This series follows our seven-night Mediterranean sailing aboard Celebrity Xcel, beginning in Athens and ending in Barcelona. Along the way, we explore Santorini, Mykonos, Ephesus and Valletta, with two sea days to slow down and enjoy the ship.
Xcel was one of the main reasons we booked. As Celebrity’s newest ship, we wanted to know whether it would still have the quieter, more grown-up atmosphere we expected from the cruise line. Sailing during the school holidays gave us a slightly different answer.
The headline experience was Royal Beach Club Santorini, but the whole itinerary delivered. We also discovered just how hot the Mediterranean can become in July, particularly during our day in Malta.
In this series:
Celebrity CruisesEvery episode from this trip, in the order we filmed it. Press play and come along.
Yassas from Greece! 🇬🇷 Santorini has been on our bucket list and getting to step off the ship onto this island was honestly a pinch-me moment. It's one of the most coveted port stops on any Mediterranean itinerary, and we can absolutely see why. For today's excursion, we booked Royal Caribbean's "Ultimate Santorini with Royal…
It's another summer in the Med — and this time, we're sailing with Celebrity Cruises for the very first time. And what better way to jump in than boarding the newest ship in the fleet: Celebrity Xcel. This is Part 1 of our Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean cruise vlog series. This flagship is unique in so…
We loved Celebrity Xcel and this itinerary, with Royal Beach Club Santorini the clear highlight. The ports are brilliant, but July and August in the Med can be fiercely hot. Malta was especially punishing, so carry plenty of water, plan your time ashore carefully and do not underestimate the heat. We also expected Celebrity to feel quieter and more adult, but a brand-new flagship during the school holidays drew plenty of families and far more children than we anticipated. None of that spoiled the trip, though. We would happily sail on Xcel again.
Every destination from the voyage — each opens its own guide with the places we filmed.
Every place we slept on this trip — with the booking links we used
Recommended
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…
Recommended
Mitsis N’U Piraeus Port served as our home for one night in this busy Greek harbor city. We found a modern, practical hotel that focuses on convenience for travelers heading to the water. It sits within walking distance of the main train station and local transit links for Athens. Rooms provide enough space for two…
The written companion to the voyage: longer reads, extra frames, and the small details the videos didn’t have room for.
A Celebrity Xcel port day in Santorini combining Oia and Fira sightseeing with an afternoon at Royal Beach Club. The £372.72 excursion skipped cable car queues, included a knowledgeable local guide, plus loungers, Greek food and drinks at the beach club. Practical tips on timing, shade and water shoes included throughout.
A few years back, before we discovered the beauty of cruising, we visited Santorini in a land based holiday for 3 nights. We were back in Santorini recently, this time stepping off a tender from the Xcel, and it got me thinking about the last time we did this island — no cruise line doing…
Seven nights, four restaurants and one simple rule: if we would order it again tomorrow, it earns a place in The Plate Log.
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.
We have been to Athens previously and spent a good few days there before the cruise, so this time, since our cruise embarked from Piraeus, we chose a hotel that was conveniently located close to the cruise port, as we were arriving only a day before departure. After some research, we settled on the Mitsis…
Kalós írthate stin Athína – welcome to Athens! This magnificent Greek capital is more than just a cruise embarkation point. Its rich history alone is one of the many things that entice tourists and travellers of all ages. Here's what we did during our pre-cruise stay in Athens, and maybe this will be helpful to…
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