Celebrity Cruise Line Review — Ships, Destinations, Dining, and More

Celebrity might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of ocean cruising, but it is still a major player.

Celebrity Cruises has been around since 1988. It was founded by a Greek company for the sole purpose of offering luxury sailings to the island of Bermuda. In 1997, Celebrity was acquired by Royal Caribbean.

Since then, it has added many more ports and ships and now sails to over 300 destinations on all 7 continents. Celebrity’s 15 ships feature attractions and activities that will appeal to the modern, luxury traveler.

Basic Information

Name: Celebrity Cruises
Parent Company: Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (also owns Royal Caribbean, Azamara, and Silversea Cruises)
Number of Ships: 15 (1 more coming in 2023)
Destinations: 300+
Loyalty Program: Captain’s Club
Credit Card: Royal ONE™ Visa Signature^® Credit Card, Royal ONE Plus™ Visa Signature^® Credit Card

Ships

Celebrity Cruises operates a fleet of 15 ships:

Departure Ports

Celebrity Cruises travels to over 300 destinations from 30 departure ports. You’ll find ports of call in 79 countries on all 7 continents.

Private Ports and Islands

Owning a private island or beach resort is common among large cruise lines and is something many passengers have come to expect. CocoCay in the Bahamas (once called “Little Stirrup Cay”) is a private island owned by Celebrity’s parent company, Royal Caribbean.

Celebrity used to stop at this private island, but is not currently offering any itineraries that include CocoCay.

Hot Tip: Be prepared! Check out our printable cruise packing list and tips for your next cruise vacation.

Onboard Activities

When sailing on a Celebrity cruise ship, you’ll find the traditional cruise staples like pools, a casino, art auctions, and shopping. But you’ll also find some unique activities on Celebrity ships that you won’t find on other cruises:

Not all activities are available on every ship and some come with additional fees.

Evening Chic

You may be familiar with formal nights on other cruise lines, where passengers are expected to dress up for the evening. On Celebrity, formal nights have been replaced with Evening Chic nights. These nights are somewhere in between smart casual and formal.

On Evening Chic nights, women will want to choose a cocktail dress or a skirt, pants, or designer jeans with an elegant top. Men will want to choose pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt, or sweater. Blazers or sports jackets are optional.

Hot Tip: There are 1 to 2 Evening Chic nights on every Celebrity cruise except for Celebrity Xpedition, which sails exclusively in the Galapagos Islands and features casual attire only.

Special Occasion Cruises

Celebrity offers lots of specialty cruises for those times you want to get away for a holiday or connect with like-minded people.

Holiday Cruises

Fun, themed cruises are available during favorite holidays including Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.

Culinary Cruises

If you’re a foodie, you’ll want to check out a Celebrity Culinary Cruise. With these sailings, Celebrity has partnered with Chef Daniel Boulud to deliver a truly exceptional experience featuring culinary events and globally-inspired menus.

LGBTQ+

Celebrity celebrates all passengers and strives to make everyone feel included. You’ll find LGBTQ+ events, the largest Pride Party at Sea, and same-sex marriages onboard. In fact, the first same-sex marriage ceremony at sea that was legally recognized happened on the Celebrity Equinox in January 2018.

Music and Themed Cruises

Try out one of Celebrity’s music and themed cruises for the ultimate good time:

• ’70s Rock and Romance Cruise: Features over 50 live performances and 25 celebrity interactive events
• Blue Note at Sea: Celebrates Blue Note Jazz Clubs, Blue Note Records, and Entertainment Cruise Productions
• Botti at Sea: Featuring jazz trumpeter Chris Botti
• Flower Power Cruise: Featuring peace, love, and 60s music
• Smooth Jazz Cruise: Has been called “The Greatest Party at Sea”
• The Jazz Cruise: Known as “The Greatest Jazz Festival at Sea”
• Ultimate Disco Cruise: Includes over 40 live performances

Autism-friendly Cruising

Celebrity is proud to offer an autism-friendly cruising experience for both kids and adults. The Camp at Sea staff receives autism awareness training that covers considerations including the characteristics of autism and other developmental disabilities and communication skills like person-first language.

Onboard you’ll find sensory-friendly films and toys, dietary menu options such as gluten-free or dairy-free, priority check-in, boarding, and departure, and other special accommodations to make your cruise as comfortable as possible.

Hot Tip: Don’t forget to use the right credit card to book your cruise so you can earn lots of points for your next vacation.

Dining and Beverages

Complimentary Dining

The following options are all included in your cruise fare. Please note that not all locations are available on every ship:

Specialty Dining

Celebrity Cruises’ specialty dining locations come with an extra charge that will either be a flat per-person cover charge or à la carte pricing.

Bars and Beverages

You won’t go thirsty on a Celebrity cruise. Here are some of the bars and lounges you may find onboard.

Not all locations are available on every ship.

Most drinks, even non-alcoholic ones, cost extra on a Celebrity cruise. If you would prefer to pay upfront for your drinks, you can purchase a beverage package ahead of time. You’ll find packages to suit all tastes, even kids!

All beverage packages are priced per person, per day.

Classic Package: $69+

• Beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, and frozen drinks
• Wines by the glass (up to $9 each)
• 15% discount on wines by the bottle

Premium Package: $84+

• All Classic Package benefits
• Specialty coffees and teas
• Craft and artisan beers
• Spirits, cocktails, and frozen drinks
• Coca-Cola products
• Premium bottled water
• Wines by the glass up to $15 each
• 20% discount on wines by the bottle

Classic Non-Alcoholic Package: $18+

• Coca-Cola products
• Juices
• Premium coffee and teas
• Bottled water

Premium Non-Alcoholic Package: $25+

• All benefits from the Classic Non-Alcoholic Package
• Premium bottled water
• Specialty coffee and organic teas
• Red Bull Energy Drink
• Coconut water
• Vitamin Water products

Kids’ Drink Package: $15+

• Smoothies and juices
• Bottled water
• Fountain sodas
• Mocktail mixology class

Premium Bottled Water Package: $16+

• Unlimited bottles of still or sparkling premium water

Soda Package: $9+

• Fountain and canned soda

Wines By The Bottle Package: Prices Vary

• Available in 3-, 5-, or 7-bottle packages
• Premium or classic packages are available

Bottom Line: Beverage packages are priced per person, per day, and must be purchased for every day of your cruise. They can’t be shared and they don’t apply to beverages sold in gift shops, the mini-bar, or room service. A 20% service charge will be added to some packages. Not all beverage packages will be available on every ship.

Accommodations

Staterooms on a Celebrity cruise ship evoke a sense of modern luxury. In every stateroom, you’ll find amenities such as a flat-screen TV, exclusive Celebrity eXhale bedding, a cashmere mattress, custom-blended bath products, plush towels, and more.

Here are some of the highlights:

Single Inside Staterooms are perfect for the solo traveler. These rooms offer all the amenities of a double stateroom but are designed for just 1 person.

If you’re trying to stick to a budget, but still want an awesome view, go for a Panoramic Ocean View Stateroom. These rooms are larger than the Standard Ocean View Staterooms and they come with floor-to-ceiling windows.

If you’re traveling with family (up to 5 people), check out the Family Veranda Stateroom. These are the largest veranda staterooms with plenty of space both inside and outside.

If total relaxation is what you’re after, try out an Aqua Class Stateroom. These rooms are spa-inspired and come with extra perks like premium bath products, complimentary dining at Blu restaurant, access to the SEA Thermal Suite and Persian garden, and a personal spa concierge.

For the ultimate in luxury, book a suite on Celebrity Cruise Line. Every suite comes with a personal butler, a private restaurant, a private sundeck, and an exclusive lounge.

Penthouse Suites come with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living and dining area, a private terrace, and a private hot tub!

Iconic Suites are the largest available at over 2,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space. These luxury suites are situated over the bridge so you’ll get gorgeous panoramic views.

Hot Tip: Wondering if you can use miles and points to book a cruise? We’ve got all the answers in our detailed guide to using miles and points to book cruises.

Captain’s Club

Captain’s Club is Celebrity Cruise Line’s loyalty program. When you join Captain’s Club, you’ll receive benefits and perks on every Celebrity cruise you take. Plus, each time you cruise, you’ll earn even more points that will help you reach the next tier of the Captain’s Club.

You’ll earn Captain’s Club points based on your stateroom level and the number of nights you sail.

• Inside and Oceanview Staterooms: 2 Club Points per night
• Veranda and Infinite Veranda Staterooms: 3 Club Points per night
• Concierge Class and Aqua Class Staterooms: 5 Club Points per night
• Sky Suite and Aqua Sky Suite: 8 Club Points per night
• Celebrity, Signature, Sunset, and Royal Suite: 12 Club Points per night
• Reflection, Penthouse, and Edge Villa: 18 Club Points per night

* Each tier includes all of the previous tier’s benefits.

Bottom Line: Celebrity’s loyalty club, Captain’s Club, offers perks based on your stateroom level and the number of nights you sail. You can expect some nice onboard benefits like complimentary internet, laundry, and beverage packages, but you won’t find free or discounted cruises as a benefit. 

Final Thoughts

Celebrity is a luxury cruise line that sails to over 300 destinations on 15 ships.

Onboard, you’ll find unique activities, like Dueling DJs Silent Disco or a hot glass class.

Staterooms on Celebrity cruise ships evoke a sense of modern luxury. Accommodations are available for single travelers as well as larger groups, including suites with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Traditional formal nights are replaced by Evening Chic nights, which should appeal to the modern-day cruiser who doesn’t want to travel with formal wear.

Celebrity also offers many different themed cruises that will appeal to all different types of travelers. Plus, Celebrity strives to be inclusive of everyone, offering special accommodations and activities geared towards autistic passengers and the LGTBQ+ community.

If you’re looking for more information on cruises, explore our guides to Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean.

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