Celebrity Cruises announced the addition of Celebrity Xcite, the sixth vessel in its Edge class, which will be based at the Port of Miami for the 2028/29 season. The ship will operate seven-night round-trip cruises covering Eastern and Western Caribbean destinations. Initial itineraries include stops at St. Thomas, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten, and the Dominican Republic.
Fleet Expansion and Home Ports
The cruise line plans to deploy ten ships simultaneously across the Caribbean in 2028 and 2029, anchored at five home ports: Miami, Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Cape Canaveral, Tampa, and the Port of San Juan in Puerto
Rico. This expanded deployment caters to various cruise durations and markets in the region.
Short Cruise Offerings
Celebrity Beyond will offer nine four-night weekend cruises to the Bahamas departing from Port Everglades between November 2028 and April 2029, marking the first time an Edge-class ship will run such short itineraries. The short cruise segment also includes Celebrity Eclipse sailing from Fort Lauderdale and Celebrity Summit operating out of Miami.
Extended and Specialty Cruises
For longer voyages, Celebrity Beyond will provide nine- to twelve-day cruises incorporating six Panama Canal transits. Celebrity Ascent will run ten- to thirteen-day itineraries from Fort Lauderdale. The fifth Edge-class ship, Celebrity Xcel, will
offer seven- to nine-day cruises focusing on the southern and western Caribbean, including the ABC islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Celebrity Silhouette will sail nine- to thirteen-day routes to the southern Caribbean—visiting Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia, and Grenada—and from October 2028 will add week-long cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Year-Round Deployment and Modernization Plans
Celebrity Reflection will be stationed year-round at Fort Lauderdale, operating seven- to nine-day Caribbean itineraries. It is scheduled for a major refurbishment in March 2027 during which 13 passenger areas including the Grand Plaza, restaurants, lounges, and outdoor decks will be redesigned. Additionally, Celebrity Apex will operate Caribbean cruises from
Cape Canaveral while Celebrity Constellation will run week-long Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa to Key West and the Bahamas.
Booking for the 2028/29 winter season opened on November 5, 2026, with summer 2028 cruise bookings starting on December 9, 2026.
Edge-Class Design and Market Strategy
The Edge-class vessels feature distinct glass architectural elements and reconfigured decks aimed at enhancing ocean views and increasing premium cabin availability. The presence of ten Celebrity ships across five departure ports reflects the company’s strategy to optimize terminal utilization and serve diverse passenger markets across Florida and Puerto Rico amid competitive pressure in the North American cruise market.
