Celebrity Cruises sits in the premium tier: more design-led and more food-focused than the big mass-market lines, meaningfully cheaper than the small luxury ships, and unusually broad in where it sails. It is the line people book when they want a contemporary ship, a good dinner and a real destination — and when they do not want a water park.
This guide covers what Celebrity is actually like, what the fare does and does not include, and where it beats — or loses to — its closest competitors. If you are still deciding between lines rather than researching one, start with our cruise lines explained comparison instead.
What Celebrity is known for
- Design. The Edge-class ships are the most architecturally ambitious in the premium segment, and the newer Solstice-class refits are following them.
- Food. Four main dining rooms on Edge ships, a deep specialty roster, and a restaurant programme that gets more attention than the entertainment does.
- The Retreat. A gated suite enclave with its own restaurant, lounge, sundeck and butler service — a ship-within-a-ship that lets a premium line sell to a luxury buyer.
- Geography. Alaska, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, South America, Antarctica and the Galápagos. Few lines this size go this many places.
- Adult-leaning calm. No water slides, no go-karts, no ice rink. An adults-only Solarium is included on every ocean ship.
Who Celebrity suits — and who should look elsewhere
Book Celebrity if you are a couple who cares about dinner, you want a modern ship rather than a traditional one, you are drawn to the suite experience, or your itinerary is the point and you want the ship to be pleasant rather than the main event.
Look elsewhere if:
- You are travelling with children under three. Celebrity has no nursery and no programme for under-3s. Royal Caribbean is the sister brand built for families.
- You want a genuinely adults-only ship. Celebrity carries children; it simply does not court them. Virgin Voyages is 18-plus by design.
- You want an Alaska lodge experience. Celebrity runs cruisetours but owns no Alaska lodges — see the Alaska section below.
- You want everything bundled. Celebrity’s inclusive fare does not include gratuities. Read that section carefully.
The fleet
Celebrity groups its ships into series rather than classes, and the differences between them are large enough to matter when you book.
| Series | Ships | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Edge | Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent, Xcel | The newest and most distinctive. Four main dining rooms, the Magic Carpet, Infinite Verandas, the strongest Retreat |
| Solstice | Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, Reflection | Traditional balconies, the Lawn Club, and currently being modernised |
| Millennium | Millennium, Infinity, Summit, Constellation | Smaller and older, reaching ports the big ships cannot |
| Expedition | Flora | 100 guests, all-suite, Galápagos only |
| River | Compass, Seeker, then Wanderer, Roamer, Boundless | New for 2027 — see below |
Celebrity Xcel is the newest ocean ship, delivered in October 2025 and carrying 3,260 guests at double occupancy. A sixth Edge ship, Celebrity Xcite, is listed for 2028.
The Solstice-class modernisation is worth knowing about if you are booking one of those ships. Celebrity Solstice relaunched in March 2026 with eight new venues including Trattoria Rossa, Sunset Park, The Parlor and Boulevard Lounge, and all 1,479 staterooms upgraded. Celebrity Reflection gets thirteen new venues and returns in March 2027 to year-round Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale. Ask whether your specific sailing is before or after the refit — it is a materially different ship either side of the dry dock.
Celebrity River Cruises — announced, not yet sailing
Celebrity’s first river season begins August 2027 on the Danube and Rhine. Two ships sail that first year — Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker — with Wanderer, Roamer and Boundless following in 2028 and a planned European river fleet of twenty vessels by 2031.
Each ship carries 172 guests in 86 staterooms. The fare includes all meals, beverages with alcohol (a Classic package for all guests, Premium for suites), Wi-Fi, entertainment, one shore excursion per day and a stocked mini-bar; every suite includes butler service. The inaugural season sold out in under six minutes.
Treat it for what it is: a well-specified product with no operating history. That is a reasonable risk for some travellers and the wrong one for others. If you want a river cruise in 2027 from a line with twenty years on the Danube, our European river cruises guide compares the established operators.
What is included, and what is not
Celebrity sells two fare tiers, and the difference between them is the single most common source of confusion.
| Cruise Only | All Included | |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, main dining, entertainment, pools, fitness | Yes | Yes |
| Drinks | No | Classic Drinks Package |
| Wi-Fi | No | Unlimited Basic |
| Daily gratuities | No | No |
This is the point people miss: All Included does not include tips. Since October 2023, newly purchased All Included packages exclude gratuities other than those already built into the beverage package pricing. Daily gratuities are charged separately at $19.50 per guest per day for inside, ocean view and veranda staterooms, $20.50 for Concierge Class and AquaClass, and $24.50 in The Retreat.
Two further mechanics matter. All Included must be selected at booking — it cannot be added later. And Retreat suites automatically receive the Premium drinks package and Premium Wi-Fi, so never sell the upgrade on top of a suite.
Also extra on any fare: specialty restaurants, spa and salon, laundry, the in-stateroom minibar, some fitness classes, the casino, and room service outside the continental breakfast window, which carries a $9.95 per-order fee. For a fuller picture of what a cruise actually costs once everything is added, see how much a cruise really costs.
Dining
Edge-class ships replace the single large dining room with four complimentary main restaurants — Cosmopolitan (modern American), Normandie (French), Cyprus (Mediterranean and seafood) and Tuscan (southern Italian). All four are in the fare.
Set expectations honestly here. You are assigned one as your home restaurant and may dine in the other three on request, subject to availability. It is not a guaranteed nightly rotation. Dining time is early at 6:00 p.m., late at 8:30 p.m., or flexible between 6:00 and 9:30 p.m.
Two complimentary restaurants are restricted by cabin category. Luminae is exclusive to Retreat suite guests and runs menus found nowhere else on the ship. Blu is exclusive to AquaClass and leans clean and lighter, with biodynamic wines. Both are included, not extra — which changes the value calculation on those cabins considerably.
Specialty restaurants carry a cover charge and vary by ship: Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Grand Bistro, Le Petit Chef, Raw on 5, Eden Restaurant, Rooftop Garden Grill, and on Edge ships the Magic Carpet — a cantilevered platform that moves between decks and serves as an open-air seafood venue. Newer refits are adding Trattoria Rossa and Bora.
Drinks
| Package | Per-drink ceiling | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | Up to $12 per serving | Beers, spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass, sodas, premium coffees. 15% off wine bottles. Included with All Included |
| Premium | Up to $19 per serving | Adds specialty coffees, craft beers, premium spirits and wines. 20% off bottles. Automatic in The Retreat |
| Non-alcoholic | — | Premium waters, specialty coffees, teas, juices, smoothies, Red Bull, mocktails |
Order a drink above your package ceiling and you pay the difference plus a 20% gratuity. A 20% gratuity is also added to the package price itself at checkout, so the advertised per-day figure is not the final one.
The rule that generates the most complaints: every guest of legal drinking age in the same stateroom must buy the package. Exceptions exist for under-12s, teens, pregnant guests and documented medical restrictions, but two adults sharing a cabin cannot have one package between them.
Complimentary without any package: coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, non-bottled water, hot chocolate and assorted juices.
Wi-Fi
Celebrity’s fleet runs on Starlink. There are two tiers: Basic, which covers light browsing and messaging but explicitly does not support streaming or video calls, and Premium, which adds video calling, large-file email and streaming — currently noted as available on Apex, Beyond, Ascent and Xcel.
All Included gives you Basic. The Retreat gives you Premium. Galápagos sailings on Celebrity Flora include unlimited Wi-Fi in the fare.
Entertainment
One correction worth making up front, because it circulates constantly: Celebrity has no AquaTheater and no water park. Those are Royal Caribbean features. Celebrity’s entertainment is smaller in scale and more evening-oriented.
On Edge ships the core venues are The Theatre, with a transforming stage and production shows including Feel the Funk and On Broadway; Eden, a three-deck space with roving performers that Celebrity describes as “a room that lives”; and The Club, which shifts from a daytime gathering space to a night venue with DJs and interactive shows. The Rooftop Garden and Resort Deck carry live music outdoors.
If your priority is big-cast Broadway-scale theatre, this is not the strongest line in the segment. If your priority is a good bar with live music and a dinner that runs long, it is.
Cabins and suites
The ladder runs Inside, Ocean View, Veranda, Concierge Class, AquaClass and The Retreat, with single staterooms on some ships. Edge-class ships put a king bed in almost every room. Our general cruise cabin guide covers how to choose a category; the Celebrity-specific decisions are below.
The Infinite Veranda — read this before you book an Edge ship
On Edge-class ships, most balcony cabins are Infinite Verandas: a bi-fold window and glass door system that turns the whole room into the veranda at the touch of a button. Celebrity states these rooms are 23% larger than Solstice-class veranda staterooms, and the extra interior space is real.
The criticisms are also real, and you should hear them before booking rather than after. The air conditioning shuts off automatically when the window is open, so the room warms up. The floor-to-ceiling glass heats the cabin in the tropics. The window mechanism is noisy, and guests have reported reliability problems with both the window and the automatic blinds. And it is not genuinely outdoor space — one reviewer’s summary was that it is an ocean view with a very large window.
If you sit on your balcony for hours, want fresh air while you sleep, or are sailing Alaska or the fjords for the scenery, choose differently — either an Edge-class Sunset Veranda, which is a conventional balcony, or a Solstice- or Millennium-class ship. If you mostly use the cabin to sleep and change, the Infinite Veranda is a genuine gain in usable room.
The Retreat
The Retreat is Celebrity’s strongest product and the reason a lot of repeat guests stay with the brand. It includes:
- Luminae — a private restaurant with exclusive menus
- The Retreat Lounge — a clubhouse with complimentary drinks and food
- The Retreat Sundeck — a private outdoor deck with pool, hot tub and bar service on Edge-series and modernised ships
- A dedicated butler, reachable by messaging
- Premium drinks and Premium Wi-Fi as standard, stocked minibar, full in-suite dining, laundry, reserved theatre seating, priority embarkation
Royal Suite and above add spa access and fitness classes. Suite types run from Sky Suite up through Celebrity Suite, Signature Suite, Penthouse, Edge Villa and Iconic Suite.
AquaClass is the quieter value play: complimentary Blu, unlimited thermal suite and Persian Garden access, spa concierge and complimentary fitness classes, at a fraction of a suite fare. For a couple who will actually use the thermal suite, it is frequently the best-value cabin on the ship.
Adults, families and children
Celebrity is adult-skewing but not adults-only. It accepts families rather than courting them, and a school-holiday Caribbean sailing on an Edge ship will carry real numbers of children.
The youth programme is Camp at Sea: Shipmates for ages 3–5, Cadets for 6–9, Captains for 10–12, and a separate Teen Club for 13–17. Sessions are complimentary on port and sea days; late-night care from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. carries a fee.
The limits are worth stating plainly. There is no nursery and no programme for under-3s. Children must be fully potty trained to participate. Infants must be at least six months old on the first day of sailing. And there is no youth programming at all on Celebrity Flora or the river ships.
Dress is smart casual, with one or two “Evening Chic” nights depending on length. Jackets are explicitly not required.
Where Celebrity sails
Celebrity deploys across all seven continents. Europe is the largest and fastest-growing season: for 2028 the line puts four Edge-series ships in Europe for the first time, with sailings from Southampton to Norway, Iceland and Scandinavia, first-ever calls at Galway and Bari, and Celebrity Infinity year-round in the Mediterranean with overnight calls in Egypt. Our Mediterranean guide and Greek Isles guide cover those regions in detail.
Elsewhere: Celebrity Equinox returns to Antarctica and South America with 12–16 night itineraries; Celebrity Solstice debuts a full Japan season; Hawaii round trips run from Los Angeles; and Australia and New Zealand carry 23 sailings.
Alaska — strong at sea, thinner on land
The Alaska season runs early May to late September, currently with Celebrity Edge round trip from Seattle and Solstice and Summit round trip from Vancouver. Glacier highlights include Dawes Glacier via Endicott Arm, Hubbard Glacier and Mendenhall from Juneau.
Celebrity’s cruisetours pair a 7-night cruise with three or more land nights, sold as 9–13 night packages — Alaska Gold Rush Adventure, The Great National Parks Expedition, Homer Discovery and Heartland Wildlife, and Denali Express. Every cruisetour includes a narrated journey into Denali National Park and travel in glass-domed Wilderness Express rail cars.
But Celebrity owns no Alaska lodges. It uses third-party interior hotels. Princess and Holland America both own their lodges and rail cars, and if the land half of an Alaska trip is what you care about, that difference is the whole decision. Our Alaska cruises guide compares the options.
Galápagos — and a correction
Celebrity Flora is now the line’s only Galápagos ship. Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration ran their final Celebrity sailings in January 2025 and were sold. A great deal of published content has not caught up.
Flora carries 100 guests in all suites. Every Galápagos fare includes twice-daily naturalist-guided excursions, unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, unlimited Wi-Fi, all gratuities and park fees, snorkelling equipment and wetsuits. Packages of ten nights or more add round-trip flights from mainland Ecuador, a Quito hotel and a city tour. Itineraries run 7, 10, 11 and 16 nights, the longest adding Peru and Machu Picchu.
This is genuinely one of the most inclusive products in cruising, and it prices accordingly. For how it compares with other small-ship wilderness sailing, see our expedition cruises guide.
Private destinations
Celebrity has no private island of its own. It calls at Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas, which belongs to parent company Royal Caribbean Group, on ships including Apex, Beyond and Reflection.
Complimentary there: Snack Shacks, Chill Grill, Skipper’s Grill, water and umbrellas. Extra and bookable in advance: the Thrill Waterpark, Coco Beach Club, private cabanas and the Up, Up and Away balloon.
Do not plan around Labadee. Celebrity cancelled all Labadee calls across 2025 and 2026, substituting Grand Turk, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Our private islands guide compares what each line actually offers.
Loyalty — Captain’s Club
| Tier | Club Points |
|---|---|
| Classic | 2–149 |
| Select | 150–299 |
| Elite | 300–749 |
| Elite Plus | 750–2,999 |
| Zenith | 3,000+ |
The genuinely valuable part is reciprocity across Royal Caribbean Group: Captain’s Club tiers match one-for-one with Crown & Anchor Society on Royal Caribbean and the Venetian Society on Silversea. Classic matches Gold, Select matches Platinum, Elite matches Diamond, Elite Plus matches Diamond Plus, and Zenith matches Pinnacle Club.
If you have status with another line entirely, it is also worth checking whether Celebrity will match it — see our guide to cruise line status matches.
How Celebrity compares
| Versus | The real difference |
|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | Same parent, deliberately different jobs. Royal is family and thrill; Celebrity has no water park, no ice rink and no under-3 childcare. They share CocoCay and cross-honour loyalty |
| Princess | The nearest structural twin. Princess owns its Alaska lodges and bundles gratuities into its packages; Celebrity does neither. Celebrity wins on design and the suite enclave |
| Holland America | HAL runs longer itineraries and a deeper live-music programme; Celebrity is more contemporary and has a far stronger suite proposition |
| Virgin Voyages | Virgin is adults-only and includes gratuities and specialty dining. Celebrity carries children, has butler-served suites, and reaches Alaska, Galápagos and Antarctica |
| MSC | MSC generally prices lower with a more international onboard mix; Celebrity is more consistent for a North American guest |
Booking considerations
- Final payment falls between 60 and 150 days before departure depending on the cruise and package. River cruises are a flat 120 days. Cancellation penalties begin at 75 days on short sailings and 90 days on 5–14 night sailings.
- Deposits vary by length, ship type and cabin category — Celebrity publishes no fixed figure. The important fork is refundable versus non-refundable: a non-refundable deposit is forfeited from the moment of booking, while a refundable one costs a $100 per-guest fee if cancelled early.
- All Included is a booking-time decision. It cannot be added afterwards.
- Drink packages can be bought up to 48 hours before sailing or on the first day onboard, and every legal-drinking-age guest in the cabin must buy.
- Gratuities are the number one surprise. Budget $19.50 to $24.50 per person per day on top of everything else, or prepay at booking.
- Promotions run in short, dated windows — often only a few days. This is where an advisor earns their place, because the offer that is live when you finally decide is rarely the one you first saw.
Get the right Celebrity ship and fare
Celebrity rewards attention to detail. Whether your ship has been through its refit, whether an Infinite Veranda suits how you actually use a cabin, whether AquaClass beats a suite for your priorities, and whether All Included is worth it once gratuities are counted separately — these are the decisions that shape the trip, and none of them are visible in a headline fare.
Cruise Planners – Neal Lewis & Associates can compare Celebrity sailings on the things that matter — ship and refit status, cabin category, fare tier, the real all-in cost with gratuities, and whether a competing line serves you better for the same money. There is no planning fee, and we can identify promotions, onboard credit and group opportunities where they apply.
Request rates and information with your dates and travel party. To browse first, start with Find the Right Cruise or the Advanced Cruise Search.
Frequently asked questions
Is Celebrity Cruises all-inclusive?
No. Cruise Only covers accommodation, dining, entertainment and onboard activities. All Included adds the Classic Drinks Package and unlimited Basic Wi-Fi. Neither includes daily gratuities.
Are gratuities included in Celebrity’s All Included fare?
No. Since October 2023 they are charged separately: $19.50 per guest per day for inside, ocean view and veranda cabins, $20.50 for Concierge Class and AquaClass, and $24.50 in The Retreat.
What is the difference between the Classic and Premium drink packages?
Classic covers drinks up to $12 per serving with 15% off wine bottles. Premium raises the ceiling to $19, adds specialty coffees, craft beers and premium spirits, and gives 20% off bottles. Anything above your ceiling costs the difference plus 20%.
Does everyone in my cabin have to buy a drink package?
Yes, if they are of legal drinking age, with exceptions for under-12s, teens, pregnant guests and documented medical restrictions.
Is an Infinite Veranda worth it?
It depends how you use a balcony. You gain about 23% more interior space than a Solstice-class veranda stateroom. You lose true outdoor space, and the air conditioning shuts off when the window is open. Balcony-sitters and cold-weather scenery cruisers should choose a conventional veranda instead.
What does The Retreat include?
Luminae restaurant, the Retreat Lounge, the Retreat Sundeck, butler service, Premium drinks and Premium Wi-Fi, a stocked minibar, in-suite dining, laundry, reserved theatre seating and priority embarkation. Royal Suite and above add spa access.
Is Celebrity good for kids?
It has a complimentary day programme — Camp at Sea for ages 3–12 and a Teen Club for 13–17 — but no nursery, no provision for under-3s, and children must be potty trained. There is no youth programming on Celebrity Flora or the river ships.
Does Celebrity have a private island?
Not its own. Celebrity ships call at Perfect Day at CocoCay, which belongs to Royal Caribbean Group. Labadee calls were cancelled for 2025 and 2026.
Which Celebrity ship is newest?
Celebrity Xcel, delivered October 2025, carrying 3,260 guests. A sixth Edge-series ship, Celebrity Xcite, is listed for 2028.
Does Celebrity still sail the Galápagos?
Yes, but only with Celebrity Flora. Xpedition and Xploration left the fleet in January 2025. Flora carries 100 guests and its fare includes excursions, drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities and park fees.
When does Celebrity’s river cruise line start?
August 2027, on the Danube and Rhine, with Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker. Three more ships follow in 2028, with twenty planned by 2031. Ships carry 172 guests, and the fare includes meals, drinks with alcohol, Wi-Fi and one excursion per day.
What is the dress code on Celebrity?
Smart casual for main dining, specialty restaurants and the theatre. There are one or two “Evening Chic” nights depending on cruise length, and jackets are not required.
Ships, venues, packages, pricing structures, itineraries and inclusions change, and refit schedules move. Details here reflect published information at the time of writing and should be confirmed for your specific sailing before booking. Cruise Planners – Neal Lewis & Associates does not control supplier pricing, promotions, itineraries or onboard policies.