Celebrity Cruises’ newest Edge Series ship, Celebrity Xcel, has arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ahead of her inaugural season, adding fresh capacity and new product features for advisors selling contemporary premium cruising in the Caribbean and, from 2026, the Mediterranean.
The fifth ship in the Edge Series, Celebrity Xcel has been developed with direct traveller input via the Xcel Dream Makers programme, where guests tested and voted on elements of the onboard offering across culinary, entertainment and design.
“With each new ship, we raise the bar for the ultimate holiday experience – and Celebrity Xcel stands in a class of her own,” said Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “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 holiday of a lifetime into a lifetime of holidays.”
“Celebrity Xcel was thoughtfully designed with our guests in mind to be the happy place of travellers globally,” added 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.”
Among the key new concepts is The Bazaar, a three-deck space that changes in line with the itinerary to “erase the line between ship and shore”. It combines destination-themed festivals, live music and entertainment with two new dining venues – Mosaic and Spice Cafe – plus a market showcasing local artisan products.
Bora, a rooftop Mediterranean-inspired venue, has been designed as a flexible day-to-night space. By day, it offers a lively brunch with Mediterranean classics, brunch favourites and a Bloody Mary bar; by night it shifts to chef-led tableside preparations and shareable dishes accompanied by Greek ballads and Italian love songs. The Celebrity Pool Club introduces a more shaded rooftop layout and a new pool valet service with chilled towels, card games, sunscreen and storage, alongside enhanced private cabanas with dedicated service. Attic at The Club, an adults-only games lounge open 24/7, features retro arcade titles such as Pac-Man, NBA Showtime and Golden Tee plus pool, darts, foosball and shuffleboard.
Wellness has been expanded with Celebrity’s most extensive spa to date, including the first Hydra Room as part of eight therapeutic experiences in the Thermal Suite, and an outdoor Vitamin D Deck at the front of the ship offering ocean views, seating and complimentary non-alcoholic drinks.
Celebrity’s most wide-ranging entertainment line-up so far features three new shows in The Theatre, two new interactive productions in The Club, new immersive dance parties, additional daytime activities, live music and surprise pop-up performances. All new features were finalised with input from the Xcel Dream Makers community of travellers, who made key decisions across food and beverage, interiors and entertainment.
Celebrity Xcel is sailing seven-night roundtrip itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, alternating between The Bahamas, Mexico and Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St Thomas and St Maarten. In summer 2026 she will move to Europe for an inaugural Mediterranean season of seven- to 11-night itineraries from Barcelona and Athens, including new overnight stays in Madeira, providing further deployment options for advisors with clients considering premium Caribbean or Mediterranean cruising.