Celebrity Cruises is bringing a larger vessel to Japan starting in 2028, as the Celebrity Solstice steps in to take over the routes currently sailed by the Celebrity Millennium.
The move, confirmed in a recent deployment announcement from the line, will give the region its first full season with a Solstice-class ship.
Celebrity Solstice is set to spend the summer months in the Far East, sailing itineraries out of Japan from April through October 2028. The cruises are designed to give travelers a taste of Tokyo’s fast pace, scenic looks at Mount Fuji, and overnight stops in both Kyoto and Aomori. Some sailings will be timed around Japanese festivals, including Golden Week and the Gion Matsuri celebration in Kyoto.
Carrying up to 2,850 passengers, the Solstice is notably larger than the Millennium, which has handled Celebrity’s Japan seasons in 2026 and 2027. Once the Solstice takes over the summer schedule, the 2,170-passenger Millennium will shift to Alaska for 2028 — though it won’t leave Japan behind entirely. The ship is set to return for spring and fall departures, with itineraries built around cherry blossom season and hibiscus blooms.
Together, the two ships will expand Celebrity’s reach into Japan’s warmer southern destinations, with a combined 17 stops planned in Okinawa.
During the winter months, both vessels will turn toward Southeast Asia and the wider Far East, running itineraries to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and China. Several of these routes include overnight port calls, giving passengers extra time in Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, Benoa in Bali, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Penang. Celebrity says the longer stays are meant to give guests more room to dig into destinations it considers especially rich in culture.
The Japan updates are part of a broader set of deployment changes for Celebrity. In Europe, the fleet is growing to four ships next season, with the Celebrity Beyond joining the Celebrity Xcel, Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Apex. Meanwhile, the Celebrity Equinox is set to debut in Alaska before heading back to South America for a longer season that will include voyages to Antarctica.
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