Celebrity Cruises launches industry first ‘Dream Makers’ programme

In an industry first, cruisers will help make key decisions across culinary, entertainment and interior design to finalise Celebrity Xcel, the cruise line’s newest billion-dollar ship.

Celebrity Cruises is inviting holiday makers worldwide to create their dream getaway experience on Celebrity Xcel® with Xcel ‘Dream Makers^SM.’ Open to all who wish to join, this global community will test, try and vote on new experiences. Their selections will launch on Celebrity Xcel in November 2025 for holiday makers to enjoy, further elevating the fifth ship in the cruise line’s award-winning Edge® Series into a class of its own.

“We want to ensure our guests love our products and experiences, so involving them in the process to perfect Celebrity Xcel was a great way to achieve this,” shares Michael Scheiner, chief marketing and product officer of Celebrity Cruises. “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.”

In an industry first, Dream Makers will have the final say across key elements of the cruising experience to be offered on Celebrity Xcel when she sets sail. Through online polls and one-of-a-kind experiential in-person events, the public will perfect the ship’s design, culinary and entertainment offerings.

Dream Makers will put their design, experiential and foodie skills to the test on Celebrity’s newest ship, making decisions across key spaces, including the ship’s seven, new, yet-to-be-revealed experiences. Dream Makers will make their mark on the Celebrity Xcel by:

• Choosing textiles, managing interior design elements and curating service offerings;
• Picking their favourite 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.

With the help of Dream Makers, Celebrity Xcel will push the boundaries of leisure travel. The ship reached a major milestone on 18^th January, floating out of dry dock at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The float out ceremony celebrated the completion of the ship’s exterior, bringing Celebrity Xcel one step closer to welcoming guests. The innovative ship will also advance Royal Caribbean Group’s decades-long commitment to sustaining the planet with the first tri-fuel capable engine, representing an important steppingstone on the company’s journey to Destination Net Zero, its vision for net-zero emissions by 2050.

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.

Those interested in joining Xcel ‘Dream Makers’ can learn more at www.celebritycruises.com/xceldreammakers.

For more information visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk.