Say Hello to Excellence
By Stacey Zable
Say Hello to Excellence
By Stacey Zable
Uncover seven new spaces and one new happy place—Celebrity Cruises’ latest ship, Celebrity Xcel.
Celebrity Cruises’ fifth ship in its Edge Series, Celebrity Xcel, made its official debut in November with a host of new features that ensure guests sailing on the 3,276-passenger vessel enjoy the utmost in relaxation. We were able to get an up-close look at all that is new as we joined one of the first sailings. Here is what you shouldn’t miss:
Time at the Spa
As one of Celebrity Cruises’ largest spas, The Spa on Celebrity Xcel adds even more ways to simply focus on you. The new Hydra Room is a dedicated space for relaxing within heated water with massage jets. The number of therapeutic experiences of the Spa’s Thermal Suite total eight with the Hydra Room quickly becoming our favorite among them. There is also a Hammam, Salt Room, Steam Room, Infrared Sauna, Heated Tile Loungers, and a Rainfall Water Therapy Room for extensive “me time”.
We also didn’t miss the opportunity to step outside for the eighth therapeutic experience, the Vitamin D Deck, which is also a new feature of the Thermal Suite. This dedicated area not only provides some of the best views from the front of the ship while we sat on relaxing lounges, but also offers complimentary non-alcoholic beverages to add to the pampering.
“The new Hydra Room is a dedicated space for relaxing within heated water with massage jets.”
“The new Hydra Room is a dedicated space for relaxing within heated water with massage jets.”
You can access both the Vitamin D Deck and the Thermal Suite with a day pass you can purchase, or with complimentary access if you are staying in one of the AquaClass staterooms. The Spa features more than 120 treatments and therapies, plus an expanded salon area, which also happens to include a new bubbles bar for pairing your treatment with a complimentary glass of champagne.
Not part of The Spa but nearby is another place on board that shouldn’t be missed for unplugging. The adults-only Solarium is a calming space featuring a covered pool area with many lounge chairs to escape to in any weather.
Relax with AquaClass
Celebrity Xcel’s 1,646 staterooms and suites offer extras such as Cashmere mattresses, with most being king-sized beds (convertible to two twins). There are also infinite verandas that extend the space of the staterooms, with the opportunity to keep the ceiling-to-floor windows closed or open them half-way for a traditional veranda experience. Its 194 AquaClass staterooms and suites provide numerous extras to enhance a wellness experience. AquaClass guests receive bottled waters daily, yoga mats for use, and a choice of other in-room fitness accessories for strength, conditioning, meditation, yoga, and recovery. At The Spa, AquaClass guests not only receive unlimited access to the Thermal Suite, but also have access to a dedicated Spa Concierge to help book priority spa reservations, exclusive spa treatment package discounts, and complimentary fitness classes.
“AquaClass staterooms and suites provide numerous extras to enhance a wellness experience.”
“AquaClass staterooms and suites provide numerous extras to enhance a wellness experience.”
AquaClass’ exclusive restaurant Blu, however, is a prime reason guests choose AquaClass. Blu offers clean cuisine and is open for breakfast and dinner each day, with a changing dinner menu.
Bora & Beyond
Celebrity Xcel has a total of 32 restaurants, bars, and lounges. These include eight specialty restaurants and four main dining restaurants. New for Celebrity on Celebrity Xcel is Bora, an alfresco restaurant at the top of the ship featuring a Mediterranean menu that we truly enjoyed. It’s open for brunch and dinner and pairs delicious food with views of the sea. A customizable Bloody Mary bar, live music, and the occasional Mediterranean tradition of waving of white napkins adds to the experience. My favorite dish was the Gambas Al Ajillo. I requested not spicy and it was served full of flavor.
New Onboard Destination Focus
The Bazaar, another new concept on Celebrity Xcel, is an impressive interactive three-story space designed to incorporate and change with the region/destination the ship is sailing. This immersive concept incorporates food, activities, festivals, and live music. Our sailing featured the Caribbean region, with The Market selling interesting local artisan products, such as Caribbean masks, Mexican leather hats, and embroidery. The four festivals to be featured on Caribbean sailings can include interactive activities such as rum and chocolate pairings and local hot sauce tastings, and basket weaving demos.
The two dining venues in the space include the new specialty restaurant Mosaic, featuring an open kitchen and the destination’s signature dishes. Guests can also participate in the Chef’s Table experience at Mosaic, a multi-course tasting menu of Celebrity’s culinary leadership team’s own childhood favorite dishes inspired by their native cuisine and paired with wines. If you prefer a hands-on experience, you can learn how to cook regional dishes at the Chef’s Studio at Mosaic, a destination-inspired cooking school with changing themes based on The Bazaar’s festivals. The complimentary daytime Spice Café also within The Bazaar features rotating bites and special items once again focusing on the cuisine of the region. Its seating area boasts floor-to-ceiling windows for great views.
“The two dining venues in the space include the new specialty restaurant Mosaic, featuring an open kitchen and the destination’s signature dishes.”
“The two dining venues in the space include the new specialty restaurant Mosaic, featuring an open kitchen and the destination’s signature dishes.”
More Fun New Spaces
Games aren’t just for kids on Celebrity Xcel, with the new Attic at The Club as the spot to go for playing foosball (my personal favorite!), pool, darts, arcade games, and even a golf simulator. The space is on the second floor of The Club, which offers some sort of activity or show throughout the day and night. We had fun watching the new “254West” 80s theme show and the Finish the Song guest game show in the intimate venue.
“The space offers even more shade as well as enhanced private cabanas with dedicated service and food and beverage.“
“The space offers even more shade as well as enhanced private cabanas with dedicated service and food and beverage.“
For lovers of fun in the sun, the Celebrity Pool Club comes with its own Pool Valet to supply such amenities as sunscreen, chilled towels, card games, and even storage for personal items. The space offers even more shade as well as enhanced private cabanas with dedicated service and food and beverage.
If you are a bit of a cruise buff as we are, the new Celebrity Flagship provides a bit of Celebrity Cruises history and goodies for purchase. This museum/store has a host of exhibits and interactive experiences exploring the cruise line’s history since its start in 1988.
The Retreat, Celebrity’s “elevated” ship within a ship space, has been expanded on Celebrity Xcel with 228 suites, a lounge, dedicated restaurant Luminaire, and dedicated deck and pool and hot tub area. One of my favorite afternoons on Celebrity Xcel was spent simply lying on the deck, while the superior service offers up such extras as cold fruit skewers and more making us feel truly pampered.
2026 Sailings
Celebrity Xcel will sail in the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale through April 2026 on seven-night itineraries alternating between The Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. The ship will reposition from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona on a 15-night Spain & Portugal Transatlantic before sailing her inaugural European season in the Mediterranean from May to October 2026 on seven- to 11-night journeys out of Barcelona and Athens, including new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal. Get ready to discover each destination on board and off!
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