Celebrity Cruises has wrapped its 2026 President's Cruise, the line's annual sailing reserved for Captain's Club loyalty members. This year's edition ran eight nights aboard the Celebrity Xcel through Greece, Turkey and Malta, ending on Monday, September 21.
The appeal of a President's Cruise goes beyond the itinerary. Guests sail alongside Celebrity's president, Laura Hodges Bethge, and her executive team, with access to shore excursions and events you can't buy on a regular sailing. This year's pre-cruise City Stay in Athens included a private tour of the Benaki Museum and a gala dinner at the Divani Palace Acropolis, with views over the Acropolis itself.
Once underway, the entertainment roster was unusually stacked: singer Will Martin, The Voice finalist Omar Jose Cardona with Triple Threat, flamenco troupe Los Vivancos, a Bee Gees tribute act, and even a rock set from the ship's own captain, Kyriakos "Kirk" Matragkas. There was also a cooking competition judged by Celebrity's president and senior hotel and marine executives, plus a "Conversations with Celebrity" session previewing what's next for the line.
The shore programme was where this sailing really separated itself from a standard Eastern Med cruise. Executive-led excursions included a private visit to a newly opened archaeological site in Ephesus, a cooking class with a local chef in Mykonos, and a wine tasting at a small farm in Malta. In Santorini, loyalty guests got a private dinner at Santo Winery timed to the sunset over the caldera, followed by a drone show back on board. Bethge also personally led a tour of the Xcel's seven brand-new spaces.
Why it matters: President's Cruises are a good example of what loyalty programmes can actually deliver. If you're a frequent Celebrity sailor working toward Captain's Club status, these sailings bundle a premium itinerary with genuine face time with the line's leadership and one-off experiences — a format other cruise lines have picked up on too.
If you missed this one, bookings are already open for the 2027 President's Cruise, running May 10-14, 2027 aboard the Celebrity Reflection. The ship will have just completed a renovation adding 13 new spaces, so participants will be among the first to see them.
