Agents hail ‘stunning’ design of new Celebrity Xcel

Senior UK travel agents and operators have praised the “stunning” design of Celebrity Cruises’ new Celebrity Xcel ship, as well as its entertainment slate and culinary experiences.

The agents were on board the fifth Edge Class ship on an inaugural sailing from Fort Lauderdale.

Lindsay Haslehurst, head of product and commercial at World Travel Holdings UK, praised the ship’s “beautiful” design.

“It is absolutely stunning, and I love the modern luxury feel to it,” Haslehurst said.

Her standout venue was Attic at The Club which has a variety of shows, including 254 West, which she called “the place to be at night” while on board.

Tricia Handley-Hughes, director at InteleTravel UK and Ireland, echoed this as she said Xcel was “so beautifully and tastefully designed”.

“I find it hard to fault,” she said, adding the entertainment was “absolutely amazing”, particularly the show Rebel.

She urged agents to come and experience the product or look at the website to inspire them to sell the ship to their clients.

One of the seven new venues on board, The Bazaar, where the line will host destination-themed festivals and markets, was highlighted by several trade partners as the standout debut feature on Xcel.

Paul Hardwick, director of retail at Fred Olsen Travel, said The Bazaar and its new dining venue, The Spice Café, were his “favourite parts” of the ship.

He said: “It is an amazing venue for lunch with protein bowls, and on a cruise ship is nice to be healthy once in a while.

“The whole ethos and ethics around the whole Bazaar area is just beautiful and I absolutely love it.”

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John Sullivan, commercial director at the Advantage Travel Partnership, also singled out the culinary experiences on board as a key selling point.

“This morning, I had breakfast in Luminae [a suite-guest only restaurant] where the service was off the scale and the food was incredible as well,” he said.

“Overall, the ship is world class and looks stunning, and my favourite bar [on board] is called World Class too.”

Simon Applebaum, managing director at Gold Medal, said Celebrity Cruises had “absolutely knocked it out of the park once again”.

He said The Retreat, which is an exclusive area for suite passengers, was his “highlight” where the food and drink were “incredible”.

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Nicki Goldsmith, head of global agency sales at Virgin Atlantic, said it was the first naming ceremony she had attended and that the ship was “absolutely fantastic”.

Melanie Gittins, senior account manager at Virgin Atlantic, agreed, saying The Bazaar and theatre on Xcel were “absolutely stunning”.

Goldsmith added: “It has been no secret we have been doing an awful lot of work in the cruise space over the last couple of years, so it has been amazing to come on to the ship and see that customer journey.”