Sarah Bretz, ContributorCelebrity Cruises has announced that its newest Edge-class ship, Celebrity Xcel, won’t feature the class’ multi-purpose Eden space. Instead, it will introduce a new concept for the cruise line called The Bazaar.
The new experience will be an epicenter of activities on board, introducing authentic experiences that extend guests’ time “on shore” to enjoy destinations in a unique way. Each day the three-story space will transform, with no two days being the same throughout a voyage. The Bazaar will feature experiences like a market offering local artisan products and hands-on craft experiences to destination-inspired festivals specific to each itinerary, regionally inspired culinary experiences, and unique entertainment.
“The Bazaar is a truly one-of-a-kind space designed to seamlessly blend ship and shore and transform the way guests experience destinations,” shares Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “Celebrity Xcel intentionally extends the destination experience onboard through a continued authentic offering between ports of call, allowing guests to take the destination with them.”
Four Caribbean-Inspired Festivals
Four Caribbean destination-inspired festivals, each linked to a place the ship visits, will immerse passengers in the cultures they’ll discover during their cruise. Every festival will include local food and beverages, crafting experiences, retail activations, destination-inspired cooking and dance classes, pop-up entertainment from local musicians, and other Caribbean-inspired activities. As Xcel heads to Europe in 2026, The Bazaar will transform to feature festivals, markets, and culinary experiences inspired by Mediterranean destinations.
Market at The Bazaar
On sea days, guests can engage with local artisans in the Market at The Bazaar, who come onboard to showcase their crafts, skills, and traditions — and even show guests how to make their own creations.
As with all experiences at The Bazaar, the offering at the Market will change throughout sailings to reflect each of the four festival themes. Depending on the festival theme, guests can expand their palate with activities including rum and chocolate pairings and local hot sauce tastings, dive deep into the destination’s culture with experiences like live basket weaving demos, and find one-of-a-kind keepsakes from local vendors such as an authentic Caribbean mask shop, traditional Mexican leather hats, embroidery stations, and more.
Mosaic
Foodies can indulge in local cuisines at The Bazaar. An open kitchen concept, Mosaic, will serve reimagined and elevated dishes inspired by the regions Celebrity Xcel is sailing. For something extra special, Mosaic will also host Chef’s Table experience at Mosaic. Celebrity’s global culinary leadership team will each develop a dish inspired by their native cuisine, plated and presented in an elevated way. The Chef’s Table experience at Mosaic serves a diverse, multi-course tasting menu of childhood favorite dishes representing all continents, each perfectly paired with wines.
Mosaic will also host Celebrity’s first-ever destination inspired cooking school, called Chef’s Studio at Mosaic. There, passengers will learn to prepare new dishes from the places they visit on the voyage. Throughout the cruise, the cooking school classes will change to reflect the festival themes.
Spice
A new casual dining concept, Spice, will offer a daytime selection of rotating bites with special items inspired by the ports visited on the itinerary. A café on the water’s edge, the new seating area at Spice will feature floor-to-ceiling windows.
Dream Makers
Celebrity Cruises’ Xcel ‘Dream Makers,’ a previously-announced program where Celebrity cruisers can help make decisions for the ship’s culinary, entertainment, and interior design, will also include The Bazaar.
For The Bazaar, Dream Makers will shape how the festivals come to life, choose entertainment and activities in Market at The Bazaar, select menu items for Mosaic, and more.
Celebrity Xcel Inaugural Season
Celebrity Xcel is sailing her inaugural season from Fort Lauderdale, offering seven-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.
In summer 2026, Xcel will set sail on her inaugural European season where guests can immerse themselves in the Mediterranean on seven to 11-night journeys from Barcelona and Athens.
Comments
Are you a fan of the new Bazaar concept that’s replacing Eden on Celebrity Xcel? What aspect of The Bazaar most appeals to you? Drop us an anchor below and let us know!
