A bold new ship is about to debut - but the food onboard is already making news
This new at-sea restaurant turns brunch into a decadent Mediterranean feast.
It's the best bloody mary I've ever seen or sipped. Piled high with crisp bacon, plump prawns, crab legs, green olives, and - wait for it - a fresh croissant, the boozy concoction is more of a meal than a drink.
Ahead of the official November debut of Celebrity Xcel, I'm getting a sneak peek at Celebrity Cruises' first-ever dedicated brunch offering. At the new al fresco restaurant, Bora, customisable bloody marys with over-the-top garnishes are just the beginning: Celebrity's chefs have designed a Mediterranean seafood-forward menu alongside brunch classics such as french toast, croissant eggs benny, and shakshuka with avocado and sourdough toast. Roving musicians play energetic hits and waiters wave cloth napkins above their heads in joyful Med-inspired exuberance.
For anyone who tends to sleep late and miss breakfast service when cruising, the introduction of a brunch restaurant at sea makes perfect sense. There's no better time and place to kick back and enjoy one of the more leisurely meals of the day.
At night, Bora morphs into a romantic dinner restaurant, moodlit and moonlit. Chefs whip up tableside dishes, including seared branzino and garlic aioli, tostadas with razor clams and zesty grilled prawns. My mouth is watering at the thought of aromatic lamb tagine with saffron couscous, savoured to a soundtrack of Greek ballads and Italian love songs.
The imminent launch of Celebrity Xcel has cruisers buzzing about the onboard entertainment offering, as much as the food. There will be new theatre and club shows to look forward to, '80s dance parties, piano bar extravaganzas, candlelit concerts and an elevated country music night (cowboy hats and boots encouraged). Celebrity's largest theatre cast ever will bring the razzle dazzle with performances by world-class singers, dancers, parkour artists and acrobats. Which is all to say, I've just found even more reasons to love cruising. celebritycruises.com
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