Celebrity Xcel Replaces Rooftop Grill With a Mediterranean Concept

April 28, 2025 Randy Young

Celebrity Cruises’ fifth Edge Class ship, Celebrity Xcel, is getting closer to launch, and we’re learning more about what makes her different. Rather than being a cookie-cutter version of her sister ships, Celebrity Xcel will feature customized spaces, although they’re mostly themed updates rather than major structural changes.

Previously, Celebrity revealed that the three-story venue Eden would be replaced by a new concept called The Bazaar. Today, they announced another change, this time at the very top of the ship.

Rooftop Garden Grill Becomes Bora

On every Edge Class ship so far, the Rooftop Garden Grill has occupied a prime spot at the back of the Rooftop Garden. This outdoor specialty restaurant serves Americanized fare, focusing on grilled and barbecue dishes. It’s specialty dining with a cost of between $25 and $45 per person. The space lets guests enjoy the beauty of their destinations or the open ocean eating dining.

On Celebrity Xcel, the Rooftop Garden Grill will be replaced by Bora, a Mediterranean-themed al fresco restaurant. Taking full advantage of the space’s panoramic ocean views and garden surroundings, Bora will offer a more relaxed, coastal dining experience.

Brunch at Bora

During the day, Bora will feature a boozy brunch menu inspired by Mediterranean flavors. Dishes will include shakshuka eggs, avocado toast, and eggs benedict with lemon-scented salmon gravlax, along with classics like French toast.

In a nod to the “Instagram brunch” trend, Celebrity promises that every dish will be “photo-worthy.” Guests can also enjoy customizable Bloody Marys topped with extravagant garnishes like deviled eggs, grilled cheese, and bacon. Roving musicians will play energetic hits to create a lively, social atmosphere.

Dinner at Bora

At night, the venue will shift to a more intimate Mediterranean ambiance. The dinner menu will heavily feature seafood, including options like seared branzino, razor clams, and carabinero prawns. While dining, guests will enjoy live performances of Greek ballads and Italian love songs, with Celebrity promoting the experience as the “perfect date night.”

Other New Options on Celebrity Xcel

The press release also teased new entertainment experiences coming to Celebrity Xcel. The ship will debut three brand-new shows in its massive state-of-the-art theater and will feature Celebrity’s largest entertainment cast ever, with more than 75 resident performers onboard.

The ship will introduce new themed parties as well, such as:

An ’80s Glitz and Glam Party
A Country Music Night
A Candlelight Concert Series

Celebrity also plans to amp up the popular “Shine the Night” event.

The Club, the two-story event space and nightclub found on other Edge Class ships, will also debut two new interactive shows onboard.

Other Celebrity Xcel Areas Yet To Be Revealed

Celebrity still has five more new experiences to reveal and the next one will be in 70 days. Based on deck plans and website hints, these will likely involve:

The spa
Shopping areas on Deck 5
The Destination Gateway and Magic Carpet area
The main pool area

The Club may also receive additional changes. While the Deck Plan labels the first level as “Twilight” and the second as “Coming Soon,” this latest press release still references The Club by name, leaving its final concept somewhat unclear.

My Take: A Fresh Look but Familiar Challenges

I’ve always found the Rooftop Garden Grill to be an odd dining option on the Edge Class ships. At lunch, the menu barely felt more elevated than other included restaurants onboard, making it hard to justify the $30 cost. At dinner, while the options leaned a bit more toward elevated barbecue and American classics, the venue didn’t stand out compared to the other amazing restaurants onboard.

More surprising is that Bora remains fully al fresco. On many cruises, diners at the Rooftop Garden Grill needed blankets (provided by the restaurant) to finish their meals comfortably due to the cooler temperatures and strong winds.

I’ll be sailing aboard sister ship Celebrity Apex this summer in the Norwegian Fjords, where the average temperatures range from 53°F to 67°F. While the views from an open-air restaurant might be stunning, shivering through a meal—especially for an extra cost—doesn’t sound particularly appealing.

To be fair, no renderings of Bora have been released yet, and Celebrity may have found ways to better protect diners from the elements on Xcel. We’ll have to wait and see if these improvements materialize.