Celebrity Cruises takes delivery of its newest ship: Celebrity Xcel

Photo: Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises yesterday marked two milestones at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire France. The Royal Caribbean Group brand officially took delivery of its newest Edge series ship, Celebrity Xcel, and announced the name of the sixth Edge Series ship, Celebrity Xcite, as that ship’s first piece of steel was cut and construction commenced, Celebrity Xcite is expected to set sail in 2028.

“Celebrity Xcel represents the next bold step in our journey to transform the way the world experiences premium travel,” said Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO Jason Liberty. “Each ship in the Edge Series has re-imagined what’s possible at sea through elevated design and experiences that deepen the connection to the destinations being visited. 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.”

“Celebrity Xcel has been designed with our guest as our north star, we even involved them in the design process through the Xcel Dream Makers program, so we know she will be the happy place of vacationers globally,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “We’re thrilled to welcome guests aboard next month and are excited to further expand these offerings on Celebrity Xcite.”

“Celebrity Xcel and the entire Edge Series is the result of close collaboration between our teams,” shared 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.”

Welcoming the newest addition to the Celebrity Cruises fleet were Liberty, Hodges Bethge, Castaing, and captain Kyriakos Matragkas, captain of Celebrity Xcel. Executives were also joined by more than 1,600 Celebrity Xcel crew members in the celebration.

The milestone was marked with time-honored maritime traditions, including a formal signing ceremony, the symbolic changing of flags aboard the vessel, and a celebratory toast in the ship’s spectacular three-story Grand Plaza.

Celebrity Xcel will set sail in November with seven brand new spaces – from erasing the line between ship and shore to creating even more ways to restore and explore while on vacation.

From November, Celebrity Xcel will sail her inaugural season from Fort Lauderdale, offering seven-night itineraries alternating between The Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. In Summer 2026, the ship will set sail on her inaugural European season offering seven- to 11-night cruises from Barcelona and Athens, including all new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.

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• More on Celebrity Xcel HERE