The Newest Celebrity Cruise Ships (In Order)

Celebrity Cruises has one of the largest fleets of cruise ships for any premium cruise line. While it is some way short of the number of ships in the more mainstream fleets of Royal Caribbean, Carnival and NCL, the line has an impressive 16 ships currently sailing in the fleet – and more on the horizon.

It’s worth noting though that there are two main types of cruise ship sailing for Celebrity. You have their main line of ships, offering a typical cruise experience but with a premium touch. And then you have Celebrity’s Expedition line of ships, which are much smaller.

Celebrity Cruises is part of the Royal Caribbean Group and so is part of one of the largest cruise companies in the world, and also the most successful.

New ships always help to keep popularity high, and so let’s take a look at the newest ships in the Celebrity fleet – those that have recently launched, but first, those Celebrity Cruises newest ships currently being built…

What Are The Newest Celebrity Ships?

The newest Celebrity Cruises ship that has already launched for the cruise line is Celebrity Ascent, the fourth Edge-class ship for the fleet. She launched in 2023. One final Edge-class ship (for now) is due to join the fleet in 2025 – Celebrity Xcel.

The Newest Celebrity Ships Being Built

1. Celebrity Xcel (Edge Class) – 2025

We don’t know a huge amount yet about the fifth (and final?) ship in the Edge Class for Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Xcel. She was first ordered back in 2019, with the original delivery date set for late 2024. Of course, then 2020 happened, and a lot of things were pushed back.

In an earnings call in 2021, the Royal Caribbean Group announced that the ship was still on the plans, pending some contractual and financial conditions, but her delivery was moved to 2025.

No other ships have yet been announced, and no other class of ship for Celebrity has more than 5 ships, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Celebrity Xcel was to be the last of that class. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the next new Celebrity ship will be!

Suggested read: Celebrity Cruise Ships By Class

Celebrity Cruises’ Newest Ships Already Sailing

1. Celebrity Ascent – 2023

Joining the fleet in the latter part of 2023, Celebrity Ascent is the new Celebrity cruise ship and the fourth Edge-class ship, offering sailings around the Caribbean, helping to elevate the experience of Celebrity guests in this region.

During the summer months, she will move into Europe, focussing on cruises around both sides of the Mediterranean.

The Edge series is renowned for its outward-facing design – that means bringing the outdoors into the styling of the ship so that guests feel closer than ever to the surrounding beauty as they sail.

And this Celebrity newest ship takes this to new levels, with more expanded open-air spaces where guests can unwind and truly enjoy the calming atmosphere of the ocean.

As with other Edge-class ships, guests onboard can enjoy a wealth of fine dining experiences along with plenty of relaxing facilities. 

With the steel cutting taking place in November 2021, the ship was floated out in January 2023 with a complete hull, ready to enter the final stages of construction before she took her maiden voyage in December of that year.

2. Celebrity Beyond – 2022

The second-most recent addition to the Celebrity Cruises fleet, Celebrity Beyond is the third Edge-class ship to launch for the line and she really fulfils the promise of the class – more open spaces, more places to relax, and more areas where you can soak in the incredible views of the ocean as you sail.

Similar to many other ships in the Celebrity fleet, she spends her winter months exploring the Caribbean and her summer months offering itineraries across the Mediterranean, including sailings that focus on some of the unique ports of Croatia and Montenegro. She also has sailings along the Panama Canal.

While this won’t directly impact passengers, cruise fanatics will be excited to know that Celebrity Beyond is captained by Kate McCue. McCue was the first woman to be named the captain of a ‘Mega’ cruise ship when she took the helm of Celebrity Summit in 2015, and she remains a prominent figure in the cruise industry now that she has taken over Celebrity Beyond.

Celebrity Beyond was the first ship in the Celebrity fleet to be equipped with SpaceX Starlink internet connections. Using the SpaceX satellites, this provides a significantly faster WiFi experience for guests onboard.

3. Celebrity Apex – 2020

Celebrity Apex was the second of the Edge-class ships to join the fleet. She was completed on time in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she ultimately didn’t enjoy her maiden voyage until 2021.

During the winter months, she primarily sails around the Eastern Caribbean, and then in summer, she offers cruises around Europe. Unlike some of her sister ships, she mainly offers sailings in Northern Europe, including British Isles cruises, Norwegian Fjords itineraries and sailings to Iceland.

All of the Edge-class ships are very similar in design, retaining the popular features that were first introduced on Celebrity Edge.  And while her later sister Celebrity Beyond introduced Starlink internet first, it has since been retroactively added to Celebrity Apex too.

If you want to sample the premium cruise experience of an Edge-class ship, but you prefer the more historical landmarks and cities of the ports of Northern Europe, then Celebrity Apex would be the ship to go for.

4. Celebrity Flora – 2019

It’s not all about the Edge-class for Celebrity. One of the newer ships in the fleet, Celebrity Flora, is part of the Expedition class of ships that offer a similar premium experience, but on a much smaller scale.

She was also the first purpose-built ship for the fleet – unlike her two sisters in the Expedition Class, which were bought and renovated from other cruise lines.

Celebrity Flora is the largest of the Expedition-class ships, but don’t mistake that for meaning she is large – she still only has a capacity of just 100 guests, and in terms of gross tonnage, she is approximately 4% of the size of the Edge-class vessels.

Celebrity Flora is stationed in the Galapagos Islands. Guests will fly into Ecuador before they are transferred to the ship to explore the stunning scenery and wildlife of this fascinating area.

The ship is classified as a Mega Yacht, and she still offers that high-class experience you would expect from Celebrity Cruises – just without the scale. There are some beautiful suites to choose from, and multiple dining options too, including the Ocean Grill. Guests can unwind with entertainment in the Discovery Lounge, or relax with the view in the Observatory.

This may be a small ship, but she has a gorgeous design and she has plenty of fantastic spaces to enjoy during your cruise.

5. Celebrity Edge – 2018

Celebrity Edge was the first of the Edge-class ships, of course, and she launched back in 2018 – still relatively recent when compared to many of the other ships in the fleet.

Similar to her sister ships, she moves between the Caribbean in the winter months and Europe in the summer – focusing primarily on the Western Mediterranean and ports in Spain, France and Italy.

Of course, as the first ship in the Edge Class, a lot of features debuted on Celebrity Edge. This includes Eden, the magnificent ‘living’ room with three levels and a variety of sensory experiences designed to help you feel closer to the ocean, enhanced by the stunning floor-to-ceiling views.

There’s also the Magic Carpet – a protruding space that changes purpose throughout the cruise, and rises between the decks to offer amazing views from the ship.

And old favourites return too, such as The Retreat – the exclusive, all-suite location on the ship where guests can enjoy sumptuous spaces and incredible dining if they book accommodation here. Other guests don’t settle for average cuisine though – every restaurant onboard is exceptional.

To Conclude

While there aren’t too many new ships currently being built for Celebrity, the rest of the Edge Class is still relatively new and so still offers that fresh experience of boarding a cruise ship when it looks its best.

That’s helped by the stunning modern design of the ships – they all look incredible and it’ll take a long time for them to show their age.

Plus, Celebrity Flora is an exceptional addition to the fleet. While the older Expedition-class ships are still great choices, this purpose-built vessel offers one of the best ways to tour one of the most remote and fascinating locations on the planet.

For the full list of Celebrity Cruises ships, check out my guide to Celebrity Cruises ships by age, size and class.

And if you’d like to know which Celebrity ships cruisers like the best, then be sure to check out this list of Celebrity Cruises ships ranked by reviews.

Related Posts:

• 21 Exciting New Cruise Ships Launching in 2023
• The Newest Carnival Ships (In Order)
• The Newest Royal Caribbean Ships (In Order)