Which Celebrity Ship Is Right for You

Pick the generation, not the ship

Ships within a Celebrity class share their layout, venues and character. Choosing the class narrows the decision almost entirely; after that, the individual ship matters far less than the itinerary and the date.

The exception is the Edge Series, where the ships were introduced over several years and each added something. Beyond and Ascent have larger Retreat areas than Edge; Xcel is the newest. But an Edge-class ship is an Edge-class ship, and if you like one you will like all five.

Check current details: Refits change things. A ship that has been through Celebrity’s revitalization programme can differ noticeably from a sister that has not. Check the last refit year for the specific ship on your sailing.

Edge Series

Celebrity Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent and Xcel. Around 130,000–141,000 tonnes, roughly 2,900–3,260 guests. The design-led generation, shaped by architects and designers brought in from outside cruising.

• Four complimentary main restaurants with distinct menus, instead of one dining room — the single biggest practical difference from the older ships.
• The Infinite Veranda: the stateroom window lowers and the veranda folds into the room.
• The Magic Carpet: a cantilevered platform that moves up the side of the ship and serves as a bar or restaurant depending on deck.
• Eden: a three-storey glass space at the stern that shifts from a calm daytime room to a bar and performance space at night.
• The Rooftop Garden and Resort Deck — more usable outdoor space than the older ships.
• The largest and best-equipped Retreat suite enclave in the fleet.

Best for: travellers who want the ship to be part of the holiday, Caribbean and Mediterranean sailings, and anyone who values contemporary design. Weakest for: travellers who want a traditional single dining room and a fixed table.

Solstice class

Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette and Reflection. Around 122,000–126,000 tonnes, roughly 2,850–3,000 guests. Introduced from 2008 and refurbished since — the fleet’s dependable middle.

• The Lawn Club: half an acre of real grass on the top deck. It sounds like a gimmick and is genuinely lovely on a scenic itinerary.
• A single main dining room with fixed or flexible seating — traditional, and preferred by many repeat cruisers.
• Conventional verandas with open-air balconies, which some travellers actively prefer to the Infinite Veranda.
• A large Solarium: adults-only, glass-roofed, and the best room on the ship on a cold-weather sailing.

Best for: Alaska, where the Lawn Club and Solarium earn their keep, and for anyone who wants a real balcony and a traditional dining arrangement. This is where most Canadians’ Celebrity cruising happens.

Millennium class

Celebrity Millennium, Summit, Infinity and Constellation. Around 91,000 tonnes, roughly 2,200 guests. The oldest ships in the fleet, extensively revitalized.

• Smaller, so they reach ports the larger ships cannot — a decisive advantage in Japan, the Adriatic and parts of South America.
• Easier to navigate: less walking, shorter queues, a more sociable scale.
• A single main dining room, and a smaller but still complete set of venues.
• Lower fares than the newer generations for the same itinerary.

Best for: itinerary-led trips where the ports are the point, travellers who dislike large ships, and anyone who would rather spend the difference on a better stateroom or a longer trip.

Celebrity Flora and the Galápagos

Celebrity Flora is a purpose-built, 100-guest expedition ship operating exclusively in the Galápagos. It is not comparable to the rest of the fleet and is not part of the group inventory on this site.

Check current details: Galápagos sailings carry their own permits, national park fees, flight arrangements through mainland Ecuador and entry requirements. They must be planned as an expedition trip rather than a cruise booking — ask us to handle it end to end.

How dining differs by generation

Across every generation, AquaClass guests dine in Blu and Retreat suite guests dine in Luminae. Those two restaurants are a large part of why those stateroom tiers are worth considering.

Check current details: Specialty restaurant lineups differ by ship and change with refits. Confirm which venues exist on your specific ship before planning dinners.

The Infinite Veranda question

On Edge Series ships, the standard veranda stateroom has an Infinite Veranda: the upper window lowers and bifold doors let the veranda space become part of the room. You get more usable indoor space, but the outdoor area is enclosed rather than open-air.

• In favour: a significantly larger feeling room, weather-proof, quieter, and better in cold or windy conditions.
• Against: you cannot step onto a genuinely open balcony, and some travellers find it claustrophobic or dislike the temperature behaviour.
• It is the main reason to choose a Solstice-class ship over an Edge-class one on the same itinerary.

Check current details: This is the single most common source of post-booking disappointment on Edge Series ships. If an open-air balcony matters to you, say so before booking — the ship choice, not the stateroom choice, is what resolves it.

Two Edge Series codes that mislead

On Edge Series ships two codes cause most of the confusion. "Panoramic Ocean View" (PO) has floor-to-ceiling glass and no veranda at all. "Deluxe Porthole View with Veranda" (P1 and P2) does have a balcony — but a large porthole opening commonly obstructs the view from it. One letter apart in a price list, and a whole balcony apart in reality.

Both rooms are good on their own terms. A Panoramic Ocean View has a genuinely expansive outlook and sits in price between an Ocean View and a Veranda. A P1/P2 porthole veranda is a real balcony at a lower price than a standard one. The problem in each case is only ever expectation.

Check current details: Check the category code, not just the name, before you book. Our group offer pages label PO explicitly as having no veranda, and label P1/P2 as having a veranda whose view the porthole may obstruct.

Size: what you actually gain and lose

Matching ship to itinerary

• Alaska — Solstice class from Vancouver or Seattle. The Lawn Club and Solarium suit the weather; the glaciers are the point.
• Caribbean — Edge Series from Fort Lauderdale. The ship is a genuine part of the holiday here, since the ports repeat.
• Mediterranean and Greek Isles — either Edge Series or Solstice class works; prioritize the itinerary and port times.
• Asia and Japan — Millennium class, for port access. The ports are overwhelmingly the reason to go.
• Transatlantic and repositioning — whichever ship is moving; you will be aboard for many sea days, so ship quality matters more than usual.
• Galápagos — Celebrity Flora, and nothing else.

Check current details: These are typical patterns, not guarantees. Celebrity redeploys ships seasonally and announces changes in advance. Confirm the actual ship on your dates.

When the newest ship is the wrong choice

• When it would push you down a stateroom tier. An AquaClass room on Solstice usually beats a standard veranda on Beyond.
• When the itinerary is weaker. A better ship does not fix a port list you do not care about.
• When you want an open-air balcony. Edge Series does not offer one in the standard veranda category.
• When the smaller ship docks somewhere the big one has to tender or skip.
• When the difference would come out of the trip length. Ten nights on Summit beats seven on Ascent for most travellers.