Celebrity Cruises would “love” to increase its capacity in the UK and is relying on agents to ensure demand continues to grow to warrant additional hardware, according to brand president Laura Hodges Bethge.

Speaking to media during the launch of the line’s newest ship Celebrity Ascent, Hodges Bethge said she is “constantly considering deployment options” for the fleet, and would be keen to deploy more capacity in the UK in addition to Celebrity Apex (pictured) which will homeport in Southampton in summer 2024 and 2025.

“We have Celebrity Apex homeporting in Southampton because we are very committed to the UK market,” she said.

“Over time, I would love to increase our capacity in the UK market.

“We need the support of our trade partners and customers by continuing to invest and growing the brand there.

“As we see demand continue to increase, we’re always looking at where our ships are based and considering our deployment options.”