Celebrity Cruises will take delivery of a sixth Edge Series ship in 2028, President Laura Hodges Bethge has revealed.
Hodges Bethge said the new vessel, which is currently being internally referred to as Edge 6 or Xcel 2, will be a sister ship to Celebrity Xcel which will launch this November.
“The Edge series has redefined premium travel at sea, combining groundbreaking design with unforgettable guest experiences,” she said.
“Our guests have been asking for more from this series and now with Xcel 2, we’re continuing this legacy and pushing the boundaries even further.”
The announcement follows on the heels of the weekend’s float-out ceremony for Celebrity Xcel at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, celebrating the completion of its exterior.
Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.The ship’s inaugural season will see it sail from Fort Lauderdale in November, offering seven-night itineraries which will alternate between the Bahamas, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St Thomas and St Maarten.
“Thank you to our partners at Chantiers de l’Atlantique for lending their talents and expertise to build such pioneering and elegant ships,” Hodges Bethge said. “Together, we continue to push the envelope and set new standards in the cruise industry.”
Meanwhile, Celebrity has also announced a new Xcel Dream Makers program which enables guests to create their “dream holiday experience” aboard Xcel. Those who wish to join the program will join a global community that will test, try and vote on different aspects of the Xcel experience through online polls and in-person events. These will include its interior design, its culinary offering and its entertainment program.
Their selections will launch on Celebrity Excel when it sets sail in November, according to Celebrity Chief Marketing and Product Officer Michael Scheiner.
“We want to ensure our guests love our products and experiences, so involving them in the process to perfect Celebrity Xcel was a great way to achieve this,” he said. “Celebrity Cruises is known for ground-breaking innovation in ship design and experiences unlike any other at sea, when Xcel launches guests won’t have just found their happy place, they’ll have helped us build it.”
