Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Xcel, has successfully completed sea trials, marking a major milestone ahead of its November debut.
The sea trials were conducted near the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the vessel has been under construction.
Captain Kyriakos “Kirk” Matragkas oversaw the test voyage, which evaluated the ship’s maneuverability and operational readiness. According to Celebrity Cruises, the ship passed all assessments, clearing the way for its inaugural sailings.
About Celebrity Xcel
The fifth ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Series, Celebrity Xcel builds on the brand’s distinctive design and service features, with several new offerings set to debut onboard. Seven new spaces will be introduced, although details on these have not yet been publicly released.
Celebrity Xcel will launch service from Fort Lauderdale in November 2025, offering alternating seven-night itineraries to the Caribbean, including ports in:
- The Bahamas
- Mexico
- Grand Cayman
- Puerto Plata
- St. Thomas
- St. Maarten
In Summer 2026, the ship will transition to the Mediterranean for its inaugural European season, with seven- to 11-night sailings from Barcelona and Athens. Several of these itineraries will include overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.
Celebrity Cruises has not yet announced specific onboard innovations unique to Xcel, but the ship is expected to include popular features from the Edge Series such as the Magic Carpet platform and Eden venue.
