Celebrity Cruises ship classes: compare the current fleet
Compare 15 current Celebrity Cruises ships by class, with detailed guides, ship differences, photographs, cabin advice and official deck plans.
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The first choice is often the room: Infinite Veranda, conventional balcony or a suite with private facilities. Then compare the atmosphere and dining. Flora belongs in a separate Galápagos expedition comparison rather than a Caribbean resort-ship ranking.
This guide covers 15 ships operating for Celebrity Cruises as of September 23, 2026. It includes the brand’s worldwide fleet, so a ship appearing here is not necessarily available from a US port. Start with the comparison, then open the detailed guide for each class or design that interests you.
What matters for your decision
- 15 current ships are covered across 4 class, subgroup or one-ship guides.
- Solstice’s March 2026 renewal is a completed ship-specific change, not a class-wide promise. Xcel is included in Edge; future ships are excluded. Former Celebrity expedition vessels Xpedition and Xploration are outside the current operating roster.
- Compare the exact room, itinerary and complete trip cost before choosing a winner.
| Class or design | Ships | Why shortlist it | Tradeoff to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge | 5 | Distinctive public spaces give each day and evening several settings. | Infinite Verandas do not provide the same experience as a conventional balcony. |
| Solstice | 5 | Conventional veranda options appeal to travelers who want a separate outdoor balcony. | Refit differences now make generic class-wide venue lists unreliable. |
| Millennium | 4 | A smaller footprint supports a straightforward daily routine. | Entertainment and specialty-dining choice is narrower than on the newest classes. |
| Flora design | 1 | A purpose-built, small-ship design keeps the destination central. | The product is specialized and cannot be compared fairly with a mainstream cruise fare alone. |
How the fleet is grouped
Solstice’s March 2026 renewal is a completed ship-specific change, not a class-wide promise. Xcel is included in Edge; future ships are excluded. Former Celebrity expedition vessels Xpedition and Xploration are outside the current operating roster.
A ship class describes design ancestry. It does not establish identical restaurants, cabin benefits, refits or homeports. The distinctions below focus on decisions a traveler can use; they are not a statistical ranking of passenger satisfaction.
Edge: the Magic Carpet connects an evolving class
Edge class is for travelers who want the ship’s design, restaurants and evening spaces to be part of the reason for going. The five ships share the Magic Carpet and a strong outward-looking design language, but they have evolved substantially. Xcel’s Bazaar and Bora are not just new names for an otherwise identical ship.
Ships covered: Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Xcel.
Read the full Edge guide for the individual ship comparison, dining and cabin tradeoffs, photographs and official deck-plan links.
Solstice: conventional balconies and one major 2026 renewal
Solstice class remains a compelling place to look for a Celebrity cruise with conventional balconies, several specialty restaurants and plenty of places to spend an evening. The important 2026 qualification is that Celebrity Solstice now has a substantially different product from the one described in older class guides.
Ships covered: Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Reflection.
Read the full Solstice guide for the individual ship comparison, dining and cabin tradeoffs, photographs and official deck-plan links.
Millennium: Celebrity’s resort experience on a smaller scale
Millennium class is worth considering when Celebrity’s style appeals but a large new ship is not the objective. These four vessels put a conventional theater, lounges, pools and a manageable restaurant choice into a smaller footprint than Solstice or Edge. The itinerary can take the lead.
Ships covered: Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Summit, Celebrity Constellation.
Read the full Millennium guide for the individual ship comparison, dining and cabin tradeoffs, photographs and official deck-plan links.
Flora: a 100-guest Galápagos expedition ship
Celebrity Flora belongs in a different buying conversation from Celebrity’s ocean-going resort ships. It is a 100-guest, all-suite vessel designed for the Galápagos, where guided exploration and wildlife viewing structure the day. Choose the expedition and the itinerary first; the suite is the comfortable base around them.
Ships covered: Celebrity Flora.
Read the full Flora design guide for the individual ship comparison, dining and cabin tradeoffs, photographs and official deck-plan links.
Shortlist the itinerary and ship together
Write down the departure ports you would realistically use, the nights available and the experiences that matter to the party. Remove sailings that fail those requirements before comparing ship age. A more convenient departure can save more time and money than a small fare difference.
For a sea-day-heavy trip, the pools, lounges and activity mix deserve more weight. For a port-intensive trip, the room, meal routine and useful hours ashore may matter more. A large venue list cannot compensate for an itinerary you do not want.
Compare rooms and the full cost
Price the actual occupancy and acceptable cabin categories on the same basis. Include transport, hotel nights, required charges and the extras you expect to use. A specialty restaurant, private deck or youth activity has value only when the intended traveler can and will use it.
Read the current deck plan for the named ship and sailing date. Inspect the room legend, the decks above and below, and the route to your daily destinations. A class-wide room photograph cannot establish the view, privacy or access of the exact cabin.
Photograph and resources
The photograph shows Celebrity Apex at the date recorded in its credit. It illustrates the vessel, not a guarantee of its current paintwork, cabins or latest refit. Original photograph and attribution; photograph license.
Compare all eight lines’ ship-class collections, or browse Celebrity Cruises sailings.
Your decision checklist
- Write down the ship, departure date, port times and your party’s exact cabin occupancy.
- Confirm the specific attractions, restaurants and room benefits that justify your choice.
- Save the current deck plan and check rooms, public spaces and service areas above and below your cabin.
- Compare the full trip cost, including transport, required charges and the extras you will actually use.
- Check cancellation terms and get any essential accessibility or family arrangements confirmed before payment.
Questions travelers ask
How many current ships does Celebrity Cruises have in this guide?
15, checked for September 23, 2026. The roster excludes future ships and vessels that have completed service for the brand.
Are these all official class names?
Solstice’s March 2026 renewal is a completed ship-specific change, not a class-wide promise. Xcel is included in Edge; future ships are excluded. Former Celebrity expedition vessels Xpedition and Xploration are outside the current operating roster.
Which class is best?
There is no universal winner. Compare the activity and dining spaces you will use, the exact cabin, itinerary and complete trip cost. The table and individual guides explain the main tradeoffs.
Official sources and further reading
Sources checked September 23, 2026. Explore the original policies, destination guidance and provider information behind this article. Each description explains what you will find at the source.
- Celebrity Cruises fleetFleet context; future bookable ships are excluded from this operating roster.
- Xcel current onboard conceptsShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Celebrity Solstice relaunch, March 2026Celebrity-issued announcement describing completed work on Solstice, not a claim that all five sisters have the same refit.
- Celebrity renewed shipsShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Silhouette diningShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Reflection diningShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Millennium official deck-plan PDFShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Celebrity Rooftop TerraceShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- The Retreat: ship-specific facilities and limitationsGeneric fleet footnotes can lag refits; use the individual current ship plan and dated completion notices where they conflict.
- Flora onboard expedition experienceShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Lindblad acquisition of the former Celebrity expedition shipsExplains why older Celebrity Xpedition and Xploration references are excluded.
- Photograph: Celebrity ApexCelebrity Apex · 2020 · Jakez Bo from NANTES, FRANCE · CC0; Wikimedia thumbnail, displayed to fit the page.