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Everything you need to know about Celebrity Cruises, the cool cruise line with a magic carpet
Founded in 1989 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, the funnels of Celebrity Cruises’ fleet are marked with a large X – actually the Greek letter chi – in a nod to the line’s Greek roots.
Acquired by Royal Caribbean in 1997, today the line is known for its ultra-chic ships – think of them as a relaxed luxury resort at sea – whose elegantly cool spaces have been created by world-renowned designers and architects including Kelly Hoppen CBE, Jouin Manku, Nate Berkus and Tom Wright.
Celebrity Cruises also has one of the most famous cruise ship captains in Kate McCue, who became the first American woman to captain a mega-ship – Celebrity Summit – in 2015, at the age of 38.
McCue isn’t the only woman in a position of responsibility at Celebrity Cruises as the line works towards gender equality. Ecuadorian Nathaly Alban is the first female captain to navigate the Galapagos, Briton Rachel Arnold is a chief officer, while Nicholine Tifuh Azirh became the first woman from Ghana to work on the bridge of a cruise ship.
Celebrity Cruises sails to more than 300 destinations in 79 countries, meaning you are spoilt when choosing where to go and when.
That being said, Europe and Alaska are Celebrity Cruises’ summer mainstays, with the Caribbean the established winter haunt – although the line will also send several of its ships to Asia and Australia during the Northern Hemisphere’s colder months.
Celebrity’s Galapagos-based vessel, Celebrity Flora, sails exclusively around the region, in keeping with local rules.
Most of the Miami-based brand’s itineraries range from one to two weeks in length. The sister cruise line to Royal Caribbean and Silverseas, Royal Caribbean Group, owns all three – Celebrity doesn’t offer Grand Voyages or world cruises. Rather, the line’s longest voyage is a 19-night Tahitian Treasures sailing onboard Celebrity Solstice. Departing from Honolulu in Hawaii, the cruise calls at Papeete, Raiatea and Moorea (French Polynesia) and Tauranga, Auckland and the Bay of Islands (New Zealand), before arriving in Sydney.
Celebrity also offers a range of mini cruises – bite-sized voyages that range from two to four days in length and are ideal for those who are new to cruising and looking to test the waters before committing to a longer itinerary.
Options include a three-night Key West and Perfect Day itinerary – which, as the name suggests, features a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean’s £190 million private island in the Bahamas) – or, closer to home, the Netherlands with its canal-filled cities and countryside lined with colourful tulip fields.
And if you want to skip today’s overcrowded airport experience, the good news is that Celebrity Apex will home-port in Southampton for a second consecutive summer in 2025. The Edge-class ship will offer cruises to the Norwegian fjords and Arctic Circle.
Celebrity Cruises attracts a diverse range of passengers. While most of the onboard activities and amenities including the stylish pool and lounge areas, classic shows (including exclusive performances from American Ballet Theatre performers on certain ships), casinos, martini bars, musicians and magicians, appeal to couples in their 40s and 50s, the line also draws in families thanks to its array of kids’ clubs (dubbed Camp at Sea) during the school holidays.
Camp at Sea is split into five age groups – Shipmates (three to five), Cadets (six to nine), Captains (10-12), and Teens (13-17) – with activities falling into four distinct categories: art, recreation, culinary and STEM.
What you won’t find are the surfing and skydiving simulators, rock-climbing walls, go-kart tracks or zip lines that the likes of Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL all offer.
Celebrity Cruises is also one of the most welcoming cruise lines for the LGBTQ+ community. The line pioneered same-sex marriages at sea and kicks off every cruise with a hosted LGBTQ+ welcome party. This is followed by “social hours” and other special events aimed at creating an inclusive environment. Then, each June, Celebrity throws its annual Pride Party at Sea: expect daily LGBTQ+ gatherings, guest entertainers and a flag-raising ceremony.
There are 14 ships – with more on the horizon. These can be divided into four classes (or series as the line calls them) which are as follows: Edge, Solstice, Millennium and Galápagos.
Celebrity Ascent (3,260 passengers), Celebrity Beyond (3,260 passengers), Celebrity Apex (2,910 passengers), Celebrity Edge (2,918 passengers)
A further Edge-class vessel, Celebrity Xcel, is slated to launch in November 2025.
Celebrity’s Edge-class ships are the line’s newest and also the largest. All four feature an orange-hued, tennis-court-size floating platform called the magic carpet, which can move between decks. It can serve as everything from an al fresco extension of a fine dining restaurant on deck 5 to a chill-out lounge and bar on decks 14 and 16.
Guests also love the industry-first Infinite Veranda staterooms with outward-facing walls made entirely of glass that were first introduced on Celebrity Edge.
Other highlights include the rooftop garden – a living, urban playscape – Eden (a three-storey lounge/restaurant/performance space) and the adults-only solariums.
On the food front, there are up to 33 restaurants to choose from including Le Voyage – Daniel Boulud’s first signature restaurant at sea, which debuted on Celebrity Beyond.
Interiors are the brainchild of Kelly Hoppen, whose slick signature style is reflected in the chic, clean lines of the Edge-class staterooms.
Sails to: Caribbean, Mediterranean, Transatlantic (Ascent and Beyond); Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe (Apex); Caribbean, Mediterranean (Edge)
Celebrity Reflection (3,480 passengers), Celebrity Silhouette (3,324 passengers), Celebrity Eclipse (3,148 passengers), Celebrity Equinox (3,148 passengers), Celebrity Solstice (3,148 passengers)
Unveiled between 2008 and 2012, Celebrity’s five Solstice-class ships can accommodate between 2,852 and 3,046 passengers, and are best known for their lawn club – areas on their top deck that feature half an acre of real grass at sea.
With their hammocks and Adirondack chairs, they are a great spot to soak up the sun or play lawn games such as croquet.
Other features on Celebrity’s Solstice class ships include a glassblowing pavilion, where demos and hands-on classes are held; an outdoor pool; and an adults-only indoor pool.
On Solstice, the first of the eponymous series, around 80 per cent of staterooms come equipped with a private veranda, while Reflection is home to the 1,646-square-foot Reflection Suite – Celebrity Cruises’ first two-bedroom suite.
All Solstice ships offer the same six complimentary dining options as well as five speciality restaurants: Eden, Le Petit Chef, Murano, Tuscan Grille and Sushi on Five. Reflection and Silhouette have two additional speciality venues in the Lawn Club Grill and The Porch.
Sails to: Caribbean and Europe (Reflection); Europe, Northern Europe, Caribbean (Silhouette); Alaska, New Zealand and Australia (Eclipse); Caribbean (Equinox); Australia and Alaska (Solstice)
Celebrity Constellation (2,559 passengers), Celebrity Summit (2,599 passengers), Celebrity Infinity (2,593 passengers), Celebrity Millennium (2,593 passengers)
The four ships in Celebrity’s Millennium series – the oldest of the line’s three main classes of vessels – were rolled out at the turn of the millennium, as their name reflects.
Despite being more than 20 years old, the vessels are modern in appearance, having undergone various renovations as part of the line’s $500 million (£379 million) “Celebrity Revolution” project.
Their smaller size – each Millennium ship has a capacity of between 2,593 and 2,599 passengers – makes them ideal for passengers seeking a more intimate cruise ship experience.
However, the fact that Millennium-class vessels are about 30 per cent smaller than their Solstice sisters does mean that they have fewer facilities – although rest assured that fan favourites such as the solarium, the retreat, the rooftop terrace and the grand foyer are all present and correct.
Sails to: Mediterranean, Caribbean (Celebrity Constellation); Alaska, Caribbean (Celebrity Summit); Mediterranean, Canary Islands (Celebrity Infinity); Asia (Celebrity Millennium)
Celebrity Flora (100 passengers)
Celebrity operates a small vessel in the Galápagos Islands that can accommodate just 100 passengers.
Launched in 2019, Celebrity Flora is one of the most luxurious ships in the Galápagos. Expect all-suite accommodation, two impressive penthouse suites spanning the width of the vessel, and special cabanas for overnight glamping on the top deck.
You’ll find fewer onboard amenities on the Galápagos vessel compared with Celebrity’s larger ships, but that’s because you’re in Ecuador’s exhilarating island chain – where the emphasis is rightly on adventure and excursion.
Naturalists lead excursions to see Darwin’s finches, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises and sea and land iguanas.
Two other Galápagos ships – the 48-passenger Celebrity Xpedition and 16-passenger Celebrity Xploration – were sold in June 2024 and will join Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic fleet early next year.
Sails to: The Galápagos Islands (Celebrity Flora)
The Captain’s Club is a points-based programme that has six tiers. Earn points on every sailing – the amount depends on the length of the cruise and the type of cabin you book – and for non-sailing activities via the line’s Power Up Points programme, which are converted into rewards such as complimentary laundry service, spa discounts, stateroom upgrades and invitations to exclusive onboard events. Upon reaching the top Zenith tier, receive a complimentary seven-night Bermuda or Caribbean cruise.
Celebrity Cruises says: “Please give our Celebrity team a call to discuss your accessible requirements. Our team can take care of the majority of our guests’ accessible requests over the phone (0344 493 2043).”
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