A 10-night Western Europe cruise with Celebrity Beyond

Cruising from Southampton to Barcelona on a 10-night European adventure, we are just as dazzled with the offerings of this Edge Series vessel as she is with the ocean views.

Everything should be serene while cruising Spain’s dazzling coastline. But the alarm on my phone is signalling that something is very, very wrong. Dinner at Le Voyage is in 15 minutes, the Celebrity Cruises app informs me, before adding that my booking at Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud’s first fine-dining restaurant at sea is clashing with both the Arte stage show and bleeding into my silent disco event.

Le Voyage is Daniel Boulud’s first fine-dining restaurant at sea.

That’s not the only problem; the booking at Le Voyage is a surprise and comes just as I’m finishing my 20th dish at the Oceanview Cafe buffet. “Oh my God,” I moan to a fellow cruiser. “There’s just too much to do on this ship.”

I probably should have known better while onboard Celebrity Beyond’s 10-night Western Europe cruise sailing from Southampton to Barcelona. After all, the expectations for this ship – the third in the cruise line’s revolutionary Edge Series – have been huge.

Celebrity Beyond unfurls across 17 decks.

The 3260-guest capacity, 17-deck ship is under the command of the United States’ first female captain of a megaship, Captain Kate McCue. Conceptualised entirely in 3D and built on the reimagined features of its predecessors, it’s designed by a team of Very Big Names (everyone from Kelly Hoppen to Burj Al Arab’s Tom Wright), and features wellness partnerships with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow.

They’re just the ‘value-adds’ we learn about before embarkation; there’s also the fact this ship has eight speciality restaurants and four main dining rooms. There’s The Retreat – an exclusive resort-within-a-resort space; an expanded roof garden; and the Magic Carpet, a cantilevered floating platform that edges out over the ocean.

The Magic Carpet goes above and beyond on the Edge Series vessel. (Image: Quentin Bacon)

But I’m most excited about the entertainment options that include ’80s dance workouts, silent discos and the Headline the Band show where you get to live out your rock-and-roll frontman dreams for all of five minutes. I can be anyone I want to be, depending on the space I find myself in.

Watch the sun set over the water at Celebrity Beyond’s Sunset Bar.

The itinerary is a dreamy one, taking in parts of Bordeaux, Bilbao, Lisbon, Cádiz, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, shore excursions (many of them food-related, such as Chef’s Table Flavours of Cádiz and Private Dinner) shoehorned in between manic visits to the spa, thrown-back cocktails at the multi-level Sunset Bar and quick dips in one of many hot tubs dotted around the decks.

The Aqua Sky Suite is all about style and comfort.

My Aqua Sky Suite – a new class of accommodation that combines the best of Celebrity’s AquaClass staterooms with the spaces, services and amenities of The Retreat – is sensational (extra points for the bathtub), but I’m so focused on trying to see and do everything possible that I forget to relax.

Cosy up during the cocktail hour at Eden. (Image: Beth Koeth)

The good news? I’ve booked another voyage with Celebrity Cruises and, this time, I’m taking my family along for the ride.

The details

Celebrity Beyond will be based in the Caribbean for 2024 with stops in the Bahamas, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and the US Virgin Islands.

The IT Verdict

With its slick design and focus on both top-notch culinary experiences and sinfully good entertainment, Celebrity Beyond delivers style and substance.

We loved

The soothing, pared-back spaces that are more in line with relaxing in the foyer of a five-star hotel than what you’d find on a traditional cruise.

We’d Change

The shore excursions were hit and miss, with extra points deducted for the eye-watering price of some transfers into town.

Green Credentials

Equipped with a tri-fuel engine model, Celebrity Beyond has the ability to use three types of fuel, including methanol, and is capable of adapting to low-carbon-based solutions as they become available. Celebrity Cruises also has initiatives to reduce food waste, increase operating efficiency and is committed to a partnership with WWF to develop critical conservation initiatives.

Accessibility

Accessible staterooms with wider doors, roll-in showers, lower sink and vanity, bathroom grab bars, higher toilets and ramped thresholds are available across various cabin categories.