What's Included on a Celebrity Cruise?

In:

15 Feb 2021

By:

Ashley Kosciolek

Like most mainstream cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises isn't all-inclusive, but it is a premium brand that provides passengers with more for their money than most other popular lines.

Those cruising with Celebrity will be pleased to know that their fares are of tremendous value, as they include a variety of dining, activities, and entertainment. While it's normal to splurge here and there, it's important to be aware of what is and isn't included prior to your cruise, so you aren't greeted by any unwelcomed surprises.

Below is a breakdown of what's included on Celebrity Cruises.

Note: This article does not apply to Celebrity Cruises' expedition sailings.

What's included on a Celebrity Cruise?

Accommodations

From accommodations to daily activities, children's programming, and meals in select eateries, you will never get bored or hungry on your Celebrity Cruise.

Your base rate will include whatever accommodation you select, whether it's a standard interior room or a lavish suite within The Retreat. You can expect your cabin to include the following amenities and features:

Two twin beds that can be converted into a king-sized bed
Desk and vanity area
Ensuite bathroom
Dressers and/or closets
Nightstands
Television
In-cabin phone
Mini-fridge
Safe

Additionally, you'll receive twice-a-day housekeeping, which differs from other mainstream cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, as they only service the cabin once.

Meals

All Celebrity fares include meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whether you want a quick bite to eat from the buffet or are prepared to indulge in nightly three-course meals in the Main Dining Room, you don't have to worry about paying extra for food.

Additionally, the Mast Grill dishes up burgers and hotdogs near the pool, whereas the Spa Café is the perfect place to get a lighter meal.

Edge Class ships (i.e., Celebrity Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent, and Xcel) have Eden Café, where you can get complimentary made-to-order sandwiches, as well as salads. They have an impressive cinnamon roll for breakfast, too.

Edge ships also differ from the rest of the fleet in that they have four separate dining rooms, each with their own unique decor and offerings. Normadine serves French cuisine, while Cyprus focuses on Mediterranean dishes. Cosmopolitan features American cuisine, and, finally, Tuscan is the Italian dining room.

Those sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay won't have to rush back onboard for lunch, either, as there's a complimentary beachside buffet. You may also start your day on a Celebrity cruise with a free continental breakfast delivered via room service.

Select venues, such as Tuscan Grill, Le Voyage, and the Lawn Club Grill, are specialty restaurants, meaning that they aren't included in your fare.

Some cruisers prefer specialty restaurants, as they are more intimate than the Main Dining Room. Moreover, they utilize higher-quality ingredients. If you're planning on dining at a couple of them, you can save money by purchasing a dining package through the Cruise Planner in the months and weeks leading up to your sailing.

Beverages

Your Celebrity cruise will also include select beverages. These drinks are available at any time and include water, tea, lemonade, coffee, iced tea, milk, juices (not freshly squeezed), and hot chocolate.

You'll find these drinks available at numerous venues on the ship, including the Oceanview Café and Mast Grill.

Alcoholic and select non-alcoholic beverages cost extra. If, for instance, you want a specialty coffee, you'll have to pay extra. Some alcoholic drinks can cost upwards of $17, too, so it's important to consider whether you'd benefit from one of Celebrity's drink packages.

Daily activities

Each night, you'll receive a daily schedule with the following day's events. You may also check the convenient mobile app, so you don't have to worry about carrying a paper copy.

The majority of activities are included; however, you may see some, such as a wine-tasting, cocktail-making class, Bingo, or Deal or No Deal that have an extra fee.

Complimentary activities range from trivia to open-play pickleball, silent discos, rooftop movies, and more.

Nightly entertainment and live music

After dinner, you can listen to live music in the ship's atrium or head to one of the popular theater shows— all of which are included in your fare!

As with the daytime activities, it's important to check the daily schedule to make sure you don't miss anything. In addition to the theater productions, Celebrity may also offer comedians, magicians, and other variety acts.

Live music is offered throughout the ship daily and varies in genre. On sea days, you can listen to a band while lounging in the pool, whereas in the evenings, you can relax in the atrium while being serenaded by a talented vocalist.

Fitness center

Let's face it, you're guaranteed to eat and drink more than you normally do while on your Celebrity cruise. You don't have to worry about straying from your fitness goals, though. There's a complimentary fitness center available on every ship in the fleet that's equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, and more.

There's also an outdoor jogging track available for those who want to maximize their time outdoors while on vacation.

Celebrity Cruises offers fitness classes, too; however, they're often not included. They also have personalized training and consultations for an additional fee.

Youth programming

Celebrity Cruises' Camp at Sea offers complimentary youth programming for sailors between the ages of 3 and 17 from 9:00am - 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, and 7:00pm - 10:00pm. Outside of those hours, Camp at Sea costs $6 per hour per child.

While at Camp at Sea, kids will take part in activities led by the trained youth staff, each of which is specialized for specific age groups.

Those between the ages of 3 and 5, for example, are part of the "Shipmates" group. When they're at Camp at Sea, they may participate in arts and crafts or learn camp songs. "Cadets," or children who are 6 - 9, will enjoy activities that are more nautical-based. They could, for instance, learn the basics of sailing, such as navigation, time, weather partners, and more.

To be able to utilize the free kids' programming, your child must be fully potty trained.

Transportation between ports

While you're guaranteed to have an amazing time onboard your Celebrity cruise, part of the experience includes visiting amazing ports of call. Whether you're sailing to Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, etc., you won't have to worry about packing and unpacking your suitcase, as the ship will transport you to each new destination.

When budgeting for your cruise, make sure that you allot money for shore excursions, as you won't want to miss any once-in-a-lifetime experiences because you didn't factor in money for tours.

In some places, such as Alaska, you can expect them to be more expensive than snorkeling tours or relaxing beach days in The Bahamas or Caribbean.

All Included

Celebrity Cruises has two fares you can choose from. The first is a base fare that is similar to other mainstream lines and includes unlimited food, select beverages, accommodation, entertainment, and transportation between ports of call.

The second is dubbed "All Included" and is meant to make your cruise vacation a little bit more inclusive. With this, you'll receive a free Classic Beverage Package. That means drinks -- soda, juice, coffee, tea, bottled water, beer, wine, and mixed drinks -- will be included, but they're limited to a cost of $10, which excludes those made with top-shelf spirits.

The included internet package is the Basic Wi-Fi package, which allows passengers to browse the web, send emails, and text family and friends via select messaging apps. What it will not allow them to do is stream from services like Netflix and Hulu, make video calls, or share photos or videos on social media.

Note that while All Included used to include tips, it no longer does. Celebrity Cruises eliminated this feature in October 2023.

What's not included

Though Celebrity does include a lot in their base fare, there will be ample opportunities for you to spend extra cash while onboard. From drink packages to pre-cruise transportation, spa treatments, behind-the-scenes tours, late-night room service, and more, it's easy to spend hundreds, if not thousands, on top of your fare.

Below is a list of incidentals that aren't included in your fare. Note that not everything on the list is optional. All guests, for instance, must pay port fees. Likewise, gratuities will be added to your onboard account if you decline to pay for them ahead of time.

At the time of writing, gratuities vary based on which cabin you book. They're $18.00 USD per person, per day for Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms; $18.50 USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms; and $23.00 USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat.