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.

Florida Cruise Ports Smash Passenger Records as Industry Makes Comeback

Posted on 8 November, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

PortMiami and Port Everglades have reported record-breaking passenger numbers for fiscal year 2024 as cruisers returned to the high seas en masse following the pandemic.

PortMiami, the nation’s busiest cruise port and often called the “Cruise Capital of the World,” has set a new record with an astounding 8.2 million cruise passengers in fiscal year 2024, marking a 12.79% increase from the previous year’s record.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades in Broward County has also surpassed its previous records, welcoming 4,010,919 cruise passengers in the same fiscal year. This represents a remarkable 39% growth in passenger numbers and a 23% increase in cruise ship calls compared to the previous year, demonstrating the port’s rapid recovery and expansion. Of note, Port Everglades achieved passenger records with just 648 calls, highlighting the growing size of cruise ships.

Both ports’ fiscal years run from October 1 through September 30.

“Cruising is in high demand, and our cruise line partners are poised for greater gains with new itineraries and a variety of sailing dates,” said Joseph Morris, CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades.

Both ports are looking ahead to even more growth. PortMiami is preparing to welcome several new cruise ships in the upcoming 2024-2025 season, including vessels from Explora Journeys, Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Oceania. The port is also expanding its infrastructure, with MSC Cruises’ new Cruise Terminal AA set to become the world’s largest cruise terminal.

Meanwhile, Port Everglades expects the new record to be short-lived, with a whopping 4.4 passengers expected across its terminals in FY2025.

PortMiami also launched its shore power project in June, allowing cruise ships to plug into landside electrical power while docked, reducing emissions and noise. This initiative, a collaboration between the port and major cruise lines, positions PortMiami as the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard to offer shore power capability at five cruise berths.

Holland America’s Rotterdam Returns to Fort Lauderdale for Winter Season

Posted on 4 November, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Holland America Line’s Rotterdam returned to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades to kick off its winter season in the Caribbean.

After completing a summer deployment in Europe, the vessel docked at Port Everglades on Oct. 27, 2024.

To open its season in the region, the Rotterdam is offering a 12-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal.

Named “Panama Canal Sunfarer,” the itinerary features visits to six destinations, as well as a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

After departing Fort Lauderdale, the 2021-built ship sailed to Holland America’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.

The Rotterdam then visited Willemstad in Curaçao and Cartagena in Colombia before entering the Panama Canal.

Before returning to South Florida, the ship is also scheduled to sail to Colón in Panama, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica and George Town in the Cayman Islands.

Through mid-April, the Rotterdam continues to offer a series of seven- to 12-night cruises to the Caribbean.

The itineraries also sail to the Eastern Caribbean and feature visits to additional destinations, such as Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos), Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands).

Following the winter season, the Rotterdam is scheduled to return to Europe for a summer program sailing from the Netherlands.

The cruise program features departures from Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with itineraries that visit Scandinavia, Iceland, the British Isles, the Baltic, and more.

The Rotterdam is currently the newest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. It was built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and entered service in late 2021.

A sister to the 2016-built Koningsdam and 2018-built Nieuw Statendam, the 2,650-guest ship is the seventh in the company’s fleet to carry the Rotterdam name.

As part of Holland America’s Pinnacle Class, the vessel offers 11 different dining experiences, as well as a series of entertainment venues and other facilities.