Celebrity Beyond Resumes Service Following Repairs

Posted on 31 July, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

Celebrity Beyond Resumes Service Following Repairs

The Celebrity Beyond resumed its regular cruise schedule earlier this week after having a cruise cancelled due to propulsion issues.

Following repairs at a shipyard in the Bahamas, the 2022-built vessel welcomed guests back on July 27, 2025.

Sailing from PortMiami, the Beyond is now offering a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean that features visits to ports in the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico.

While all planned ports of call are set to be visited, Celebrity said that adjustments to the ship’s itineraries will be made.

“As you may have heard, our ship experienced a technical issue last week. Our experts responded swiftly and thoroughly, upholding the highest standards of safety and care,” the company explained in a statement sent to guests now onboard.

“We’re pleased to share that all necessary work is progressing and on track to be completed before our cruise together,” Celebrity continued.

“With smooth sailing ahead and to accommodate a lowered speed, we have a quick itinerary update to share,” the company added.

Adjustments include Falmouth and Cozumel being visited in reverse order and a change in the ship’s arrival and departure times for George Town.

Instead of docking at the port between 10 AM and 6 PM, the vessel will now arrive at 7 AM before sailing at 3:30 PM.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” Celebrity said.

Celebrity cancelled the July 20 sailing onboard the Celebrity Beyond on short notice after postponing guests’ embarkation by one day.

In a statement issued at the time, the company explained that the cruise had to be cancelled after further consideration.

“During our previous voyage, the ship experienced a technical issue that affected its speed,” Celebrity stated.

“While our teams have been working diligently, we need additional time to complete necessary assessments and repairs,” the company added.

The Celebrity Beyond was scheduled to offer a seven-night itinerary to the Eastern Caribbean that featured visits to St. Thomas, Nassau and St. Maarten.

Celebrity Unveils $250 Million Solstice-Class Upgrades

Posted on 30 May, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

Celebrity Cruises is investing more than $250 million to modernise its Solstice-class vessels, starting with Celebrity Solstice in March 2026.

The company said guests can look forward to eight new experiences, including four new-to-sea spaces, and many redesigned favourites.

Innovations include reinvented outdoor escapes with enhanced views, new restaurants and entertainment designed to create moments of connection with loved ones, as well as a redesigned stay with all-new stateroom categories and ship-wide stateroom upgrades.

“Our Solstice Series ships represent the best of classic cruising, and now we’re elevating this vacation experience even further by adding brand new experiences and enhancements at every turn,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “Guests will enjoy more ways to explore and restore, all while staying true to what made our guests fall in love with these ships in the first place.”

Highlights:

Boulevard Lounge – Good times and glamorous vibes will take centre stage at this brand-new, intimate entertainment venue. With always-on programming, from interactive daytime activities like new game shows and trivia to elevated evenings of candlelit concerts and duelling pianos, this cabaret-inspired lounge offers a dramatic new take on showtime.
Boulevard Bar – Just steps away from the lounge, guests can pull up a seat for handcrafted cocktails before or after the show—or both.
Celebrity Barcade – Guests should bring their A-game to this new, elevated sports bar, the perfect place to both watch and play games. Guests can catch their favourite sports teams from multiple screens positioned so well they’ll never miss a pass, or challenge their friends to a round of billiards, darts, or their favourite retro board game.
Trattoria Rossa – Step into an Italian hideaway that blends opulence with modern design to experience a restaurant that bursts with charm from every corner. The perfect setting to reignite date night, guests will have a front row seat to the action with authentic tableside preparations of dishes inspired by Italian classics, including fresh pasta made from scratch daily.
Fine Cut Steakhouse – The Forbes Travel Guide-rated, Edge Series favourite steakhouse will bring upscale dining with service that’s elevated to an art form. There’s something for everyone at Fine Cut Steakhouse, which offers 30-day dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood, the elevated service Celebrity is known for, and elegance at every turn.

In addition, Sunset Park transforms the top deck of Celebrity Solstice, where guests can enjoy unparalleled views from this half-acre outdoor oasis. Plus, with elevated cuisine, refreshing cocktails, lawn games, open-air concerts, and more, a day at the park never looked so good.

Celebrity noted all staterooms will be refreshed, and four new categories will be added: the Panoramic Infinite Veranda Suite, Deluxe Panoramic Oceanview Suite, Panoramic Ocean View Suite and Deluxe Panoramic Ocean View.

Bow-to-stern enhancements also include a design refresh for more venues: Café Al Bacio, Cellar Masters, World Class Bar, Martini Bar, Pool Bar, Passport Bar, Blu—exclusive to AquaClass guests, and Luminae—exclusive to guests of The Retreat, the Fitness Centre, and Camp at Sea.

Celebrity Xcel to Enter Service Early

Posted on 2 May, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

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.