For the first time ever, Celebrity Xcel arrived in Europe, with seven brand-new spaces that will immerse you in the region like never before. The line between ship and shore is erased at The Bazaar, where four new festivals bring the sights, sounds, and flavors of the places you visit along for the ride. All this, and you haven’t even stepped ashore yet.

Explore Europe like never before and reserve your Celebrity Xcel vacation today. 

We’re thrilled to announce new Milestone Benefits, an evolution of Captain’s Club that delivers more perks, more frequently, as you climb tiers. Starting at Elite Plus, you’ll unlock new rewards at select point milestones, all the way to Zenith and beyond. Milestone Benefits will be available beginning with sailings on June 11, 2026.

Our 2026 President’s Cruise in the stunning Mediterranean aboard Celebrity Xcel is just around the corner, and we’re excited to offer exclusive executive-hosted tours in every port. These are intimate, small-group experiences with limited availability. Many have already sold out, so don’t miss your chance to be part of these incredible experiences and reserve your spot today. 

Tours are selling out fast, so don’t wait and book yours today. 

If you haven’t reserved your stateroom yet, there’s still time to join us for a Mediterranean vacation unlike any other. 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

This month, we’re welcoming Michael and Vickie Whitworth back to From the Bridge, where they first appeared in August 2022 and reflected on two decades of sailing with us. Since then, their story has grown with new milestones, heartfelt reunions, and an enduring bond with our crew.

For Michael and Vickie Whitworth, cruising was never meant to shape the rhythm of their lives. Their first trip in 2003 was booked to celebrate Vickie’s graduation, and they couldn’t have imagined that one day they’d measure time in nights at sea, friendships formed on board, and miles sailed across oceans. This year, spending 169 nights aboard Celebrity Solstice is especially meaningful to them. The couple boarded in Singapore just after drydock and stayed through the first Alaska cruise. Later this year, they’ll return for the final Alaska sailing and continue back to Singapore. For them, it’s more than an ambitious itinerary. It’s a rare chance to spend months with one ship, one crew, and a growing collection of memories.

Their milestone run continues in 2026. “After passing under the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver on our way to Alaska in September, we will surpass 100,000 nautical miles sailed,” Michael said. They’ll also reach another major milestone. “This coming November, we will sail our 365th night at sea on Celebrity Solstice—which will be our 1,430th night at sea on Celebrity.” 

And then there’s the distance they’ve traveled. “In March 2023, we started tracking our miles, and the first surprise was how far the ships sail,” he told us. “A Caribbean cruise can cover up to 3,000 miles, while transoceanic cruises can go up to 5,000 miles. The biggest surprise is how much of our world is covered by water. In 2023, we sailed 40,042 miles. From 2023 through May 2026, we sailed 99,859 nautical miles.”

Even now, after more than 1,400 nights with us, they still speak about cruising with the same wonder as their earliest vacations. But if one story captures what it has come to mean to them, it happened in Bali. Thirteen years earlier, while sailing Solstice from Auckland to Vancouver, they met a young waiter named Yudiani. What began as a vacation memory became a lasting friendship. Over the years, they stayed in touch and quietly hoped their paths might cross again. So, when an itinerary finally included a call there, they reached out. Yudiani’s reply came quickly: “Mr. Mike, I'll come get you.”

What followed was a reunion they’ll never forget. Waiting at the terminal was Yudiani, now with a young family and a life rooted on the island. Her husband, a professional tour guide with cruise experience of his own, gave them a more personal look at Bali through a local lens. Their journey with us brought them there, but the deeper gift was being reunited with someone who had become part of their family.

That sense of family shapes nearly everything the Whitworths love about sailing with us. They speak fondly of destinations like Thailand, Bali, and Alaska, as well as Solstice’s refurbishment, from the reimagined spaces to the incredible dining at Trattoria Rossa. And they loved the new entertainment on board, especially the Boulevard Theater’s Dueling Pianos. “This duo is so fun and so good. They are true entertainers. We hope to see them over and over again,” Michael told us.

At the heart of it all is the crew, who turn a ship into a home away from home. During their recent time on Celebrity Solstice, their cabin steward, Putu Saputra, stood out for his thoughtful, personal care. In The Retreat, Georgios and his team created comfort and confidence, while the Captain’s Club team—especially Nial Jackman, along with Raul and Lara—brought warmth and energy to every gathering. “We think Nial, Raul, and Lara are a Dream Team and we can hardly wait to be with them again,” they said. “Just imagining what they are doing with guests on Solstice right now makes us very envious we are not there.” Across the ship, the Whitworths found the same consistency: crew members who remembered names, noticed preferences, celebrated milestones, and made each day feel special. It’s why they speak about us not simply as a cruise line, but as a community they’re always happy to return to.

That’s also why Captain’s Club means so much to them. In their view, it’s more than a loyalty program built around points or perks. It’s the starting point for friendships with fellow guests, crew, and people they continue to visit long after a cruise ends. Some of those relationships stretch back more than a decade. For a couple who once never imagined cruising at all, that may be the greatest surprise: not the miles, the milestones, or even the faraway ports, but the way each sailing brings more people into their lives.

With more sailings on the horizon, Michael and Vickie still talk about every upcoming cruise with the same enthusiasm they brought to their earliest ones. Even after more than 1,400 nights at sea with us, they don’t speak like travelers who have seen it all. They speak like people deeply thankful for every opportunity to go.

And perhaps that is the heart of their story: not simply the destinations they’ve reached, but the joy they continue to find along the way. Thank you both for your loyalty and for letting us be part of your adventures.

Do you have a story from a Celebrity sailing you’d like to share? Tell us about your special sailings, celebrations, excursions, and moments, and what made them unforgettable, and if selected, you’ll be featured in a future Captain’s Club newsletter. Just fill out the survey linked below and tell us what made your cruise the best. We can’t wait to read your responses.