Tag Archives: Celebrity Apex

Celebrity Xcel to Enter Service Early

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Celebrity APEX photo credit Spacejunkie2 flickr

Celebrity Cruises’ next Edge-class ship, the Celebrity Xcel, will enter service earlier than initially planned.

According to a statement issued by the company, the 3,260-guest vessel will offer a short preview cruise ahead of its maiden voyage in November.

“We have an important update on the arrival of the Celebrity Xcel into Fort Lauderdale,” Celebrity said in a message to booked guests.

“Our teams have been working diligently on building our new ship, and the completion is now earlier than we had originally anticipated,” the company added.

As a result, the Xcel will sail from Port Everglades for a new four-night cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, on Nov. 9, 2025.

According to the company, the ship is entering service earlier. Inaugural festivities are still set to take place during the ship’s Nov. 18, 2025, sailing.

Passengers who booked the inaugural cruise are being offered a chance to change their reservations to the new preview sailing.

“We understand that for some guests, it’s important to be the first onboard, and for others, being part of the inaugural celebrations is what matters most,” Celebrity explained.

“With this added sailing, we wanted to give you an exclusive opportunity to be the first to join us for our new sailing, or have the option of switching, if that’s what you prefer,” the company continued.

Passengers who opt to change their reservation to the new preview cruise will sail in the same exact suite or like-for-like staterooms currently booked.

While suite guests will have the same booked suites held for them as a courtesy, the offers are on a first-come, first-served basis, Celebrity noted.

The cruise fare rate will be adjusted to the current prevailing rate, and guests will be refunded for the difference if there’s an overpayment.

Currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, the Celebrity Xcel is the fifth in Celebrity’s Edge-class series.

After its inaugural cruise, the 140,600-ton ship launches a series of seven-night cruises to the Caribbean departing from Fort Lauderdale.

Celebrity Cruises Reveals Details on Celebrity Ascent

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Celebrity Cruises revealed details about its upcoming ship, the Celebrity Ascent, set to launch this November.

The Celebrity Ascent will be based in South Florida for the 2023-2024 Caribbean season.

The ship will offer departures from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale from December 2023 to April 2024, exploring destinations like the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands before heading to Europe for a summer of Mediterranean cruises, according to a press release.

“I am so excited to introduce the world to Celebrity Ascent and continue the legacy of Celebrity’s Edge Series,” said Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge. “First launched in 2018, the Edge Series transformed what cruising could be and its ships like Edge, Apex and Beyond quickly became consumer favorites. Continuously striving to offer travellers a better way to enjoy travel and reach the world around them, we are so proud of what we have built and look forward to welcoming both seasoned and new cruisers alike.”

In addition to returning favourites such as the Theatre, the Rooftop Garden and the Sunset Bar, guests can look forward to new experiences including:

  • Redesigned Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud restaurant;
  • A plant-based tasting menu at Eden Restaurant;
  • Le Petit Chef dinner;
  • Bourbon offerings and tastings;
  • The Martini Bar;
  • Revitalized Main Dining Experience inspired by the culture of champagne.
  • The outdoor terrace at Blu.

The ship will also feature nightly entertainment at the Resort Deck, new production shows, a reimagined Casino floor and a redesigned art gallery. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to shop travel and home accessories at The Sunset Collection by Nate Berkus

Celebrity Apex to home port in Southampton in the 2024 season

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Celebrity Cruises’ second Edge-class ship, Celebrity Apex, will homeport in Southampton for its entire 2024 season.

Apex – which will be the first Edge-class ship to sail out of Southampton – will replace Celebrity Silhouette and offer four- to-13-night sailings from May through November 2024.

Itineraries include a 12-night Norwegian Fjords and Arctic Circle cruise, as well as sailings to Ibiza and the Mediterranean.

Following feedback from its travel partners, the line has announced its UK deployment two weeks in advance of the launch date for the first time, to allow agents to pre-register interest from guests.

To support the trade in selling the vessel, the line will host 600 agents onboard Apex in 2023, across a range of ship visits and seminars.

Agents will also have access to a suite of training and marketing tools via Celebrity Central, including webinars; digital “Be the first to book” banners; fact sheets; talking points; itinerary flyers; and print adverts.

New training modules featuring Apex will also be available on Celebrity Passport. Agents selling Apex can also earn up to £20 per booking on all 2024 bookings via Celebrity Rewards.

From 1 November to 5 December 2022, agents can earn up to £50 Celebrity Rewards points per booking on all 2023 sailings, across all stateroom categories.

Lisa Lutoff Perlo, president and chief executive of Celebrity Cruises, said: “Having one of our award-winning Edge Series ships sailing from Southampton will offer an experience like no other from the UK.

“Celebrity Cruises continues to redefine cruising, taking our guests to the world’s best places on the world’s best places.”

The line’s vice president and managing director EMEA, Jo Rzymowska, said the UK “has always been integral to the success” of the company, and homeporting Apex from Southampton “underlines our commitment to this market”.

“There is a huge appetite from UK guests who share our curiosity for people, places and cultures, and our passion for opening up the world through a love of travel.

“We invest a lot in the training of our travel partners because what’s really important to us, is that they can talk about what makes Celebrity different and what makes us unique, therefore they’re not just selling a big white ship. And that is really important.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming even more of our guests onboard Celebrity Apex when she raises the bar for cruising from Southampton in 2024.”