I stayed in over 10 balcony cabins, I tried an aft balcony on Celebrity's newest ship — it's my new favorite
In:After staying in standard ocean-view balconies, interior-facing balconies, and infinite verandas, I finally tried an aft balcony.
Aft balcony cabins are popular due to their large verandas, great wake views, and privacy.
However, they're more limited in availability since they are only found at the back of the ship, rather than lining the port and starboard sides of the vessel. As such, they're generally more expensive than traditional balconies.
Recently, I stayed in an aft veranda on Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, Celebrity Xcel. The cruise line invited me on a short 2-night sailing to celebrate the launch of Xcel, and my only complaint about the cabin was that I didn't have more time to spend in it!
My stateroom, 12288, was one deck below Celebrity's enhanced pool deck. This meant I could easily access the resort-style pool and Oceanview Café using the aft stairs.
Not only that, but a lot of other popular venues are found in the ship's aft, including the Sunset Bar (Deck 15), complimentary dining rooms (Decks 3 and 4), and the Bazaar (Deck 5).
The cabin was stylish in a minimalist, boutique hotel kind of way. Instead of crowding the room with busy patterns or excessive decorations, the design relies on intentional pops of color and refined accents that add personality without feeling overwhelming.
As soon as I walked in, I noted how bright the room felt, which was accentuated by its yellow accents throughout.
The light wood paneling also added a modern, airy feel compared to older vessels, and the space was thoughtfully designed to avoid feeling cluttered.
Of course, the true highlight of the stateroom was the aft veranda, which was the largest balcony I've ever had on a cruise ship.
The amenities were the same as standard balconies. However, the deep, aft-facing layout meant that I had an unobstructed view of the ship's wake.
With more time onboard, I could easily picture myself on the veranda enjoying room service and sipping on fresh coffee while pulling into port.
Celebrity Xcel Sunset Veranda Review
Having previously sailed on Edge Class ships, I knew I was in for a treat. To date, I've never stayed in more luxurious-feeling standard cabins than when I cruised on Celebrity Ascent — and I wasn't disappointed on Celebrity Xcel.
Celebrity Xcel's Sunset Verandas have around 228 square feet of interior living space, with an 89-square-foot balcony. Combined, that's over 300 square feet of private space, which is a rarity on a cruise.
For example, on Celebrity's older Solstice Class ships, the interior space in aft veranda cabins is approximately 194 square feet, while the balcony measures 54 square feet.
Moving on, there was ample storage space, though my sister and I opted to live out of our suitcases.
Between the closet, dresser, and built-in shelves, unpacking on a longer cruise would be easy. There's plenty of space to keep everything tidy and organized.
Since Celebrity is a premium cruise line, you'll also find plush bathrobes in the closet on embarkation day, whereas on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity's sister line, you must reach a specific tier within the Crown & Anchor Society, then request them from your cabin steward.
Another pleasant feature in Celebrity Xcel's Sunset Veranda was the bathroom. Edge Class bathrooms are noticeably more spacious and modern than older counterparts.
Plus, they come with a range of amenities, including body lotion, shower caps, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Being a brand-new ship, neither my sister nor I had any issues with the bathroom. The shower's water pressure was great, and the water quickly warmed up to the desired temperature.
If I could change one thing about the cabin, I'd ask for an extra shelf in the shower. My sister is passionate about beauty and skincare, and she travels with a lot of products that quickly overtook the shower's single shelf.
Since the cruise was over in the blink of an eye, there wasn't time for us to bicker over sharing the shelf. However, we would definitely want more space to keep our stuff organized in the shower on a longer cruise. Siblings, right?
That said, there was plenty of storage lining the bathroom's large mirror. The six shelves were perfect for smaller items, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, makeup, and other miscellaneous toiletries.
The number of charging options in the cabin was also appreciated. On the vanity, there were two standard American outlets, two USB ports, and a European outlet in a handy cable box that helped keep our cords tidy.
In addition, there were two more USB ports and another American outlet beside the bed. I was a bit surprised that Celebrity didn't add USB-C ports to its newest ship, though.
Our Sunset Veranda also had a mini-fridge, which was locked since this was one of Xcel's first-ever sailings, a great air conditioning system, and ample lighting — all of which made the room feel comfortable and practical.
It was hard to fully appreciate the amenities and spaciousness of the cabin on a short 2-night cruise. However, I can attest that it would be easy to settle in and call one of Celebrity Xcel's Sunset Verandas home on a longer voyage.
The Celebrity Xcel ship is the most Instagrammable of 2025
2025 saw a lot of ship launches, from Star of the Seas to MSC World America, Disney Destiny, and Star Princess. None, however, is as visually striking as Celebrity Xcel.
From its sleek continuation of the Edge Class design to jaw-dropping new spaces, every corner of the ship was thoughtfully crafted to catch the eye.
Compared to previous Edge Class ships, Celebrity Xcel has 7 newly enhanced spaces for guests to explore, from the Bazaar to the Celebrity Pool Deck, Bora specialty restaurant, Celebrity Flagship store and museum, and more.
As such, Celebrity Xcel offers plenty of surprises, even if you think you know the Edge Class product forwards and backwards.
