Celebrity Cruises has moved a step closer to welcoming passengers onto its newest cruise ship for the first time after completing sea trials.
The fifth ship in the cruise line’s Edge series, Celebrity Xcel, finished its first ocean sailing last weekend.
Helmed by captain Kyriakos Matragkas, the vessel completed a series of manoeuvrability tests designed to monitor the ship’s functional and operational capabilities near the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where it has been under construction.
At 141,420 gross tonnes, she is the same size as sister ships Ascent and Beyond – putting her among the largest across the Celebrity Cruises fleet.
She is also bigger than the remaining two vessels in her class, Edge and Apex.
There are some similar features such as the “Magic Carpet” platform that hangs over the side of the ship – operating as a restaurant by day and live music bar at night.
The ship has 16 passenger decks, including “The Retreat” at the top for suite guests.
Deck 14 is kitted out with a pool and hot tub, while decks three, four and five contain restaurants and the theatre.
Celebrity Xcel will also have some new features on board.
These include an all-day, all-night adult-only games room called Attic at The Club, featuring retro games such as Pac-Man, NBA Showtime and Golden Tee.
The Spa on Celebrity Xcel will have the brand’s first Hydra Room, plus guests can be pampered by valets on the exclusive Celebrity Pool Club private deck.
Other new features include The Bazaar on deck five – a performance space inspired by the ship’s destinations – and Mediterranean restaurant Bora on deck 15.
Celebrity Xcel’s maiden season starts in November 2025, with sailings from Fort Lauderdale around the Caribbean. Cabins are still available for the ship’s four-night preview roundtrip cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Cozumel, Mexico. Prices start at £718 per person – find out more here.
She will also visit Europe in summer 2026, offering itineraries from Barcelona and Athens. Cabin fares start from £1,203 per person – find out more here.
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