Celebrity Cruises has revealed the fifth ship in the line’s Edge class will be called Celebrity Xcel.
The cruise line promised “entirely new experiences” on the new vessel, set to debut in the Caribbean in November 2025, as well as many of the features offered on new sister ship Celebrity Ascent, which enters service on December 3.
The announcement was made at the Chaniers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the first piece of steel was cut for the new ship.
Celebrity Cruises president Laura Hodges Bethge said: “The Edge series has shattered preconceived notions of cruising, and I am thrilled to announce our next bold step as a brand with Celebrity Xcel.
“True to her name, 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.”
Celebrity Xcel’s inaugural winter season in 2025 from Fort Lauderdale is now on sale.
It offers seven-night itineraries, alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico and the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St Thomas and St Maarten.
Features on board Celebrity Xcel, as well as Celebrity Ascent, include The Retreat, an exclusive ‘resort within a resort’ with a two-storey sundeck for suite guests; two-storey villas with private plunge pools and staterooms with ‘infinite verandas’; an expanded rooftop garden and resort deck with cantilevered float pools; multi-level Sunset Bar; a Daniel Boulud fine dining restaurant; and a redesigned Grand Plaza over three decks.
The ship also features the return of the ‘Magic Carpet’, a floating platform which projects 13 storeys above sea level where guests can have dinner or drinks and enjoy uninterrupted views.