Celebrity Xcel Cruise Ship Guide: Everything You Need to Know (2026–27)
Celebrity Xcel is Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, the fifth and most changed of the Edge-class ships. She carries around 3,260 guests and swaps Eden for The Bazaar, a destination-themed food and festival space. Xcel spends winter 2026–27 sailing the Caribbean from Miami and returns to the Mediterranean in summer 2027.
Celebrity Xcel Quick Facts
For travelers and ship spotters alike, here is a quick look at the core physical and operational metrics of Celebrity Xcel:
141,420 GT
Gross Tonnage
November 2025
Year Built
3,937 maximum
Passenger Capacity
1416
Crew Size
Miami (winter 2026–27); Barcelona and Athens (summer 26 and summer 27)
Home Port
Where Does Celebrity Xcel Sail in 2026–27?
Celebrity Xcel alternates between Florida in winter and the Mediterranean in summer.
-
Winter 2025–26 (inaugural season): Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), mostly 7-night sailings alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Her first sailing was a short 5-night trip to Bimini and Cozumel.
-
Summer 2026: Barcelona and Athens, 11 May to 23 October 2026, with 7- to 11-night Mediterranean cruises including Celebrity's first overnights in Madeira.
-
Winter 2026–27: Xcel moves to Miami for the first time, sailing 8 November 2026 to 11 April 2027. Expect 6- and 7-night Caribbean cruises – Puerto Plata and St. Maarten; St. Thomas and Antigua; the Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman; plus ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) sailings.
-
Spring 2027: a 15-night transatlantic to Barcelona via Bermuda, the Azores, Lisbon, Cartagena and Palma.
-
Summer 2027: back in the Mediterranean from Barcelona and Athens (late April to mid October 2027), 7 to 12 nights, visiting Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy, France, Greece, Malta and Turkey.
-
Winter 2027–28: current listings show 7-night Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Bimini sailings from Fort Lauderdale (December 2027 to February 2028).
-
Summer 2028: Celebrity has confirmed Xcel returns to the Mediterranean again.
Itineraries change – always check the latest schedule with Celebrity or your travel agent before booking.
Sailing from Barcelona or Miami? Read our Barcelona cruise port guide and Miami cruise port guide. For Bahamas sailings, see our Nassau cruise port guide.
Celebrity Xcel The Bazaar
What's Included on Celebrity Xcel?
Celebrity Xcel Bora
Celebrity isn't all-inclusive by default. Your basic cruise fare includes:
-
Your stateroom
-
The four main restaurants (Cosmopolitan, Cyprus, Normandie and Tuscan), Oceanview Café buffet, Mast Grill and Spice in The Bazaar
-
Tea, coffee, juice and water
-
Theatre and Club shows, Bazaar festivals and most daily activities
-
The fitness centre, pools and hot tubs
Not included: gratuities, most drinks, WiFi, speciality restaurants, the SEA Thermal Suite, spa treatments, excursions and photos.
Are tips included on Celebrity Xcel?
No. Daily gratuities are added to your onboard account. From 29 July 2026 they are:
-
$19.50 per person, per day – Inside, Ocean View and Veranda
-
$20.50 per person, per day – Concierge Class and AquaClass
-
$24.50 per person, per day – The Retreat suites
Is Celebrity Xcel Adults Only or Family Friendly?
Celebrity Xcel
Xcel is not adults only. There's a Camp at Sea kids' club and a teen club, and children are welcome. That said, there are no waterslides or thrill rides, the average age is mid-40s to mid-50s, and the ship has a grown-up, food-and-entertainment feel. It suits couples, groups of friends and families with teens best. The indoor Solarium is adults only.
What Makes Celebrity Xcel Different from Other Edge-Class Ships?
Celebrity Xcel Fine Cut
The Bazaar replaces Eden
The biggest change. Eden – the three-deck garden venue on the earlier Edge ships – is gone. In its place at the aft of deck 5 is The Bazaar, a colourful multi-level space themed around the region the ship is sailing. It runs festivals during the day and at night, with live music, dancers, crafts and lessons. In the Caribbean the theme is Caribbean; in Europe it switches to Mediterranean destinations.
Inside The Bazaar you'll find:
-
Mosaic – a speciality restaurant with an open kitchen, serving dishes inspired by the region you're sailing.
-
Chef's Table at Mosaic – a multi-course tasting menu built around Celebrity chefs' home cuisines, with wine pairings.
-
Chef's Studio – Celebrity's first cooking school at sea, with destination-themed classes (extra charge).
-
Spice – a complimentary casual spot for breakfast and lunch with rotating regional dishes and build-your-own bowls.
-
The Bazaar Bar.
Bora in the Rooftop Garden
Bora is a new open-air Mediterranean restaurant on deck 15, seafood-led, serving brunch and dinner. It's Celebrity's first ever brunch venue, with a Bloody Mary bar and live music. Extra charge.
Attic at The Club
The upper level of The Club is now a neon games room with free-to-play retro arcade machines, pool, darts and digital game tables. It's busy most of the day.
IYKYK – the hidden speakeasy
Xcel has a secret Prohibition-style bar called IYKYK ("If You Know, You Know"). The way in is through a photo booth in The Club – you take your photos and you're through. Phones are not allowed inside, and the show includes magicians, dancers and live music. Expect it to fill up, so go early in the cruise.
The Magic Carpet
Shared with her Edge sisters, the Magic Carpet is a tennis-court-sized platform cantilevered off the starboard side that moves up and down the ship. Depending on where it's parked it's a bar, an embarkation lounge or an open-air speciality dining venue.
Bigger spa
Xcel has the largest spa in the Celebrity fleet, with the first Hydra Room in the SEA Thermal Suite, a thalassotherapy pool, an expanded salon with a bubbles bar, and the Vitamin D outdoor sundeck at the front of deck 14 for Thermal Suite guests. Reviewers note the thalassotherapy pool is small.
Greener engine
Xcel is the first Celebrity ship with a tri-fuel-capable Wärtsilä engine that can run on methanol, which cuts local emissions when that fuel is used.
Celebrity Xcel Cabins and Suites
More than 80% of cabins have a balcony. There are 14 cabin types, 25 accessible staterooms and 32 cabins for solo travellers.
Cabin type - Approx. size - What you get
Inside Approx. 15–19 m², Smallest and cheapest; same Edge-class design and beds
Ocean View Approx. 18–20 m², Window, no balcony
Edge Single Approx. 12–17 m², Solo travellers, no single supplement on the cabin
Infinite Veranda Approx. 22–23 m², Window wall drops at the touch of a button to make the whole cabin a balcony space
Sunset Veranda Approx. 26 m², Aft, wake views and deeper balcony
Concierge Classas Veranda Priority boarding and dining, extra amenities
AquaClassas Veranda Blu restaurant and spa perks
Sky Suite / Aqua Sky Suite Approx. 30–35 m², Retreat access, sea-facing beds; Aqua Sky Suites get Thalassotherapy lounge access
Celebrity, Royal and Penthouse Suites Approx. 45–140 m², Retreat access, butler, bigger terraces
Edge Villas (6) Approx. 70 m², Two-storey duplex with a terrace pool/hot tub
Iconic Suites Approx. 220 m², The biggest suites on the ship, above the bridge
Sizes are approximate, based on Edge-class sister ships. Check the exact cabin on Celebrity's site.
The Retreat is Celebrity's suite-only area at the front of the ship across three decks: the Retreat Lounge (deck 15), the Luminae restaurant and extra sun deck (deck 16) and the Retreat Sundeck with a small pool, hot tubs and bar (deck 17).
Our tip: avoid cabins directly behind the Martini Bar on deck 3 and directly above The Club on deck 6 if you're a light sleeper. A Sunset Veranda is the best-value way to get a big balcony without paying for a suite.
Celebrity Xcel Restaurants
Complimentary
-
Cosmopolitan, Cyprus, Normandie and Tuscan – the four main restaurants, each with its own menu style.
-
Oceanview Café – the buffet on deck 14.
-
Mast Grill – poolside burgers and hot dogs.
-
Spice (new, Xcel only) – casual regional dishes in The Bazaar.
-
Luminae – Retreat suite guests only.
-
Blu – AquaClass guests only.
Speciality (extra charge)
-
Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud – fine dining; in 2026 the Xcel restaurant became the first restaurant at sea to earn a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating.
-
Mosaic and Chef's Table (new, Xcel only) – regional cuisine in The Bazaar.
-
Bora (new, Xcel only) – Mediterranean, brunch and dinner, in the Rooftop Garden.
-
Fine Cut Steakhouse – steaks and seafood.
-
Raw on 5 – sushi, oysters and seafood towers.
-
Le Grand Bistro / Le Petit Chef – French bistro by day; animated 3D table dinner show at night.
-
Magic Carpet – open-air dinner on the platform over the side of the ship.
Booking tip: book Le Voyage, Chef's Table and Bora brunch before you sail through the Celebrity app or website. They're the first to sell out on a new ship.
Shows and Nightlife on Celebrity Xcel
The Theatre has a 20-foot-tall curved LED wall with 17 million pixels, used with live performers, aerialists and parkour artists. Xcel has more than 75 resident performers, Celebrity's biggest cast.
Theatre shows (exclusive to Xcel)
-
Mainstage – a festival-style live music concert.
-
Between Takes – a comedy set on an old Hollywood backlot.
-
Chapters – a visual journey through nature and transformation, with aerialists.
The Club
-
254 West – a high-energy homage to New York's Studio 54 disco.
-
HOTEL – an interactive murder mystery.
-
Saddle Up Saloon – a country singalong dance party.
Best bars
-
Martini Bar in the Grand Plaza – flair bartending under the chandelier.
-
Sunset Bar – aft, multi-level, the place for sail away.
-
IYKYK – the secret speakeasy (see above).
-
The Bazaar Bar – busiest during festivals.
-
The casino now has its own full bar.
Celebrity Xcel The Magic Carpet
The Bazaar Festivals: What to Expect
The Bazaar festivals are Xcel's signature event, so plan your evenings around them.
-
When: each festival usually has an afternoon show and a night show. Check the Celebrity app for times each day.
-
What to wear: Celebrity's dress code is Evening Chic. For a Bazaar festival, go bright and colourful – it's the most relaxed party on the ship. Comfortable shoes, because people dance.
-
Tips: get there 20 minutes early if you want a spot on the lower level; the upper levels give the best view of the performers. Eat at Spice beforehand and you're already in the room.
Celebrity Xcel Insider Tips
-
Book speciality dining early. Le Voyage, Bora brunch and the Chef's Table at Mosaic sell out first.
-
Go to IYKYK on night one or two. Word spreads quickly and the queue gets longer as the week goes on.
-
The pool gets busy. The Pool Club is essentially the only main outdoor pool, so on sea days claim a lounger early or use the Solarium (adults only).
-
Vitamin D deck. If you buy a SEA Thermal Suite pass, use the outdoor Vitamin D sundeck on deck 14 forward – it's one of the quietest spots on board.
-
Use Spice for breakfast. It's quieter than the Oceanview Café and the food changes with the region.
-
Watch sail away from the Sunset Bar. It's aft, multi-level and has the best wake views.
-
Pack magnetic hooks. Cabin walls are metal, so hooks give you extra storage for lanyards and daily planners.
-
Prepay gratuities before you sail so you know your onboard bill.
