Elevate Your Escape: Why We’re excited about Celebrity Cruises This Season
As we head into the busy summer travel season, our team at the agency thought it might be helpful to make a comprehensive guide for our clients, all about Celebrity Cruises. With so many different cruise lines and cruise options, we wanted to peel back the layers of the Celebrity experience—and why it might be right for you.
Choosing the right ship:
Edge Series (The Innovators): The edge class ships are known for their innovation and style. These are all newer ships launched since 2018 with bigger capacities accommodating around 3000 people. With more space onboard, they offer an increased number of venues for both socializing and relaxation. One standout area is the Rooftop Garden that is inspired by a children’s playground, with lush greenery, whimsical trees, outdoor games, and nightly movies.
Rooftop Garden on Celebrity Edge. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
The Magic Carpet on Edge Class ships. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
Another is the Magic Carpet: a bright orange, massive, cantilevered platform that hangs off of and can move up and down the side of the ship. This versatile space serves as a breezy bar during the day, an exclusive restaurant at night, and can sit at sea level as a tender dock when the ship is at anchor.
In addition to the innovative outdoor spaces, these ships introduced Infinite Veranda cabins. These feature a full glass wall looking out into the ocean, at the touch of a button, the top half of the window slides down to create an open-air balcony.
Finally, to top everything off, Edge-class ships offer four themed main dining restaurants with unique menus, in addition to the signature Oceanview Café buffet. Overall, this ship class is beautifully designed with innovation at the helm, ensuring that whether you seek a cozy lounge or a lively atmosphere, you’ll find it onboard.
The Lawn Club at Night. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
Solstice Series (The Classics): While these ships are a bit older, being rolled out from 2008-2012, they were truly ahead of their time in terms of design and atmosphere. Most notable is The Lawn Club which features a half-acre of real, manicured grass. Equipped with lawn chairs, hammocks, and lawn games, it offers a natural, quiet retreat for those who miss the feeling of green space while at sea. Solstice class ships also have an adult-only indoor pool similar to the Edge class ships. For dining, Murano is their signature intimate, French-inspired restaurant, known for its elegant and romantic atmosphere.
Millennium Series (Intimate Luxury):
While these ships are approximately 25 years old, the gap between the Millennium and Solstice classes has been bridged by recent refurbishments and venue updates. The biggest difference in the Millennium class is that the ships are about 30% smaller, offering a more intimate feel than you might find on the larger counterparts.
The Celebrity Flora at sea. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
Honorable Mention: Celebrity Flora
The Celebrity Flora sails exclusively in the Galapagos Islands and carries only 100 passengers. It is designed more like a private yacht than a cruise ship. These sailings are fully all-inclusive, covering your room, food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and all shore excursions. These sailings are very intimate and tailored towards people who want an exclusive and educational trip.
Understanding the Fare:
When booking your cruise, you have several options to fit your budget and payment preferences:
Cruise-Only: This covers the base cost of your voyage, including your stateroom and all "Included Dining" venues. While it covers food and accommodation, it does not include Wi-Fi or alcoholic beverages.
All Included: This allows you to bundle your fare with essential amenities at the time of booking. Often, this includes the Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi. This is best for clients who want to book everything ahead of time and not worry about it later.
Keep in Mind: Your "All Included" drink package isn't just for cocktails—it also covers specialty coffees at Café al Bacio and fresh juices at the Spa Café. It’s the perfect way to make your morning routine feel like a true vacation luxury.
Gratuities: While Gratuities are not part of the fare, I wanted to mention them because they are a charge you will receive on top of the base fare. Gratuities are like a tip for the services the crew members put into your stay. To avoid surprise charges at the end of your trip, you can choose to prepay these during the initial booking process.
Dining Onboard
The food on Celebrity Cruises has always been one of our favorite things about this cruise line. No matter the time of day or where you are onboard, the food is delicious and feels very elevated.
Keep in Mind: This is not a comprehensive list of all of the restaurants. While many venues are fleet-wide, specific restaurant offerings vary by ship. Always check your Celebrity app for the definitive list of dining options on your vessel."
Entrance to Eden Restaurant and Cafe. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
The Included Dining (No Extra Cost)
Oceanview Café: This is the signature buffet. It’s known for being one of the best at sea, featuring live cooking stations, international flavors, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Main Dining Room: On older ships, this is one grand two-story room. On Edge-class ships, this is split into four themed restaurants (Normandie, Tuscan, Cyprus, and Cosmopolitan), each with its own exclusive menu items.
Mast Grill: Perfect for a quick, casual lunch by the pool (burgers, hot dogs, and fries).
Eden Café (Edge Class): A bright, airy spot for gourmet sandwiches and salads during the day.
Spa Café & Juice Bar: Located near the Solarium, offering lighter, health-conscious food like fresh fruit, smoothies, and lean protein. The food is complementary but the juices and smoothies are an extra charge.
Exclusive Dining (Included for Specific Room Categories)
Luminae: A private, high-end restaurant reserved exclusively for guests staying in The Retreat Suites. The menu features signature dishes by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud.
Blu: A "clean cuisine" restaurant reserved for AquaClass guests, focusing on lighter, flavorful dishes and a more intimate atmosphere.
Specialty Dining (Additional Cover Charge)
An inside look at Eden. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
Le Petit Chef: An educational and entertaining "dinner theater" experience where 3D mapping technology projects a tiny chef onto your table to "cook" your meal before the real plate arrives.
Fine Cut Steakhouse: A classic, upscale American steakhouse experience.
Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud: (Available on Beyond, Ascent, and Xcel) An intimate, globally-inspired fine-dining venue.
Raw on 5: A sophisticated seafood and sushi bar (often located near the Magic Carpet).
Tuscan Grille: An Italian ristorante featuring handmade pastas and butcher-cut meats.
The Rooftop Garden Grill: Outdoor dining where you can enjoy gourmet BBQ or wood-fired pizzas under the stars.
Eden Restaurant (Edge Class): A standout specialty venue offering a "nature-inspired" culinary journey with an open kitchen. It’s famous for its adventurous dishes like roasted Carabineros shrimp and its impressive 7-course tasting menu. It's easily one of the most visually stunning restaurants at sea.
Murano (Solstice Class): A classic French fine-dining experience featuring tableside service and an extensive wine cellar. It’s widely considered one of the best specialty restaurants in the entire cruise industry.
Quick Bites & Coffee
Café al Bacio: A favorite for many; the specialty coffees and teas have a cost, but the European-style pastries and small sandwiches are free.
Gelateria: Authentic gelato and handmade waffles (small fee).
Perks & other Amenities
Captain’s Club: The Captains Club is a Celebrity’s loyalty program, offering 6 levels of perks. You earn points per day based on the type of cabin you stay in. For example in a veranda or infinite veranda room, you can earn 3 points per day. Other room categories can offer more or less points per day, depending on what you book. New for 2026: Royal Caribbean started a group points choice program, meaning you can earn and match status across Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Silversea. This can add a lot of value if you are a frequent cruiser on these three lines.
Heated Loungers in the Thermal Suite. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.
Spa & Thermal Suite: Celebrity offers over 100 luxurious spa treatments as well as a nature inspired relaxation suite within the spa. Featuring saunas, steam rooms, heated loungers and other luxurious relaxation areas. Access to these suites is included for Aqua Class guests or above. For all other guests, passes can be purchased for daily or weekly unlimited access.
The Retreat: On Edge-class ships, Celebrity elevates cruising with The Retreat—a 'ship-within-a-ship' concept featuring a private restaurant, an exclusive lounge, and a dedicated sundeck for Retreat guests. Elevate your vacation from premium to ultimate luxury by staying in one of these world-class suites.
Ready to Book?
Now that you know all about Celebrity Cruises and the amazing experiences they offer, you might be considering your next trip. Assured Travel has partnered with Celebrity Cruises to bring you this exclusive offer: If you book with us before 5/31/2026, we can get you an extra $200 on-board credit on your 2026 and 2027 cruises (this is per stateroom not per guest). This credit can be spent on those “extra charge” items you may have had your eye on from above. Such as all-inclusive packages, specialty dining, spa treatments and the Thermal Suite, excursions, the casino, as well as your gratuities. This credit can help cover anything that you have charged to your room.
Some of our favorite ways to use an on-board credit are:
-Dining at Eden
-Getting a Massage at the spa
-A day or weekly pass for the Thermal Suite
-Going on an extra excursion.
Click hereto get your 2026-2027 cruise booked today!