Celebrity Cruises is added four new festivals inspired by Mediterranean cultures to Celebrity Xcel‘s Bazaar proposition as part of its summer 2026 European sailings

After a successful debut in the Caribbean, Celebrity Xcel’s destination-led venue, The Bazaar, will continue to expand, with themed food, festivals, and music inspired by the ship’s ports of call.

“Since the concept launched on Celebrity Xcel in November, (…) The Bazaar has kept guests enveloped in the culture of destinations well beyond their time in port,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “We’re excited to transform the experience yet again to bring the heartbeat of the Mediterranean on board throughout every Europe sailing.”

The new Opa Festival will bring Greece on board with baklava and moussaka tastings, as well as “Mati” evil eye jewellery workshops, while La Dolce Vita Festival will focus on Italy and feature pasta-making and limoncello tastings.

The Salud Festival will be a Spanish-themed event where guests can build flamenco roses and fans while enjoying sangrias and the Silk & Spice Festival will celebrate Morocco and Turkey with fragrant teas, Turkish delight tastings, and hands-on craft workshops

Continuing with the theme of culinary and cultural immersion, Mosaic, an open-kitchen restaurant situated below The Bazaar, will serve menus inspired by Naples, Mykonos, and Lisbon. Spice, a casual dining venue, will rotate its menu to match each itinerary. Guests will be able to buy souvenirs, including olive oil, scarves, and painted tiles, at Market at The Bazaar. And Chef’s Studio at Mosaic hosts cooking classes.

Celebrity Xcel will sail on its inaugural European voyage in May 2026. The line offers seven- to 11-night itineraries from Barcelona and Athens, with overnight stays in Madeira. Celebrity Cruises’ parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, also revealed a new loyalty programme, Points Choice, where guests earn points across all three of its brands.