By
Alex Smith |
Celebrity Cruises is to debut a new multi-level space, The Bazaar, onboard Celebrity Xcel.
The three-story space will transform each day to introduce new experiences inspired by the destinations called on during the ship’s voyage. These will range from a market featuring local artisan products and hands-on craft experiences to destination-focused festivals, regionally inspired culinary experiences, and entertainment.
“The Bazaar is a truly one-of-a-kind space designed to seamlessly blend ship and shore and transform the way guests experience destinations,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “Celebrity Xcel intentionally extends the destination experience onboard through a continued authentic offering between ports of call, allowing guests to take the destination with them.”
Celebrity Xcel’s inaugural season will be spent in the Caribbean, and four Caribbean destination-inspired festivals will be hosted in The Bazaar to immerse guests in the region. Each festival will include local food and beverage offerings, crafting experiences, destination-inspired cooking and dance classes, performances from local musicians and other activities. When Celebrity Xcel heads to Europe in 2026, The Bazaar will transform to feature festivals inspired by Mediterranean destinations.
On sea days, Market at The Bazaar will feature displays from local artisans who will come onboard to showcase their crafts, skills and traditions while teaching guests how to make their own creations. The Market will change throughout sailings to reflect each of the four festival themes.
Market at The Bazaar will feature displays from local artisans
Meanwhile, an open kitchen concept, Mosaic, will serve reimagined dishes inspired by the regions Celebrity Xcel is sailing to. An exclusive Chef’s Table experience will also be available at Mosaic, for which Celebrity’s global culinary leadership team will each develop a dish inspired by their native cuisine, plated presented in an elevated style. The experience will serve a diverse, multi-course tasting menu of childhood favourite dishes representing every continent, paired with wines from Celebrity Cruises’ selection.
Chef’s Studio at Mosaic, meanwhile, will allow guests to learn to cook regional delicacies. Throughout the sailing, the cooking school’s repertoire will change to reflect the destination-inspired festival themes.
A new casual dining concept, Spice, will offer a daytime selection of rotating bites with special items inspired by the ports visited on the itinerary. The café’s seating area will be located on the water’s edge, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows where guests can take in sea and port views.
Guests will also have a chance to determine how The Bazaar experiences will appear onboard Celebrity Xcel as part of the cruise line’s ‘Dream Makers’ community. Open to all, the community will test, try and vote on new experiences they would like to see onboard Xcel. For the Bazaar, Dream Makers will shape how the festivals come to life, choose entertainment and activities in Market at The Bazaar, select menu items and more. Those interested in joining Xcel ‘Dream Makers’ can register via Celebrity’s website.
Celebrity Xcel is sailing its inaugural season from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, offering seven-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. In Summer 2026, Celebrity Xcel will then set sail on its inaugural European season where guests can embark on seven- to 11-night voyages from Barcelona, Spain, and Athens, Greece, including overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.