Confession: I’m a first-time cruiser. As a Condé Nast Traveler editor, I’ve been all over the world—slept at the foot of the Andes, hiked through Japanese forests, and partied until dawn in Medellín. But until last month, I’d never spent a single night at sea, let alone experienced all that a cruise ship has to offer. That all changed when I boarded the brand new Celebrity Beyond for a European itinerary through the Mediterranean, with stops in Rome, Athens, Ephesus, and more. And while the destination experiences were an unforgettable way to explore these ancient destinations on land (more on that here), the brand new amenities on deck, from a state-of-the-art spa to top-quality mixology, pushed the boundaries of what premium travel can be and opened my eyes to the possibilities of seeing the world by ship (especially when that ship is helmed by Captain Kate McCue, America’s first female cruise ship captain). Below, four must-do experiences on board Celebrity Beyond.
Journeys through food
With 32 bars, restaurants, and lounges on board to choose from, you could eat at a different spot for every dinner of your sailing and still have different cuisines to try. Among the highlights: Raw on 5, where you can indulge in the finest shellfish and sushi, washed down with top-class sake; Rooftop Garden Grill, home to the highest ocean views on the ship; and Fine Cut Steakhouse, which serves up premium cuts from the grill in a classic steakhouse setting. For me, however, there were two favorites. First up, Eden, set inside an extraordinarily designed space that feels like dining inside a biosphere (think: rich green foliage creeping up the pillars, with magnificent mirrored tiles to reflect it) where you can choose between a la carte or a seven-course tasting menu, the latter featuring dishes like Aegean sea ceviche, truffled huitlacoche risotto, Nova Scotia lobster casserole. And secondly, Le Voyage, world renowned chef Daniel Boulud’s first restaurant at sea, that serves up a fusion of his signature French recipes and flavors inspired by Celebrity’s global itineraries—beef tartare à la Tunisienne and tuna crudo Riviera among them. And it has the decor to match: designed by Sanjit Manku and Patrick Jouin, responsible for the bars and restaurants of La Mamounia Marrakech and the Grand Plaza found on all Celebrity Edge Series ships, it’s home to curving banquettes, and soft hues of blush pink, red, and cream—a space that feels simultaneously classic and extremely futuristic.
Out on the deck
Whether you’re docked in a port or sailing across vast swathes of ocean, time spent taking in your ever-changing surroundings is part of the joy of cruising. On Celebrity Beyond that can be done from all sorts of vantage points—say, a lounger on the Resort Deck or at Sunset Bar, where you can watch the day come to a close with a cocktail (or Champagne, like I did) in hand. One of the best parts, though, is an experience that only Celebrity can offer: The Magic Carpet, situated on Deck 5 and available across a small handful of Celebrity ships. An open-air extension of the restaurant Raw on 5, the al fresco terrace moves up and down throughout the day, allowing diners to see spectacular views of port cities from different levels—there’s nothing quite like sitting there as the ship glides into Istanbul as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia come into view.
Soaking up the art and architecture
It goes without saying that the itinerary on my sailing took me to some of the greatest cities for art and architecture in the world (hello, Rome). But during days at sea, there was plenty of art to immerse myself in on board, right down to the interior design of the ship itself. So much so, that you can even take a tour of the collection—and if you feel so inclined, bid on a work yourself thanks to the interactive art walls hosted by Park West. Most memorable for me was Odyssey, a transportive mirrored installation dotted centered around handmade bronze sculptures that I passed through on my way for drinks at Eden, but there is plenty else to see regardless of which Celebrity ship you’re on. In fact, some of the ships now host Museum@Sea, an extensive art exhibition open 24 hours a day highlighting work from artists like Pablo Picasso, Peter Max, and Salvador Dalí, courtesy of partner Park West’s private museum collection.
Resetting at the spa
There are near-endless ways to stay fit when sailing on Celebrity Beyond (there’s even a running track out on the deck), but after a long day exploring a new city, what I really yearn for is a good spa treatment. At the Sea Thermal Suite, for example, move through a sequence of rooms that includes an infrared sauna room, a steam room, a healing salt room, and a hammam, a modern take on the traditional Turkish bath, which feels particularly apt if heading towards Istanbul. Treatments, meanwhile, run the gamut: seaweed massages, high-tech zero gravity immersion massages, and hot mineral body boosts to name a few. At the end of a full day of rejuvenation, there was nothing better than stretching out on one of the heated tile loungers overlooking a view of the Mediterranean—pure zen.
Visit celebritycruises.com to book your journey.