Athens Acropolis Excursion: An Awe Inspiring Cruise Finale
An Athens Acropolis excursion on disembarkation day — the Parthenon, Piraeus logistics, and getting to the airport on time.
Mediterranean Cruise Sea Days: Feasts, Trivia & Nonstop Fun
Two Mediterranean cruise sea days aboard Celebrity Xcel — Bora brunch, Bazaar festivals, trivia, and Captain Kirk’s Rock Show.
Stunning Santorini Cruise Port Day: Oia & Cable Car
A Santorini cruise port day exploring Oia, Fira, wine tasting and the cable car above the caldera.
Celebrity Xcel Malta: Stunning Arrival, Excursion Letdown
A stunning Grand Harbour sail-in, a disappointing shore excursion, and how we turned our Celebrity Xcel Malta port day around in Valletta.
Celebrity Xcel Sky Suite Review: Stateroom 9112, Honest Take
An honest, detailed review of the Celebrity Xcel Sky Suite, stateroom 9112 — including a side-by-side comparison with our Infinite Veranda stateroom from the preview cruise, real photos of the veranda view, and whether that view is actually obstructed.
Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean Embarkation Day — From Barcelona to Fine Cut Steakhouse
A full look at Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean embarkation day — from checking out of our Barcelona hotel and boarding in under an hour, to our first Luminae lunch, Fine Cut Steakhouse dinner, and a speakeasy we’ll definitely be back to.
We’re Boarding a Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean Cruise in 2026 — 5 Stunning Ports, the Retreat & Everything We Can’t Wait to Experience
Our Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean cruise is finally here — 7 nights from Barcelona to Athens, 5 stunning ports, and our first time in the Retreat booked outright rather than via Move Up. Here’s what we’re most looking forward to, what we’re nervous about, and why this sailing feels like a big step up from our November preview cruise.
Celebrity Move Up Program: 7 Things We Wish We Knew
Is the Celebrity Move Up program worth it? We bid minimum and won a Sky Suite upgrade on the Apex — then skipped it entirely on our next Xcel sailing. Here’s the honest math, a simple decision framework, and the availability trick most people miss.
