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New Celebrity Xcel space The Bazaar ups destination immersionNew Celebrity Xcel space The Bazaar ups destination immersion

Replacing Eden, the three-story area will transform every day, highlighting the places visited.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

February 4, 2025

2 Min Read
Each day, the three-story Bazaar will transform with destination-inspired experiencesRENDERING: CELEBRITY CRUISES

The Bazaar — the first of seven new experiences revealed on Celebrity Xcel — aims to bring the destinations onboard with a market, festivals, local food and entertainment.

Replacing Eden on the earlier Edge-class ships, The Bazaar will introduce authentic experiences that extend travelers' time 'on shore' with the sights, sounds, flavors and traditions of the places visited, and the festivals made famous by the destinations.

Each day, the three-story space will transform, from a market featuring local artisan products and hands-on craft experiences, to destination-inspired festivals specific to each itinerary, regionally inspired culinary experiences and special entertainment.

'The Bazaar is a truly one-of-a-kind space designed to seamlessly blend ship and shore and transform the way guests experience destinations,' Celebrity Cruises President Laura Hodges Bethge said.

Caribbean- and European-inspired festivals

Four Caribbean-inspired festivals — each linked to a destination where Celebrity Xcel is sailing — will immerse passengers in the cultures of ports visited. The festivals will feature local food and beverages, crafting experiences, retail enrichment activations, cooking and dance classes, pop-up entertainment, performances by local musicians and other Caribbean-inspired activities.

Related:Seven new experiences and a new logo for Celebrity Xcel

As Celebrity Xcel heads to Europe in 2026, The Bazaar will transform to feature festivals, markets and culinary experiences inspired by Mediterranean destinations.

Local artisans at the Market

On sea days, Market at The Bazaar will feature displays from local artisans showcasing their crafts, skills and traditions, and teaching cruisers how to make their own creations. As with all experiences at The Bazaar, the offering at the Market will change throughout sailings to reflect each of four festival themes. Depending on the theme, activities may include rum and chocolate pairings and hot sauce tastings, live basket-weaving demos and shopping for one-of-a-kind keepsakes from local vendors such as a Caribbean mask shop, traditional Mexican leather hats and embroidery stations.

Special Chef's Table concept

An open kitchen concept, Mosaic, will serve reimagined and elevated dishes, inspired by the regions where Celebrity Xcel is sailing. A Chef's Table experience at Mosaic sees Celebrity's global culinary leadership team developing a dish inspired by their native cuisine, plated and presented in an elevated way. The Chef's Table will serve a diverse, multi-course tasting menu of childhood favorite dishes, paired with wines from Celebrity Cruises' selection.

Cooking school

Foodies can learn to cook regional delicacies at Chef's Studio at Mosaic. Throughout the cruise, the cooking school repertoire will change to reflect the destination-inspired festival themes.

A new casual dining concept, Spice, will offer a daytime selection of rotating bites with special items inspired by the ports visited. A new seating area at Spice features floor-to-ceiling windows for spectacular views.

Travelers can have their say and determine how The Bazaar experiences will come to life through Celebrity Cruises' Xcel 'Dream Makers' global community of vacationers who will test, try and vote on new experiences they would like to see onboard.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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