Celebrity Xcel Makes Inaugural Call to Grand Cayman

The Ministry of Tourism & Trade Development (MTTD) and Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) were pleased to welcome Celebrity Xcel on her inaugural call to Grand Cayman on Friday November 28, marking the beginning of a transformative partnership between the Cayman Islands and Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Xcel, Celebrity Cruises' newest ship and the fifth in their Edge Series ships, launched in November 2025, features seven new spaces plus an array of new entertainment experiences, offering guests the intimate feel and thoughtful service of small ships, with the variety and excitement of a larger one. The ship will make eleven bi-weekly calls to the Cayman Islands between November 28, 2025, and April 17, 2026, bringing up to 3,260 guests to the destination’s shores.

To commemorate this inaugural visit and growing partnership with Celebrity Cruises, a special Plaque and Key Ceremony was held aboard Celebrity Xcel on Friday, November 28. The ceremony officially recognised the collaboration between the Cayman Islands and Celebrity Cruises and symbolised the opening of new doors between the Cayman Islands and global audiences.

Attendees included Acting Premier and Minister of Tourism and Trade Development, Honourable Gary Rutty, who presented welcome remarks, representatives from MTTD, CIDOT, Department of Environmental Health (DEH), Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI), Cayman Islands Customs & Border Control (CBC), The Caymanian Land & Sea Cooperative Society Ltd, Captain Marvin’s, and Bodden Shipping. MTTD, DEH, CBC, PACI, and Bodden Shipping exchanged plaques with Captain Kyriakos "Kirk" Matragkas, Captain of Celebrity Xcel, during the symbolic ceremony. Following the ceremony, dignitaries and guests enjoyed a guided tour of the new ship, experiencing an exclusive look at the entertainment, culinary, and retail areas onboard including a new marketplace, The Bazaar, which features products made in the Cayman Islands.

“We are pleased to welcome Celebrity Xcel on its maiden call to Grand Cayman. This magnificent new ship represents the future of premium cruising, and her arrival demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Celebrity Cruises and their confidence in our destination,” said Acting Premier Rutty. “As we continue to enhance our cruise tourism and visitor experience, partnerships like this with Celebrity Cruises are essential to ensuring the Cayman Islands remains a premier Caribbean destination.”

“This partnership also represents a significant milestone in how we share Caymanian culture with the world. We are particularly thrilled about The Bazaar aboard Celebrity Xcel, which provides our local artisans with an extraordinary platform to showcase their talents directly to international audiences while remaining in their home port. Through this partnership, we are creating authentic cultural exchanges that benefit both our visitors and our local creative community", Acting Premier Rutty continued. “We look forward to welcoming Celebrity Xcel's guests to experience our vibrant culture and warm Caymanian hospitality, and to building an even stronger relationship with Celebrity Cruises as this exceptional ship makes George Town a regular port of call.”

The Bazaar is Celebrity’s new, innovative experience that erases the line between ship and shore in an elevated, authentic and unique way through food, activities and live music.  During each Grand Cayman port call, The Bazaar will transform into a multi-sensory marketplace where cruise guests can engage directly with local artisans and cultural ambassadors through live demonstrations, storytelling, and immersive cultural exchanges. Following an open call for interest from the community and a robust evaluation process, CIDOT is proud to announce the five selected vendors for the Cayman Islands during this season: Body Treats Etc, 3 Girls & a Kiln, Island Girl Beauty, Mixcolourgy, and Outlandish.

For more information about the partnership and upcoming cruise tourism activations, visit ourcayman.ky or contact the Tourism Product Development team at CIDOT at portsofentry@caymanislands.ky