t set sail until 2028. When it arrives, the ship will mark the 16th in the line’s fleet, not including the river cruise ships planned to roll out soon.
There’s no word just yet on where the ship will sail.The post Celebrity Takes Delivery of its Newest Ship… While Also Revealing What’s Next first appeared on Cruzely.com.
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