Celebrity Xcel is bringing “destination immersion” on board this summer, and OMG, this is the kind of idea that makes me want to grab my passport and start packing. Not because cruise lines have not tried “themed nights” before. They have. But because Celebrity is taking a real swing at something that’s definitely more “real”. Something that lasts longer than a quick port day and a rushed souvenir stop.
If you have ever come back on board a ship from Santorini or Florence feeling like you only skimmed the surface. Like you got the postcard version and not had enough time to really drink in the entire city. This is Celebrity’s answer. They are essentially saying: we will keep the culture going after the gangway comes up.
And they are doing it inside The Bazaar.
The Bazaar is not a lounge. It is a living, changing “destination” onboard
I was on the Celebrity Xcel when they debuted The Bazaar last fall during its Caribbean season and it’s truly magical. Imagine a is a three story immersive venue built for constant transformation, with massive LED screens, open kitchens, and a layout that can shift from daytime market to nighttime performance space without feeling like you are watching someone reset the stage.
Now. As Celebrity Xcel moves to Europe in May of 2026, The Bazaar is going to evolve again. This time it will become four rotating Mediterranean festivals that will cycle throughout each sailing. The key detail is that it is not one festival per cruise. It will be rotating programming, mixing hands-on cultural activities with food, artisan markets, and nighttime entertainment. So sea days are no longer “dead space” in your itinerary (or in my case – casino days because that’s the only thing exciting to do). Now, they become part of the destination story.
Celebrity’s president Laura Hodges Bethge described it as an experience that keeps guests enveloped in the culture of destinations well beyond their time in port. That is the thesis here. The Bazaar is designed to blur ship and shore, from morning to night, and from day to day, with no two days the same.
In other words. You will not walk into the same room twice.
Four rotating Mediterranean festivals with four very different moods
The four festival themes are designed to capture distinct corners of the Mediterranean world. Greece, Italy, Spain, and a Morocco and Turkey inspired blend. Each one has a daytime personality and a nighttime personality, which matters because the energy you want at 11 a.m. is not the energy you want after dinner when you are dressed and ready for a show.
Here is what to expect.
- Opa Festival. Greece brought to life with food, crafts, and that unmistakable party spark
The Greek-themed Opa Festival leans into the traditions and contagious energy that people associate with Greek hospitality. By day, you will find iconic bites like baklava and moussaka paired with hands-on activities like crafting “Mati” evil eye jewelry. It is an easy, approachable kind of cultural crafting that actually feels like something you would bring home and wear.
Then night falls and the tone shifts. Live musicians take over, and the festival becomes a proper celebration. Napkins twirling. Dancing. Laughing. The kind of joyful chaos that makes strangers feel like friends. The kind of moment that makes you forget you are at sea for a second, because the room feels like it could be a seaside taverna.
- La Dolce Vita Festival. Italy, but make it interactive and a little bit glamorous
If your love language is carbs and romance, Celebrity is speaking directly to you here. La Dolce Vita Festival is centered on Italy’s flavors, beauty, and that “sweet life” sensibility. During the day, there is limoncello in the mix, along with hands-on experiences like pasta making and tiramisu. They are the kinds of foods people associate with Italy, and they are exactly what travelers want to learn so they can recreate the memory at home.
After dark, Celebrity leans into Venetian elegance. They describe it as stepping into an evening of enchantment, surrounded by a kind of Venetian magic. That tells me we are talking about lighting, atmosphere, and performance energy that feels more refined than rowdy. Think romance. Think soft glamour. Think, “I should have taken more photos tonight.”
- Salud Festival. Spain with sangria, flair, and a night that turns into a spectacle
Salud Festival is designed to be bold and passionate. Spain is not quiet. It is color, rhythm, and movement, and Celebrity is leaning into that fully.
By day, you will sip sangria and sample local dishes while crafting Spanish-inspired pieces. Things like flamenco roses and Spanish fans, which are so visually fun that you can already picture the Instagram shots. Then the night portion hits, and the energy erupts. Flamenco dancers and matadors ignite the room. That word ignite is doing a lot of work here, and I believe it. Because if you have ever watched flamenco live, you know it is not background entertainment. It demands your attention.
- Silk and Spice Festival. A sensory journey inspired by Morocco and Turkey
Silk and Spice Festival is the most “transportive” sounding of the four. It is inspired by the vibrant cultures of Morocco and Turkey. A blend of spices, dances, and music that feels lush and layered. During the day, you can sip fragrant teas and snack on Turkish delight while exploring hands-on activities once again. Then at night, energetic music and whirling dancers take over.
This is the festival that feels like it will be the most atmospheric. The kind where the lighting matters. The aromas matter. The music feels like it is vibrating through your chest. If you are the type who wants to be immersed. Not just entertained. This is probably your night.
The food is a core part of the concept
Celebrity is smart enough to know that food is one of the fastest ways we connect to culture. So The Bazaar’s culinary program is designed to be destination-inspired in a way that shifts with the festivals.
At the center is Mosaic, an open kitchen concept serving reimagined and elevated dishes inspired by places like Naples, Mykonos, and Lisbon. The open kitchen detail matters because it adds theater. Watching food being prepared is part of the immersion.
Then there is Spice, a casual daytime dining concept offering rotating bites with special items inspired by the ports visited on each itinerary. Add floor-to-ceiling windows right at the water’s edge, and you have the kind of lunch spot that can make a sea day feel like a vacation highlight, not an in-between day.
And for the guests who connect to destinations through cooking. There is Chef’s Studio at Mosaic.
Chef’s Studio is Celebrity’s first destination-inspired cooking school
This is one of the most interesting details in the whole release. Chef’s Studio at Mosaic is described as Celebrity’s first-ever destination-inspired cooking school. It is designed for guests who want to learn and participate, not just eat.
The best part is that the repertoire changes to reflect the festival themes. So the classes are not static. They are built to match the rotating “Mediterranean festival” calendar onboard. That means you can add recipes to your personal collection that align with where you are sailing and what you are experiencing. It also means the class feels like part of the trip story, not a random onboard activity.
This is how you turn a cruise memory into a repeatable ritual. You bring it home in your hands. In your recipe book. In the way you cook for your family later.
Market at The Bazaar brings local artisan products onboard
On sea days, Market at The Bazaar is designed to feel like you are strolling through a European market, with regional delights sourced from local artisans. The examples Celebrity gave include olive oil, Italian scarves, and handmade painted tiles. Items that feel specific. Not generic cruise shop merchandise.
If you love browsing. If you love finding the one thing you did not know you wanted. The market concept is going to be a happy place.
And there is a subtle brilliance here. When the market is tied to the itinerary and the festivals, shopping becomes part of the cultural narrative instead of a disconnected retail moment. That is how you make it feel curated instead of commercial.
And it all begins in May 2026
Celebrity Xcel’s inaugural European season launches in May 2026 with seven to 11-night Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona and Athens. One of the standout itinerary details is new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal. Overnights are gold if you love a destination, because they give you evening ambiance, dinner ashore, and the chance to see a place after the day trippers vanish.
Celebrity also highlights classic Mediterranean favorites like Florence, Palma de Mallorca, Santorini, and Mykonos. Those are the headliners, and they are popular for a reason. But the bigger story here is not simply where the ship goes. It is what the ship does with those places once you are back onboard.
Sea days are about to feel very different
Here is my take since I’ve seen the Bazaar in action. The Bazaar concept is a direct response to the way modern travelers cruise now. We do not just want to see destinations. We want to feel them. We want to taste them. We want to learn something. We want the trip to change our senses a little.
Celebrity knows that people want immersion that is not limited to the hours in port. They also know that a ship can act like a cultural platform, not just a floating resort. And by turning The Bazaar into rotating festivals that evolve throughout each sailing, they are trying to solve one of cruising’s oldest challenges.
How do you make sea days feel intentional?
If they deliver on the details. The crafts that actually feel authentic. The food that tastes like a destination. The entertainment that feels transportive. The market that feels curated. Then Celebrity Xcel is going to set a new bar for what destination immersion can look like at sea.
And as someone who loves a cruise that gives me stories to tell long after I unpack. This is exactly the kind of experience I want waiting for me onboard.
If you are considering a Mediterranean sailing in summer 2026, keep Celebrity Xcel on your radar. Because the ship is not just taking you to Europe. It is bringing Europe back with you.
- For more information and to book a sailing with Celebrity Cruises, visit www.celebrity.com
- or you can call Celebrity Cruises at 1-800-CELEBRITY or contact a trusted travel advisor.
