CELEBRITY CRUISES ERASES THE LINE BETWEEN SHIP AND SHORE WITH 'THE BAZAAR,' DEBUTING ON CELEBRITY XCEL
The brand new, ever-transforming space blends four unique festivals, alluring entertainment, experiential culinary offerings, and non-stop activities to bring destinations to guests like never before.
MIAMI, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A transformational experience awaits on Celebrity Xcel. Introducing The Bazaar, a brand-new multi-level, multi-sensory space unlike anything else at sea. The new experience will be an epicenter of excitement on board and will introduce authentic experiences that extend guests' time "on shore" to enjoy destinations in an unconventional way. Offering non-stop exploration, The Bazaar invites guests to get swept away in the sights, sounds, flavors, and traditions of the places they visit, and the festivals made famous by those destinations, all while on board Celebrity Xcel.
A first of its kind concept, no two days at The Bazaar are the same. Each day, the three-story space will transform, introducing new ways for guests to immerse themselves in the destinations called on throughout their sailing. The Bazaar comes alive to blend guests' on board and in port experiences in an elevated, authentic and unique way throughout sailings; from a market featuring local artisan products and hands-on craft experiences, to destination inspired festivals specific to each itinerary, regionally inspired culinary experiences, and unforgettable 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," shares 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."
Four unique Caribbean destination-inspired festivals - each linked to a destination where the ship is sailing – will immerse guests in the cultures of ports they visit. Every festival will bring a destination to life in a myriad of ways, including local food and beverage offerings, crafting experiences, retail enrichment activations, destination-inspired cooking and dance classes, pop-up entertainment, performances from local musicians, and other Caribbean-inspired activities. As Celebrity Xcel heads to Europe in 2026, The Bazaar will transform to feature festivals, markets and culinary experiences inspired by Mediterranean destinations.
On sea days, Market at The Bazaar invites guests to take the cities they visit with them. Guests can excite their senses with unique and engaging displays from local artisans who will come onboard to showcase their crafts, skills and traditions, and even teach guests how to make their own local creations. As with all experiences at The Bazaar, the offering at the Market will change throughout sailings to reflect each of the four festival themes. Depending on the festival theme, guests can expand their palate with activities including rum and chocolate pairings and local hot sauce tastings, dive deep into the destination's culture with experiences like live basket weaving demos, and find one-of-a-kind keepsakes from local vendors such as an authentic Caribbean mask shop, traditional Mexican leather hats, embroidery stations, and more.
For those happiest when connecting to new cultures through food, new destination-inspired dining options in The Bazaar will delight palates with local cuisines. An open kitchen concept, Mosaic, will serve reimagined and elevated dishes, inspired by the regions Celebrity Xcel is sailing, enhancing guests' appreciation of the incredible places they have visited.
For something extra special, guests can delight in an industry-first Chef's Table experience at Mosaic. Celebrity's global culinary leadership team will each develop a dish inspired by their native cuisine, plated and presented in an elevated way. The Chef's Table experience at Mosaic serves a diverse, multi-course tasting menu of childhood favorite dishes representing all continents, each perfectly paired with wines from Celebrity Cruises' award-winning selection.
Adventurous foodies can learn to cook regional delicacies at Chef's Studio at Mosaic. Celebrity's first-ever destination inspired cooking school. Chef's Studio invites guests to discover their inner chef as they learn to prepare new dishes from each destination they visit. Throughout the sailing, the cooking school repertoire will change to reflect the destination-inspired festival themes, allowing guests to master local favorites and add to their recipe books alongside creating new memories.
For guests on the go, 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. A breathtaking café on the water's edge, the inviting new seating area at Spice features floor-to-ceiling windows where guests can take in spectacular sea and port views.
Vacationers can have their say and determine how The Bazaar experiences will come to life onboard Celebrity Xcel. Celebrity Cruises' Xcel 'Dream Makers' is offering cruisers a first of its kind chance to help make key decisions across culinary, entertainment and interior design to finalize the cruise line's newest ship. Open to all who wish to join, Dream Makers is a global community of vacationers who 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 at Mosaic, and more. Those interested in joining Xcel 'Dream Makers' can register at www.celebritycruises.com/xceldreammakers.
An enriched vacation experience continues for guests in port, as Celebrity's authentic shore excursions offer multiple unique ways to explore a region's culture, designed to meet varying guest travel styles. Experiences range from exploration of culture through the senses on Chef's Market Discoveries, expertly crafted Small Group Journeys curated and led by local guides, and personalized, exclusive visits on Private Journeys. Guests seeking a unique beach experience in Nassau, will revel in the brand-new Royal Beach Club offering an all-inclusive beach day with the vibrant Bahamian spirit and culture at the heart of it all. Launching late 2025 and featuring pristine beaches, pools for every vibe and the world's largest swim-up bar to island-style spots for Bahamian fare and experiences featuring local artisans and live music, Celebrity Xcel guests will be some of the first to experience what is set to become Nassau's newest hotspot.
Celebrity Xcel is sailing her inaugural season from Fort Lauderdale, offering seven-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. In Summer 2026, Celebrity Xcel will set sail on her inaugural European season where guests can immerse themselves in the Mediterranean like never before on seven-to 11-night journeys out of Barcelona and Athens, including all new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.
To book a sailing with Celebrity Cruises, visit www.celebrity.com, call Celebrity Cruises on 1-800-CELEBRITY, or contact a trusted travel advisor.
About Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises delivers an elevated premium vacation experience across their fleet of ships traveling to nearly 300 destinations across more than 70 countries spanning all seven continents. Uniquely offering the intimate feel and thoughtful service of small ships, with the variety and excitement of bigger ones – guests can explore the world or get away from it for a little while. With every detail elevated beyond expectations, guests will never want to vacation any other way. An industry pioneer for more than 35 years, each Celebrity vacation offers experiences you won't find anywhere else aboard ships which continue to shatter industry expectations with the highly anticipated Celebrity Xcel® arriving Fall 2025.
Celebrity Cruises is headquartered in Miami and is one of five cruise brands owned by Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE:RCL). Visit www.celebritycruises.com for more information, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
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