Celebrity Cruises has recently undertaken sea trials of its new vessel Celebrity Xcel, giving cruise fans a sneak preview of the ship during its first ocean sailing on 13 September 2025.
With capacity for a considerable 3,950 passengers and weighing in at 141,420 gross tonnes, the Celebrity Xcel, as her name suggests, is one of the largest of Celebrity Cruises’ fleet, equalling her sister ships Ascent and Beyond.
The initial manoeuvres took place near her home shipyard, the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, while her official maiden voyage will depart Florida’s Fort Lauderdale in November 2025, to operate seven-night itineraries between The Bahamas, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St Thomas and St Maarten. She will not be seen back in Europe until summer 2026, when she will be serving cruises up to 11 nights long from Barcelona and Athens, with overnighters in Madeira.
Features include Celebrity Cruises’ familiar “Magic Carpet” platform – a cantilevered construction that can travel the side of the ship, serving different purposes at different heights, becoming a tender boarding dock at sea level, or extending restaurants, bars, and pool areas on other decks, of which there are 16 on board.
Suite guests benefit from “The Retreat” – where butlers attend an exclusive private restaurant, sundeck and lounge, while Deck 14 boasts a pool and hot tub. Other drinks and dining include the Bora’s alfresco brunch and Bloody Mary Bar, as well as the ship’s theatre are below on decks three, four, and five – where The Bazaar performance space promises to “blur the lines” between ship and shore, bringing “the culture, flavors, sights, and sounds of the destinations you’ll visit” on board.
New to Celebrity Xcel are “seven new spaces.” As well as the Hydra Room for spa treatments, the Celebrity Pool Club claims to “redefine pool day” where guests can enjoy “sun, play games, and chill out with ‘poptails’ and Caribbean-inspired live music. When the sun goes down, the energy goes up at our Shine the Night party with DJ-spun favourites.”
Over at the Attic at The Club 24/7 adults-only gaming room, it brings back retro favourites like Pac-Man and NBA Showtime, as well as offering pub classics like pool and darts. In addition, the Celebrity Flagship Store describes itself as “Part museum. Part retail therapy” and proposes a range of exclusive logo-ed gear and vintage collectables.
If none of that is to your liking, Celebrity Cruises’ website offers the chance to shape the future of the ship as well as win a spot on the ship’s naming sailing on 16 November 2025 by participating in polling around decisions for bucket list experiences on board.
