We analyze metastable fragmentation of mass selected neon cluster ions, produced by electron impact ionization of a neutral cluster beam under conditions that lead to isolated electronically excited species (excitons) within the cluster. We have determined metastable fractions for parent ions up to Ne-20(+). Moreover, the average kinetic energy of the fragment ions has been measured. The kinetic energy obtained for the exciton driven metastable decay exceeds the value obtained for statistically driven monomer evaporation reactions by at least an order of magnitude. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.