Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Xcel
- Cruises
- 54
- From
- $798
Ship comparison
Celebrity Xcel vs Sky Princess
Princess Cruises
Sky Princess
- Cruises
- 72
- From
- $469
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Celebrity Xcel is a large Celebrity Cruises ship carrying 3,260 passengers, in service since 2025. Sky Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 3,668 passengers, in service since 2019.
Choose Celebrity Xcel if you want a better-rated spa and gym, a more romantic trip or a newer ship: it outscores Sky Princess for spa & fitness (9.0 vs 7.0) and romantic (9.0 vs 8.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its maiden voyage was in 2025 (vs 2019).
Choose Sky Princess if you want a more active cruise, better-rated entertainment or a lower starting fare: it outscores Celebrity Xcel for active (10.0 vs 8.0) and entertainment (9.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $469 (vs $798).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Celebrity Xcel | Sky Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Celebrity Cruises | Princess Cruises |
| Ship size | Large | Large |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2025 (better) | 2019 |
| Gross tonnage | 140,597 | 141,000 |
| Passengers | 3,260 | 3,668 |
| Crew | 1,400 | 1,350 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.3 (better) | 2.7 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 43.1 (better) | 38.4 |
| Decks | 16 | 18 |
| Length | 1,073 ft | 1,083 ft |
| Beam | 128 ft | 155 ft |
| Speed | 25 mph | 25 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 10 / 10 (better) | 9 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 54 | 72 |
| Upcoming sailings | 91 | 122 |
| Cruise lengths | 6 to 16 nights | 4 to 46 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $798 | $469 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Celebrity Xcel leads on 3 of the ten, Sky Princess on 6, with 1 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Xcel
Celebrity Xcel, the latest Edge Series ship from Celebrity Cruises, debuted in the Caribbean in November 2025.
Sailing now
54 cruises on sale, from $798.
Princess Cruises
Sky Princess
Have you ever waited around for someone to meet you on vacation at a specific time? And they are not answering texts? Princess has an app for that.
Sailing now
72 cruises on sale, from $469.
Questions
Celebrity Xcel or Sky Princess?
Which is bigger, Celebrity Xcel or Sky Princess?
Sky Princess is bigger at 141,000 gross tons, against 140,597 gross tons for Celebrity Xcel. Celebrity Xcel carries 3,260 passengers and Sky Princess carries 3,668.
Which ship is newer, Celebrity Xcel or Sky Princess?
Celebrity Xcel is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2025 against 2019 for Sky Princess.
Which has more space per passenger?
Celebrity Xcel, with 43.1 gross tons per passenger against 38.4 on Sky Princess. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Celebrity Xcel, with one crew member for every 2.3 passengers against one for every 2.7 on Sky Princess.
Which is better for families?
Sky Princess scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 6.0 out of 10, against 5.0 for Celebrity Xcel.
Still deciding?
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