Celebrity Xcel features the line’s widest variety of entertainment, with some of it steered by guests.
With three brand-new theatre productions, two interactive club shows, music experiences, high-energy dance parties, interactive activities and surprises in between, every moment onboard will spark connection and delight from morning to night, Celebrity Cruises promises.
An industry-first program, Celebrity Cruises’ Xcel Dream Makers, involved guests in finalizing the entertainment on board. For The Theatre production shows, Dream Makers chose a featured costume for Chapters. They also decided the first headline performer in the Theatre, picked the programming themes for Xcel’s Saddle Up Saloon dance party and Viva festival in The Bazaar. They also voted on the props for the crowd-favorite, signature Shine the Night party.
Three spectacular production spectaculars in The Theatre feature Celebrity’s largest cast of singers, dancers, parkour artists, and specialty aerial performers along with cutting-edge technology – including kinetic lighting, laser video etching, and a 110-foot curved kinetic LED screen – to deliver immersive entertainment.
Mainstage is a high-energy live music concert that transports audiences to the world’s most iconic music festivals, featuring hits from top artists across the decades. Guests will sing along as they are immersed in festivals that span electrifying dance vibes to country soul, and everything in between .
Between Takes transports guests to a 1920s Hollywood backlot straight into the mayhem that ensues between CUT and ACTION, as a crew endeavors to create the next blockbuster. This spectacle juxtaposes the glamour of the screen with the reality of life on set using dynamic, color-changing set design. Guests will witness jaw-dropping Hollywood scenes, incredible vocals, high-flying stunts, and mind-blowing choreography.
Chapters is a poetic and visually stunning journey through nature, transformation, and self-discovery. The journey through each chapter reflects growth, change, and connection — inviting guests to see themselves in the stories unfolding on stage.
The Club, 254 West transports guests into the 80s at the closing night for New York’s iconic “254 West” club. But the party isn’t over yet, as guests are invited to join in the high-energy 254 West After Party.
HOTEL brings a scandal, a spectacle, and a crime that needs solving – this comedic “whodunit” performance features cabaret flair, razor-sharp wit, and keeps audiences guessing from check-in to checkout. Featuring bold musical numbers, eccentric characters, and twists at every turn, the only question is: will guests solve the mystery before it’s time to pack their bags?
At The Bazaar, authentic entertainment extends guests’ time in the destinations they visit even after the ship pulls away from port. Four unique festivals – Carnival, Aqua, Viva and Flora – celebrate the cultures of destinations the ship visits. From the costumes to the music, guests will find regional entertainment that brings the beauty of The Bahamas, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic to life. At The Bazaar, guests will never step into the same space twice, as performances and activities evolve between days and throughout days – from hands-on activities like salt scrub making, to roving live musicians.
New games on Celebrity Xcel also offer fun for all ages:
High Stakes is a high-energy, mass participatory elimination game show driven by instinct, luck, and suspense. By choosing between “Celebrity Blue” and “Tangerine”, players will be eliminated until one winner emerges from a crowd of participants.
Brain Spin is a fast-paced game show that combines the thrill of spinning the wheel with strategic thinking, challenging guests to collect all eight sections of their “mind map.” The first contestant to complete all eight wins the game.
Guests will bring a robot to life in an escape room-style game that challenges guests to build a unique circuit board using clues and props hidden in locked boxes. And in a destination-themed mystery game, guests must assemble a world map to eliminate destinations and find hidden treasure.
For guests under 18, a new, interactive digital game wall will level-up the gaming experience at our award-winning youth program, Camp at Sea, with more than 50 new games that span sports to education.
Celebrity Xcel’s inaugural season starting in November sails weekly from Fort Lauderdale, alternating between The Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. In Summer 2026, Celebrity Xcel will launch her inaugural European season where guests can immerse themselves in the Mediterranean like never before on seven- to 11-night journeys out of Barcelona and Athens, including all-new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.
Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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