Celebrity Cruises has unveiled a major enhancement to its Celebrity Xcel ship for Summer 2026, introducing four immersive European-inspired festivals within The Bazaar venue. Since its launch in November, The Bazaar’s three-story LED screens and spatial design have transformed sea days into a continuous cultural experience, extending the flavors, sounds and crafts of destinations such as Florence, Santorini and Lisbon well beyond port calls. Beginning May 2026, Celebrity Xcel will sail seven- to 11-night itineraries out of Barcelona and Athens, including new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal. Guests will encounter the Opa Festival’s Greek cuisine and live musicians, La Dolce Vita’s Italian cooking classes and Venetian evening markets, the bold colors and flamenco of Salud Festival, and the spice-driven dances of the Silk & Spice Festival. Complementary experiences include Mosaic’s open kitchen serving region-inspired dishes, the casual Spice concept offering rotating local bites, and Market at The Bazaar retailing artisan olive oils, scarves and hand-painted tiles.

Royal Caribbean Group will roll out Points Choice on sailings departing January 30, 2026, allowing guests to earn and allocate loyalty points across its three brands—Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club and Silversea’s Venetian Society. The program builds on the May 2024 Status Match initiative, enabling members to consolidate status and benefits regardless of the ship they sail. Points Choice offers flexibility to move earned points up to 14 days post-sailing via an online portal, accelerating status within the member’s preferred brand. Royal Caribbean Group operates nearly 70 ships serving 1,000 destinations, is expanding its private-destination portfolio from three to eight by 2028 and will enter river cruising with Celebrity River Cruises in 2027.