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 lâAtlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, while her official maiden voyage will depart Floridaâs 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 âMagic Carpetâ platform â 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 âThe Retreatâ â 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 Boraâs alfresco brunch and Bloody Mary Bar, as well as the shipâs theatre are below on decks three, four, and five â where The Bazaar performance space promises to âblur the linesâ between ship and shore, bringing âthe culture, flavors, sights, and sounds of the destinations youâll visitâ on board.
New to Celebrity Xcel are âseven new spaces.â As well as the Hydra Room for spa treatments, the Celebrity Pool Club claims to âredefine pool dayâ where guests can enjoy âsun, 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.â
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 âPart museum. Part retail therapyâ and proposes a range of exclusive logo-ed gear and vintage collectables.
If none of that is to your liking, Celebrity Cruisesâ website offers the chance to shape the future of the ship as well as win a spot on the shipâs naming sailing on 16 November 2025 by participating in polling around decisions for bucket list experiences on board.
