First Look: Celebrity Xcel

Celebrity Xcel at Chantiers

Celebrity Cruises offered its first look at the new Celebrity Xcel under construction in Nantes, France.

The 3,244-passenger ship, currently at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, will feature seven concept spaces not on the other four Edge-class ships, said Celebrity President Laura Hodges Bethge.

Most striking is the Bazaar, which offers samples of regional food and drink, full meals and daily carnival-like celebrations and LED walls that change with the mood and theme.

According to Hodges Bethge, the come-as-you-are lounge is meant to be highly interactive with guests, musicians, dancers, and other performers interacting in a natural, largely unscripted way.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s something happening to you but something happening with you,” she said.

The Xcel starts sea trials in mid-October with a projected October 23 delivery date.

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