NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
Laura Hodges Bethge
Celebrity uses AI for guest insights
C
Line taps technology to analyse passenger behaviour. Lucy Huxley reports from Miami We already have
elebrity Cruises is building AI models to analyse onboard guest behaviour and
provide insights for agents to “help create demand”. Speaking at the launch of Celebrity
Xcel in Miami, the line’s leadership team said AI was being used across several areas, with insight for trade partners to drive “behaviours for success” high on the agenda. Royal Caribbean Group chief
executive Jason Liberty said the group was also overhauling its Orbitz booking system using AI to focus on the customer rather than inventory. “We’re on a journey to replace our
reservations system – and that’s going to be another big thing to unlock for our travel partners,” he added. Liberty and Celebrity president
Laura Hodges Bethge said the line was “insatiable” about creating new products for its guests as it unveiled seven new concepts on board Xcel. Hodges Bethge said all additions
had been made in response to customer demand, adding: “We already have a list of new things that we’re going to do for our next Edge Class ship, Xcite.” Liberty said the most successful
12 27 NOVEMBER 2025 Hodges Bethge said new
a list of new things that we’re going to do for our next Edge Class ship, Xcite
ideas were also being “rolled back to modernise the existing fleet”, with concepts including a “social hour every hour” being introduced on Solstice. The line also provided updates
about its forthcoming entry into the river cruise market, as it pledged that its river ships would be “miniature Edge Class” vessels. “The expectation is that our
river ships are going to look and feel like our product does on the ocean, only smaller,” said Liberty. “We’re also going to go to another level on land with our river product. What we offer [for excursions and cruise and stay options] will be really immersive.”
programmes featuring the line’s next three river vessels and the two already on sale would be released at the end of January, with more product details and incentives to be revealed beforehand.
She added that travel agents were
critical to the brand’s success and in telling Celebrity’s story to customers who had not tried the line before or even experienced either an ocean or river cruise.
AGENTS PRAISE NEW SHIP
Senior UK travel agents and operators praised the “beautiful” design of Celebrity Xcel, as well as its entertainment and culinary experiences. Lindsay Haslehurst, head of product and commercial at World Travel
Holdings UK, said: “It is absolutely stunning. I love the modern luxury feel.” Haslehurst’s standout venue was Attic at The Club, which stages a
variety of shows, including 254 West, which she called “the place to be at night” while on board. Tricia Handley-Hughes, InteleTravel managing director for the UK and
Ireland, said Xcel was “so beautifully and tastefully designed”, adding: “I find it hard to fault.” One of the seven new venues on board is The Bazaar, where the line
will host destination-themed festivals and markets. Paul Hardwick, director of retail at Fred Olsen Travel, said The
Bazaar and its new dining venue, The Spice Café, were his “favourite parts” of the ship, adding: “The whole ethos of the area is just beautiful.” John Sullivan, commercial director at Advantage Travel Partnership, also singled out the culinary experiences on board, adding: “The ship is world class and looks stunning.” Simon Applebaum, managing director of Gold Medal, said Celebrity Cruises had “absolutely knocked it out of the park once again”.
Jason Liberty
travelweekly.co.uk
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