Premium cruise line ยท Founded 1988
Celebrity Cruises Review: Premium Design and Dining Assessed
Short answer
Is Celebrity Cruises a good cruise line?
Celebrity Cruises is the best-designed mainstream-owned premium line, with the strongest included food in its price band. Balcony fares start near $185 per person per night, the All Included fare bundles drinks, WiFi and gratuities, and the adults-heavy atmosphere suits couples more than families.
Key takeaways
- Best included dining of any line owned by a mainstream parent company.
- Edge class ships have the most interesting cabin design at sea, with the Infinite Verandah dividing opinion.
- The Retreat suite enclave is excellent and priced close to a genuine luxury line.
- All Included fares bundle drinks, WiFi and gratuities and are usually the correct booking.
- Skews adult: children are welcome but facilities are limited and the atmosphere is not family-first.
Overview
Celebrity is what happens when a mainstream cruise company hires proper designers. Edge class ships were laid out by Kelly Hoppen and Tom Wright, and the result is a ship that looks like a hotel rather than a shopping mall, with a cantilevered Magic Carpet platform on the side of the hull that is either brilliant or a folly depending on who you ask.
The substance matches the styling more often than not. The main dining rooms on Edge class are four separate restaurants with different menus, all included, and the food is a clear step above anything in the contemporary segment. Service ratios are better, and the ship is quiet.
The trade-off is price and family suitability. Celebrity runs roughly 40 percent above Royal Caribbean, and while children are perfectly welcome, the facilities are thin and the atmosphere is aimed at couples. Our reviewers have sailed five Celebrity ships since 2020, most recently Celebrity Ascent in February 2026.
Celebrity occupies the premium tier alongside Princess and Holland America and above the contemporary lines. Its differentiators are design, food and the adult atmosphere; its weakness is that the fare premium is substantial and not everyone will feel it.
The fare structure is simpler than most. Celebrity sells an All Included fare covering a classic drinks package, basic WiFi and gratuities, alongside a cruise-only fare. In our sampling the All Included fare costs roughly $55 to $70 more per person per day and the components price at about $78, so it is the correct booking for most travellers.
The Retreat is Celebrity's suite enclave: a private restaurant called Luminae, a Retreat Lounge, a private sun deck and pool, butler service and a concierge. It is one of the two best suite products in the segment alongside Norwegian's Haven, and it prices accordingly.
Our Celebrity Cruises score
4.5 / 5
Averaged across the six criteria below, each scored independently by our reviewers after sailing the line. It is an editorial judgment, not a user poll.
- Value for money
- 4.1
- Cabins
- 4.6
- Dining
- 4.6
- Entertainment
- 4.2
- Service
- 4.6
- Family friendliness
- 3.4
Judged on fare versus what is included before you spend a cent onboard.
Judged on square footage, storage, bathroom and balcony quality at each grade.
Judged on included restaurant quality, not just the specialty venues.
Judged on range and production quality across a full sea day.
Judged on crew ratio, consistency and how problems get resolved.
Judged on kids clubs, cabin configurations and pool space for children.
The fleet
Celebrity's fleet is two groups. Edge class, from 2018, is the modern design statement. Solstice class, from 2008 to 2012, is the older but genuinely lovely mid-size fleet with the famous real-grass Lawn Club on the top deck.
Solstice class ships are the value play. They are 15 years old but were beautifully built, they have been well refitted, and they sail at fares $40 to $70 per night below Edge class on comparable routes.
| Ship | Class | Guests | Launched | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celebrity Xcel | Edge | 3,260 | 2025 | The newest Edge class ship, with a revised Magic Carpet and expanded Retreat. |
| Celebrity Ascent | Edge | 3,260 | 2023 | Best-executed Edge class ship. Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud is the standout restaurant. |
| Celebrity Beyond | Edge | 3,260 | 2022 | Stretched Edge design with a two-deck Sunset Bar that is the best outdoor space in the fleet. |
| Celebrity Apex | Edge | 2,910 | 2020 | Near-identical to Celebrity Edge with minor cabin improvements. |
| Celebrity Edge | Edge | 2,918 | 2018 | The original Magic Carpet ship. Introduced the Infinite Verandah cabin. |
| Celebrity Reflection | Solstice | 3,046 | 2012 | Largest Solstice class ship. Excellent value against Edge class. |
| Celebrity Silhouette | Solstice | 2,908 | 2011 | Real-grass Lawn Club and the Alcoves cabanas. Ages very well. |
What Celebrity Cruises costs
Celebrity is expensive relative to its parent company's mainstream brand and reasonable relative to the premium segment. Expect roughly $185 to $245 per person per night for a balcony on a seven-night Caribbean sailing, against $140 to $185 on Royal Caribbean.
The All Included fare is the key decision. It adds roughly $55 to $70 per person per day and covers a Classic drinks package, basic WiFi and the $18.00 gratuity, which price separately at about $78. Take it unless you drink nothing.
Celebrity discounts more aggressively than Princess in the shoulder windows. September and early December Caribbean sailings routinely run 25 to 30 percent below the same itinerary in February.
| Item | Typical price | What it covers | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside cabin | $125 to $175 per night | Cabin, four main restaurants, buffet, theatre | Rarely worth it; the balcony premium is small |
| Balcony cabin | $185 to $245 per night | As above plus verandah or Infinite Verandah | Yes, this is the core Celebrity booking |
| Concierge Class | $215 to $280 per night | Adds priority boarding, upgraded bedding, daily canapes | Marginal; spend the money on All Included instead |
| AquaClass | $240 to $310 per night | Adds Blu restaurant and unlimited thermal suite | Yes, Blu is the best included restaurant at sea |
| The Retreat suite | $520 to $920 per night | Luminae restaurant, private pool, lounge, butler | Excellent, but compare with Oceania and Regent |
| All Included upgrade | $55 to $70 per person per day | Classic drinks, basic WiFi, gratuities | Yes, the components price about $78 |
| Gratuities, if not bundled | $18.00 per person per day | $20.50 in Concierge and AquaClass, $23.00 in suites | Included in All Included fares |
| Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud | $95 per person | Tasting menu on Edge class ships | The best meal on any Royal Caribbean Group ship |
Included in the fare
- Four separate main restaurants on Edge class, all included, with different menus
- Buffet, Spa Cafe, Mast Grill and the excellent included Eden Cafe
- Theatre productions, live music and the Eden performance space
- Camp at Sea kids programming for ages three to seventeen
- Pools, solarium and the Lawn Club on Solstice class
Costs extra
- Alcohol, speciality coffee and bottled water unless in an All Included fare
- Specialty restaurants at $55 to $95
- WiFi beyond basic unless bundled
- Gratuities at $18.00 to $23.00 per person per day unless bundled
- Spa, excursions and the Retreat sun deck for non-suite guests
Pros and cons
What it does well
- The best included food of any line owned by a mainstream cruise parent.
- Design quality that no competitor in the price band approaches.
- AquaClass with access to Blu restaurant is arguably the best value cabin category at sea.
- The Retreat delivers genuine luxury-line service within a premium ship.
- Quiet, adult atmosphere with excellent service ratios.
Where it falls short
- Roughly 40 percent more expensive than Royal Caribbean for the same itinerary.
- Infinite Verandah cabins on Edge class replace a true balcony with a window that opens, and many guests dislike them.
- Family facilities are thin, with a small kids club and no water features for children.
- Specialty restaurant prices at $55 to $95 are high even for the segment.
- Solstice class ships, while lovely, are now 14 to 18 years old.
Who it suits
Book Celebrity Cruises if you are
- Couples who want good food, good design and a quiet ship
- Travellers stepping up from Royal Caribbean who want the same group's service standards
- Anyone who would book AquaClass for the Blu restaurant
- Suite travellers comparing The Retreat against Norwegian's Haven
- Mediterranean and Caribbean travellers who want a premium ship at less than luxury-line pricing
Look elsewhere if you are
- Families with children under 12
- Budget-focused travellers, where the premium over Royal Caribbean is hard to justify
- Travellers who insist on a traditional railed balcony, given Edge class cabin design
- Anyone wanting a lively party atmosphere
- Guests who want an all-inclusive fare, which Oceania and Regent do better
Cabins
Celebrity's cabins are the best in the premium segment for design, with real attention to lighting, storage and bathroom layout. Solstice class balconies are conventional and excellent.
Edge class introduced the Infinite Verandah, which merges the balcony into the cabin behind a bi-fold window that opens. When open it gives more usable indoor space; it is not a traditional balcony and a meaningful minority of guests find it claustrophobic. Book a Sunset Verandah or a Sky Suite if you want a conventional railed balcony on Edge class.
AquaClass is the standout category. It costs $25 to $40 per night above a standard balcony and includes exclusive access to Blu, a restaurant serving lighter, better-cooked food than the main dining rooms, plus unlimited thermal suite access. It is the best-value upgrade in the premium segment.
- AquaClass: includes Blu restaurant and thermal suite, the best upgrade on the ship.
- Infinite Verandah on Edge class is not a traditional balcony; check before booking.
- Sunset Verandah cabins on Edge class have huge aft-facing balconies.
- Solstice class balconies are conventional, large and well designed.
- The Retreat suites include Luminae, a private pool and butler service.
Dining
Celebrity's food is the reason to book the line. On Edge class the single main dining room is replaced by four separate restaurants, Cosmopolitan, Cyprus, Normandie and Tuscan, each with a distinct fixed menu plus shared daily specials. All are included.
Blu, reserved for AquaClass guests, is better than any of them: smaller, calmer, with lighter cooking and a kitchen that is not scaling to 3,000 covers. Luminae, in The Retreat, is better still.
The specialty roster is expensive but strong. Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud at $95 is the best restaurant operated by any Royal Caribbean Group brand, and Fine Cut Steakhouse at $65 is genuinely good. Eden Cafe, which is included, serves the best free casual food on the ship.
- Four included main restaurants on Edge class with distinct menus.
- Blu, for AquaClass guests, is the best included restaurant at sea.
- Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud at $95 is the group's best restaurant.
- Eden Cafe is included and better than most paid venues on rival lines.
- Specialty prices at $55 to $95 are high even for the premium segment.
Entertainment
Celebrity's entertainment is stylish rather than spectacular. Theatre productions are contemporary dance and music pieces rather than narrative musicals, well staged and about 45 minutes long.
Eden, the three-deck space at the stern of Edge class ships, is the interesting one: a bar and performance space that runs ambient performance by day and cabaret by night, and it is unlike anything on another line.
Live music across the ship is the strongest element, with genuinely good jazz and classical trios rather than the cover bands that dominate the contemporary segment.
- Theatre runs contemporary dance and music, not narrative musicals.
- Eden on Edge class is a genuinely original performance space.
- Live jazz and classical ensembles are a clear step above the segment norm.
- The Magic Carpet platform hosts dining and music at different deck heights.
- No comedy club or licensed Broadway productions.
For kids
Camp at Sea takes children from age three through seventeen across four age bands. Facilities are a couple of rooms, and there is no water park, no splash zone and no dedicated family pool.
The programming itself is good, with cooking, art and STEM sessions that are more interesting than the segment average, and it is free during the day and evening. Late-night care runs $8 per child per hour.
Celebrity is a reasonable choice for a family with one older child who does not need facilities, and a poor choice for a family with two under-twelves who do.
- Camp at Sea for ages three to seventeen, free during the day and evening.
- No water park, splash zone or dedicated family pool anywhere in the fleet.
- Programming is good quality but the physical facilities are minimal.
- Late-night care at $8 per child per hour.
- AquaClass and Retreat categories have minimum age restrictions on some ships.
For adults
The Solarium on every Celebrity ship is adults-only, glass-covered and free, and it is the best version of that space in the industry. On Edge class it is a genuinely beautiful room.
The Retreat sun deck and pool are suite-only and quiet. AquaClass guests get unlimited thermal suite access, which on a Celebrity ship includes heated tiled loungers, a steam room and a large hydro pool.
The overall atmosphere is adult by default. Celebrity does not need adults-only zoning because the whole ship functions that way, and that is the single clearest difference from Royal Caribbean.
- Adults-only glass-covered Solarium on every ship, included in the fare.
- AquaClass includes unlimited thermal suite access worth about $299.
- The Retreat sun deck and pool are suite-only and genuinely quiet.
- Live jazz and wine programming aimed squarely at adults.
- The whole ship reads adult, which is the main difference from Royal Caribbean.
Terms worth knowing
- Infinite Verandah
- A cabin design on Edge class ships where the balcony is enclosed behind a bi-fold window that opens, converting outdoor space into usable indoor space.
- AquaClass
- A cabin category including exclusive access to Blu restaurant and unlimited thermal suite use, typically $25 to $40 per night above a standard balcony.
- The Retreat
- Celebrity's suite enclave, comprising Luminae restaurant, a private lounge, a private pool and sun deck, butler service and a concierge.
- All Included fare
- A fare bundling a Classic drinks package, basic WiFi and gratuities, typically $55 to $70 per person per day above the cruise-only fare.
| Line | Balcony, per night | Included food quality | Adult atmosphere | Family facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celebrity | $185 to $245 | Best in segment | Strong | Minimal |
| Princess | $155 to $200 | Good | Strong | Modest |
| Holland America | $150 to $195 | Good | Very strong | Minimal |
| Oceania | $310 to $420 | Best at sea below luxury | Very strong | None |
| Royal Caribbean | $140 to $185 | Weakest of these | Weak | Best in market |
Should you book Celebrity?
Celebrity's premium is real and it buys specific things. Decide whether those things are the ones you want before comparing it with Royal Caribbean on price.
Book Celebrity AquaClass
Choose it when: You are a couple who care about food. Blu alone justifies the $25 to $40 nightly premium over a standard balcony.
Book Edge class
Choose it when: Design and modern cabins matter to you, and you are comfortable with the Infinite Verandah concept.
Skip it if: You want a traditional railed balcony, in which case book Solstice class or a Sunset Verandah.
Book Solstice class
Choose it when: You want the Celebrity experience for $40 to $70 per night less and do not need the newest hardware.
Take the All Included fare
Choose it when: You drink at all. The bundle costs $55 to $70 and the components price near $78.
Book another line
Choose it when: You are travelling with children under 12, or the fare premium over Royal Caribbean is not something you will feel good about.
Ready to price a Celebrity Cruises sailing?
Lead-in fares from $148 per person per night in our latest sampling. Compare live fares, then come back and check our cost guides before adding packages.
BestCruiseDeals.us earns a commission when you book through some links on this page. It never changes your price and never changes our rating.
Celebrity Cruises questions, answered
Is Celebrity worth the extra cost over Royal Caribbean?
If food, design and a quiet ship matter to you, yes. Celebrity runs roughly 40 percent above Royal Caribbean and delivers four included main restaurants instead of one, materially better cooking, better service ratios and an adult atmosphere. If you want entertainment and things to do, Royal Caribbean gives you more for less.
What is an Infinite Verandah on Celebrity Edge class?
It is a cabin where the balcony is enclosed behind a floor-to-ceiling bi-fold window that opens to convert the front of the cabin into open-air space. It gives more usable indoor square footage than a traditional balcony but has no separate outdoor room. A meaningful minority of guests dislike it, so book a Sunset Verandah or Sky Suite if you want a conventional balcony.
Is AquaClass worth it on Celebrity?
For most couples, yes. It costs $25 to $40 per night above a standard balcony and includes exclusive access to Blu, a smaller restaurant with lighter and better-executed cooking, plus unlimited thermal suite access which alone sells for about $299 a week. It is the best value cabin upgrade in the premium segment.
How much is a Celebrity cruise in 2026?
A seven-night Caribbean balcony sailing runs roughly $1,295 to $1,715 per person cruise only, or $185 to $245 per night. AquaClass runs $240 to $310 per night and Retreat suites $520 to $920. Add $55 to $70 per person per day for the All Included fare covering drinks, WiFi and gratuities.
Is Celebrity good for kids?
Not particularly. Camp at Sea covers ages three to seventeen with good programming, but there is no water park, splash zone or family pool anywhere in the fleet, and the atmosphere is aimed at adults. It works for one older child who does not need facilities. Families with young children should look at Royal Caribbean, MSC or Disney.
What is The Retreat on Celebrity?
The Retreat is Celebrity's suite enclave, comprising the Luminae restaurant, a dedicated Retreat Lounge, a private pool and sun deck, butler service and a concierge. It runs $520 to $920 per person per night and delivers service comparable to a luxury line, though Oceania and Regent include far more in their base fares.
About the author
Senior Cruise Editor
Mara Vance has been writing about cruise travel since 2011, first for a regional newspaper travel desk and, since 2019, as the senior editor at BestCruiseDeals.us. She sets the review framework every cruise line page on this site is scored against.
71 sailings logged across 10 cruise lines.
This page was fact-checked by Captain Alberto Ruiz, marine and operations reviewer, on . Prices and policies are re-checked against cruise line sources at least every 90 days. Read our editorial policy.