The Verdict
4/ 5
Book this one if you want a modern ship with decent food and a crew that genuinely makes a difference.
Our Rating
Length
7 nightsLast visit
July 2026about this stay
Celebrity Xcel is one of Celebrity’s newer ships, and she feels it. Everything about the design reads as deliberately contemporary, from the layout of the public spaces to the way the cabins are finished. Celebrity runs her on seven-night sailings out of Athens, which makes her a natural fit for a Greek islands cruise.
On board, the atmosphere skews relaxed rather than frenetic. The food is a genuine strong point, and the quieter corners of the ship reward a little exploring. The crew stands out too, not as a faceless operation but as individuals who are clearly good at what they do and seem to enjoy it. Days at sea feel unhurried in the best way.
The Infinite Veranda cabin concept is worth understanding before you book: it replaces a traditional balcony with a floor-to-ceiling opening window, which works for some travelers and not others. The lifts can be slow during busy periods. Families, couples, and solo cruisers who want a modern ship without an overwhelming onboard theme will feel at home here.
Our takeA genuinely modern ship with great crew, earning a strong four.
Reviews
What We Thought Aboard
Our full write-ups from Celebrity Xcel: the cabin, the food, and whether we'd book it again.
First-time Celebrity cruisers review Celebrity Xcel, comparing it to their usual Royal Caribbean sailings. They cover embarkation, their AquaClass cabin upgrade, dining highlights like Cosmopolitan, entertainment, crowd levels, and standout crew service. Despite frustrating lifts and an unconvincing Infinite Veranda, the ship left a strong, largely positive first impression of Celebrity Cruises.
Location
Find Celebrity Xcel
Celebrity Xcel homeports in Miami, Florida for its winter Caribbean season, and in Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Barcelona, and Athens depending on the time of year and its seasonal itineraries.
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Celebrity Xcel Med
Our Mediterranean summer aboard Celebrity Xcel took us from Athens to Barcelona, with Santorini, Mykonos, Ephesus and Valletta along the way. We loved the ship and the itinerary, although the intense July heat and busy school-holiday crowd made it a slightly different Celebrity cruise from the one we had expected.