Celebrity Cruises wants to give power to the people for deciding on the finishing touches to its new cruise ship.
Celebrity Xcel is due out in November 2025, and a new program will allow the public to vote on the things passengers will enjoy onboard.
Traditionally, the choice of a ship's aesthetics, culinary, and programming are decided by teams across the company and vetted through focus groups, executives, and other means of picking the perfect option.
Celebrity wants to give its fans the choice with the Xcel "Dream Makers" program.
The cruise line says anyone will be able to "test, try and vote on new experiences" for Celebrity Xcel. The hope is this will invigorate a ship that is the fifth in the Edge Class with something different.
Celebrity Cruises Chief Marketing and Product Officer Michael Scheiner said they want to involve their guests in the design process, "Celebrity Cruises is known for ground-breaking innovation in ship design and experiences unlike any other at sea, when Xcel launches guests won't have just found their happy place, they'll have helped us build it."
You'll have the final say
Celebrity says its guests will have "the final say" on decisions of what will be added to Celebrity Xcel.
The way it works is the public will be able to choose through online polls and "and one-of-a-kind experiential in-person events".
To be eligible, you just need to be a resident that is 21 years and older, living in the US, Canada (excluding Quebec), UK, and Australia/New Zealand.
There are three key areas outline where the public has a choice:
- Design
- Culinary
- Entertainment
Specifically, there are seven, new, yet-to-be-revealed experiences, that need the Dream Makers to make a decision on.
Votes will go towards these areas:
- Choosing textiles, managing interior design elements and curating service offerings;
- Picking their favorite dishes and beverages, choosing table settings and shaping dining concepts; and
- Providing input on headline shows, curate props and costumes, select playlists and partake in selections to appoint pivotal entertainment positions onboard.
Want to join the team and be part of this? You just need to head over the Dream Makers website for more information.
New ship has been floated out
Today's announcement coincides with a recent construction milestone for Celebrity Xcel, as the new ship is sitting in water for the first time.
The new cruise ship is under construction at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The ship was moved into the water and a new Basin so that the next phase of construction can begin.
This means the ship can float without assistance, and the completion of the ship's exterior.
Celebrity Xcel is sailing her inaugural season from Fort Lauderdale, offering seven-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.
In Summer 2026, Celebrity Xcel will set sail on her inaugural European season where guests can immerse themselves in the Mediterranean like never before on seven-to 11-night journeys out of Barcelona and Athens, including all new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.
The lesson of letting the internet decide
I love that Celebrity is involving the public in choosing the look and feel for its new ship, but I can't help but recall an infamous result of a similar endeavor.
In 2016, the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council held a contest to name its newest $300 million Antarctic survey vessel.
Rather than opt for dignified choices, the internet went for funny over form. The front-runner for the contest based on submissions from the public was R.R.S. Boaty McBoatface.
Funny enough, Royal Caribbean thought it was amusing too and extended an offer to the person that came up with the idea, James Hand, to bring his talents and help Royal Caribbean develop the name for a future ship.
Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, said, "Like the rest of the world, we fell in love with the name Boaty McBoatface when we heard it, and we knew immediately that Royal Caribbean could use James Hand’s talent to name our next ship."
