The Celebrity Xcel recently welcomed its first guests onboard in Florida, kicking off its maiden season for Celebrity Cruises.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, the Edge-class vessel was delivered to the company in late October.

After crossing the Atlantic with no guests onboard, the Xcel arrived in its new homeport at Port Everglades in early November.

The ship then embarked on a series of pre-inaugural and preview cruises ahead of its official maiden cruise.

Sailing from Port Everglades on November 18, 2025 the five-night cruise will feature a visit to Cozumel, Mexico, in addition to two days cruising in the Western Caribbean.

The Celebrity Xcel is then set to kick off a series of weeklong cruises to a wide range of destinations in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Departing from Fort Lauderdale every Sunday, seven-night itineraries alternate between Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

In May 2026, the 3,260-guest ship is then set to reposition to Europe for a series of seven- to 11-night cruises in the Mediterranean.

As part of its first season in the region, the vessel offers itineraries departing from ports in Spain and Greece, such as Barcelona and Piraeus (Athens). The deployment is highlighted by new overnight stays in Funchal on Portugal’s Madeira Island.

After welcoming the Celebrity Xcel, Celebrity is now getting ready to introduce the new Celebrity Xcite.

Ordered earlier this year, the next Edge-class ship will be built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard with delivery planned for 2028.

In addition to the Xcite and the Xcel, the Edge class also includes the 2018-built Celebrity Edge, the 2020-built Celebrity Apex, the 2022-built Celebrity Beyond and the 2023-built Celebrity Ascent.

During that same timeframe, the company’s fleet also welcomed the Celebrity Flora, which was built for expedition cruises to the Galapagos.