New deployment schedule 2025-2026

[SSAtlantic]

I know Celebrity only does a full Panama Canal transit once in the spring and once in the fall as repositioning. Are those usually announced with Caribbean or a different time?  

[Jumping Cruiser]

2 hours ago, OfTheSeasCruiser said:

Was wondering the same. @Jumping Cruiser, you're seeing 3 ships in the Caribbean throughout the summer? I have to imagine one of them will make their way to NJ. 

 

1 hour ago, shipfriend_max said:

Indeed you forgot Canada/New England and Bermuda

 

17 hours ago, princessfanboy said:

So which ship would be making Bermuda and later the Canada and New England?

 

I knew I forgot something! Thank you for reminding me. 😂

 

Reflection and Silhouette both are booked into Key West on what look to be short Caribbean sailings. It is difficult to find port bookings for the Northeast and Bermuda, but I would expect either Reflection or Silhouette to take on them routes, as I can’t imagine 3 Summer Caribbean ships myself. 

[Jumping Cruiser]

1 hour ago, shipfriend_max said:

I see Reflection doing 7 night Caribbean during summer and SILHOUETTE doing Bermuda and Canada/New England, taking over the 2024 deployment of Eclipse which however will be based in Amsterdam instead of Silhouette 2024.

 

Beyond looks to continue with the longer 6-Night+ cruises throughout Summer 2025. Meanwhile, Reflection/Silhouette will offer short sailings of 3/4-nights, most of which call at Perfect Day.

[mahdnc]

27 minutes ago, SSAtlantic said:

I know Celebrity only does a full Panama Canal transit once in the spring and once in the fall as repositioning. Are those usually announced with Caribbean or a different time?  

 

Last year, the westbound transcanal sailing (Summit, Apr 2024) was released on Nov 15 while the Caribbean sailings were released in mid December. 

 

The eastbound transcanal sailing (Summit, Sep 2024) was not released at the same time when the westbound one was.  I think that one got released in late December.

Edited November 5, 2023 by mahdnc

[shipfriend_max]

1 hour ago, Jumping Cruiser said:

 

Beyond looks to continue with the longer 6-Night+ cruises throughout Summer 2025. Meanwhile, Reflection/Silhouette will offer short sailings of 3/4-nights, most of which call at Perfect Day.

Okay obviously EITHER Reflection or Silhouette are doing the short Caribbean runs and one of those two ships sailing Canada/New England and Bermuda.

I'd assume it's Silhouette out of Cape Liberty in 2025 but who knows. In Grand Cayman Silhouette is listed from mid of November 2025 again. 

Edited November 5, 2023 by shipfriend_max

[SSAtlantic]

What ship would be doing the Panama Canal, the Summit again?

We are interested if it is an M class thru the old locks. If not, we may book a Panamax Princess ship. 

[mahdnc]

27 minutes ago, SSAtlantic said:

What ship would be doing the Panama Canal, the Summit again?

We are interested if it is an M class thru the old locks. If not, we may book a Panamax Princess ship. 

 

We don't know for sure, but my guess it will continue to be a Millennium class ship.

[mahdnc]

Here is the newly published Deployment Itinerary Reference Guide 2025/26.  Dates and itineraries for Xcel's cruises are listed.

 

 

 

 

[princessfanboy]

11 hours ago, mahdnc said:

Here is the newly published Deployment Itinerary Reference Guide 2025/26.  Dates and itineraries for Xcel's cruises are listed.

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much!, but it seems like the link is broken or it’s just me?

[mahdnc]

23 minutes ago, princessfanboy said:

Thank you so much!, but it seems like the link is broken or it’s just me?

 

Sorry, the URL I posted is messed up. Here is the correct one:

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/Deployment/CEL_2025_26_Itinerary_Reference_Guide.pdf

[Jeremiah1212]

The new itineraries are scheduled to publish on Tuesday of the weeks mentioned in the flyer except for Europe which should be Thursday 11/16. 

[gerelmx]

On 11/5/2023 at 11:09 AM, Jumping Cruiser said:

 

 

 

I knew I forgot something! Thank you for reminding me. 😂

 

Reflection and Silhouette both are booked into Key West on what look to be short Caribbean sailings. It is difficult to find port bookings for the Northeast and Bermuda, but I would expect either Reflection or Silhouette to take on them routes, as I can’t imagine 3 Summer Caribbean ships myself. 

 

I would like it to be the Silhouette that sails to New England and Canada and that it were 14-day itineraries departing from Cape Liberty, N.J.

[cbfb]

14 hours ago, mahdnc said:

Here is the newly published Deployment Itinerary Reference Guide 2025/26.  Dates and itineraries for Xcel's cruises are listed.

 

 

 

 

I’m assuming Bahamas is February 2024? 

[mahdnc]

41 minutes ago, cbfb said:

I’m assuming Bahamas is February 2024? 

 

Yeah, good point.  That release date is obviously a typo.

[cbfb]

2 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Yeah, good point.  That release date is obviously a typo.

I thought that maybe it was correct and I had missed it. I’ve always gotten the best prices the day they are released so I’m glad that isn’t the case. 

[princessfanboy]

4 hours ago, gerelmx said:

 

I would like it to be the Silhouette that sails to New England and Canada and that it were 14-day itineraries departing from Cape Liberty, N.J.

My guess is it’s going to be out of Boston. 
If you look at the map of the flyer, it shows Boston with a red dot, so it’s a home port

[Cruise till you drop]

Yes XCel is now posted and available for booking.  We just booked an SV for Jan 2026 (809 days to go 😂)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Some interesting developments now that the 2025 European itineraries have been released. 

 

Apex's fall 2025 transatlantic ends in Port Canaveral

Equinox's fall 2025 TA ends in Buenos Aires

Eclipse's ends in Fort Lauderdale

Ascent's ends in Fort Lauderdale

 

And some interesting findings on a social post by Celebrity:

Beyond to Miami year round

"Iceland: New Round-Trip Sailings" (Not sure what this is referring to - nothing was released with Europe except for a couple sailings to Iceland from Southampton/Amsterdam, but those aren't necessarily new)

 

[snoozecrooze]

16 minutes ago, OfTheSeasCruiser said:

"Iceland: New Round-Trip Sailings"

According to https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/11/celebrity-cruises-announces-2025-26-season/ - "For the first time, Celebrity is offering four new seven-night itineraries circumnavigating Iceland in July and August 2025 onboard the Celebrity Silhouette."

[LonestarV]

Alaska is up.

 

Late May porthole view Veranda on Edge is about the same or less than balcony on RC. 

 

This would be our first Celebrity cruise, would be interested in anyone's thoughts on the porthole view Verandas.

[cruisestitch]

1 minute ago, LonestarV said:

Alaska is up.

 

Late May porthole view Veranda on Edge is about the same or less than balcony on RC. 

 

This would be our first Celebrity cruise, would be interested in anyone's thoughts on the porthole view Verandas.

There are dozens and dozens of posts on this topic. I was perfectly satisfied with the porthole verandah.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Just booked a SV for Alaska May ‘25…have to wait to see and book the precruise land tours. 

[Cruise till you drop]

4 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Just booked a SV for Alaska May ‘25…have to wait to see and book the precruise land tours. 

We are considering May or Sept 2025.  May I ask your reasoning to select May 2025?

[Barwick Cruiser]

4 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

We are considering May or Sept 2025.  May I ask your reasoning to select May 2025?

We’ve done Alaska twice in September, both were very good, but we’d like to see more snow on the peaks so figured we’d try a cruise earlier in the season. We’ve booked the May 30th Summit southbound and will add the precruise tour on when they’re released. 

[Cap_D]

FYI.  I believe the Caribbean for 25/26 was just released.  Edge class pricing seems to come out to the same as the XCel pricing from November, or a bit higher due.  My comparison didn't take into account port differences, and others variables, but just the per day cost of a SS after the discounts.   2025 Easter is on April 2025, although I think the Apex departs on its TA the week earlier (don't hold me to that).  I've not looked, but I assume the week before Thanksgiving, the first week of December, and second week of January could be a bit lower as those seem to be when warm weather vacations that predominately North Americans (e.g., cruises, Orlando parks, etc.) are less busy.

 

And, of note, there's plans to home port Edge class ships at Port Canaveral (no where near Orlando airport, IMO) and Miami, in addition to FLL.  I'm not sure who goes to Orlando parks, drives an hour, and then would do a week on a ship, but suppose that's the thinking overall at RCCL.  Suppose Miami is better for passengers arriving from outside the U.S. locations.  In any event, all the ships seem to make up their time and still get to the same collection of ports in Caribbean and Bahamas.   And, fwiw, the holiday weeks when school children are out do not include stops at CocoCay (presumably due to capacity with RCL getting priority).

 

Another general observation, with XCel on the calendar, what's out now seems to reflect the full extent of Celebrity's fleet for at least a few years until / if they have another class of ships at the end of the decade.  So, one can see the patterns, where they want the Edge class ships, and how they use the older (or much older) ships.