Celebrity Xcel Deck Plans are being updated in real time as the cruise line announces new features of their new Edge Class ship for 2025. Scroll through if you prefer the PDF deck map. Here is the most recent deck plan for Celebrity Xcel. The areas covered by a gray box are yet to be announced so stay tuned and check out Dream Makers if you want to impact the final results! |
What is raw on 5?
Raw on 5 is an upscale, seafood-focused specialty dining restaurant on Celebrity Cruises.
The name "Raw on 5" comes from its location on Deck 5 of the ship, and the "raw" part refers to its sushi bar and raw seafood offerings like oysters, sashimi, and specialty rolls, if those are your jam. The concept is pretty chic, offering a variety of high-quality dishes, like nigiri, sushi rolls, and ceviches, all prepared fresh. |
In This Article:
Tap below to jump to what you need! :)
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If you're a seafood lover looking to indulge in some elegant and creative dining at sea, Raw on 5 is for you!
But what if you're not into slimy oysters, raw fish on rice, or seafood in general? Don't worry! You can find hot plates sans seafood like Tonkotsu Ramen, Pork Belly Skewers, and Chicken Ginger Gyoza at Raw on 5.
If you're vegetarian, Edamame and Miso Soup await you! :)
Which Ships have Raw on 5?
Does Celebrity Xcel have Raw on 5? Great question! Celebrity Xcel will soon join the fleet of Edge Class Ships and while we can assume it will, hang tight for official word. ;)
How much does Raw on 5 cost?
Raw on 5 is a la carte style. This means you order off the menu like any restaurant you are used to on land and pay the price per item.
This can make specialty dining more approachable as you may only want one specific item for $15 and wouldn't find a cover charge of $50 to be worth it.
Let's take a look at the prices on these sample menus!
Pictures of Raw on 5 Menu with prices!
Rolls & Nigiri - Celebrity Raw on 5 Menu
Okay so most of us are probably excited about sushi when we think of dining at Raw on 5.
How much is the sushi? With $10 to $16 you can enjoy the classic California Roll elevated with Snow Crab (que fancy!) instead of imitation crab, the Beyond Roll featuring Spicy Tuna and Shrimp Tempura, or even some Nigiri!
Wait. What is Nigiri?
Nigiri is a cute little mound of rice with a slice of raw fish atop. See your sushi emoji's for a visual. ;) I'm looking at these sushi menu options and there literally is not a single item I would not love to try! How fun would it be to waltz in and say "I'll take one of each!" Gifts for your sushi loving friends: |
Raw & Barely Dressed - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
What is Sashimi?
Sashimi is like Nigiri without rice. So basically a slice of high quality raw fish. What is Hamachi Tiradito? This is an interesting Peruvian dish which highlights Japanese influence in Peru. Hamachi is yellowtail tuna. Tiradito is made with sliced raw fish (in this case yellowtail tuna), sashimi style, and dressed in a spicy citrus outfit.
Is Tiradito the same as Ceviche?
Not quite. Ceviche is made of cubed raw fish or other seafood which is marinated in citrus that essentially cures it. On the other hand tiradito is made of slices of raw fish and is dressed in citrus just before serving so it remains totally raw, uncured, bright and fresh. I'd say Tiradito and Ceviche are cousins. |
What is Furikake? The Crispy Shrimp are seasoned with Furikake, a Japanese seasoning that is crunchy, salty, and a bit nutty/earthy. It usually includes dried fish, seaweed, salt and sugar. Furikake apparently means sprinkle in Japanese, as in "to sprinkle", but the seasoning is on the chunky side and really looks like savory sprinkles!
Hot Plates + Land "Meats" Sea - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
If you like seafood but just don't really want to do the raw thing, check out the hot plates menu.
What is Kushikatsu? It's deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables - yum!
Pork Belly Skewers - *insert heart eyes emoji* Tonkotsu Ramen - happy tears! What is Tonkotsu? Tonkotsu is a super delicious, rich broth made from pork bones. After simmering for a long time the broth becomes creamy and it's the ultimate umami comfort food. Love it so much! It originated in Fukuoka, Japan and sometime I'll share some pics of a quick trip we took to Fukuoka! |
If all these options intimidate you, just order the Chicken Teriyaki or Ribeye Medallions - you won't miss!
Seafood Plateaux - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
If you want a big ol' seafood platter you can drop up to a buck twenty ($120) for the Imperial Tower.
Whats in the Imperial Tower?
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Cocktails & Champagne - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
The cocktails at Raw on 5 are all crafted on a base of Pure Snow Sake.
What is Sake? Sake is Japanese rice wine. I've only ever had sake on its own (always served in an adorable tiny cup) so I am really intrigued by these cocktails. Here's the order I would try them in:
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Wine List - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
Wines by the glass range from $10 all the way up to $35 for Caymus out of Napa Valley, California.
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Sakes - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
On Celebrity Cruises you can try 2 Sakes by the glass at Raw on 5.
You also have:
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Raw on 5 Dessert Menu
Coffee and Dessert Wines - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
A bit suprised there are no matcha teas or matcha lattes on the dessert beverage list at Raw on 5.
You basically have the standard espresso and latte options along with some late harvest wines including a Canadian ice wine. |
Are cocktails at raw on 5 included in the beverage package?
This is a good question and the answer is yes! But also no. Err.. Sort of.. Probably, maybe, it depends. :p
Really it depends which drink package you have. If you have the Classic Drink Package, everything is included up to $10 per drink. If you have the Premium Drink Package, everything is included up to $17 per drink. Cocktails at Raw on 5 run $12-15. So they are included if you have the premium drink package, but if you have the classic drink package you will need to pay the difference between $10 and the cocktail price. So each drink will cost you an additional $2-5. With the Classic package you could enjoy glasses of Snow Maiden Sake ($10), Le Bel Oliver Rosé ($10) or Corte Giara Pinot Grigio ($10) for 'free'. Also feel free to order your favorite classics off menu. |
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Desserts - CELEBRITY RAW ON 5 MENU
Things you're probably wondering about on the Dessert Menu at Raw on 5:
What is Yuzu? Yuzu is not the same as a lemon, but it very much looks like a lemon and is a highly fragrant citrus fruit! What is Nori? Nori is dried, edible seaweed. You may be familiar with its use in sushi rolls. Nori is loaded with vitamins and minerals! What is Lychee? Ooo Lychee is such a yummy fruit! They look so exotic on the outside with their bumpy red skin, and inside they are sweet and juicy. They always remind me of a cross between a skinless grape and a pear. What is red bean paste? A lot of asian cultures use red bean paste in their desserts, especially Japan. Made by boiling red beans and mashing them until smooth, the paste can then be sweetened or left as is. |
Celebrity's Raw on 5 Review
I'm looking forward to trying Raw on 5 on my next Celebrity Cruise.
But what exactly is Dream Makers? We're answering all your questions today!
Celebrity xcel Dream Makers Video |
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What is Xcel Dream Makers?
Celebrity Xcel is the newest ship being added to the Celebrity fleet, the 5th in the stunning line up of Edge Class ships which also includes Edge, Apex, Beyond, and Ascent.
Xcel Dream Makers aims to be an opportunity for cruisers to impact the final decisions about the design and onboard experience of Celebrity's newest ship launching in 2025.
Celebrity Cruises is offering cruisers the chance to be a part of designing its newest ship, Celebrity Xcel. To create the world’s first cruise ship designed for cruisers, by cruisers, Celebrity is extending an invite to travelers globally to join the ‘Xcel Dream Makers,' where members will preview and vote on experiences launching on Celebrity Xcel. Additionally, Dream Makers members will be entered for multiple chances to win prizes where they can trial new onboard experiences and even attend the naming ceremony and sailing in November 2025.
What does being on dream makers involve?
Okay but What Exactly will I get to Give Input On?
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Sounds fun, doesn't it?! |
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How much does it cost to participate in xcel dream makers?
Celebrity Ascent Cruise Reviews
how do i sign up for Dream Makers?
Signing up for Xcel Dream Makers currently involves submitting your email here, which adds you to the Dream Makers newsletter. Once the program is live you will be able to register!
When does Dream Makers Start?
When is Celebrity xcel's Maiden Voyage?
MEDITERRANEAN Cruise Blogs
When will CElebrity xCel be in Europe?
Review of Celebrity Xcel Dream Makers
I'm excited for the Xcel Dream Makers program. I think it's a genius marketing technique and will also be fun for cruisers to feel they are having a real-time involvement in decisions that they will later be able to feel a sense of pride about when they sail Xcel.
I hope the rewards are many for the free insights that will be given by presumably thousands of paying cruisers and it would be great if at the end of the program every participant was awarded something whether it be some onboard credit for their next Celebrity Cruise, some wifi, or maybe to try out any Specialty Dining options they had weighed in on. ;)
What do you think? Would you sign up to be a Dream Maker?
Cruise Drink Packages
It's a great question! In this article you will get to see what the dining experience is like at Le Grand Bistro onboard Celebrity's newest ship the Ascent. You'll learn how much it costs, what the ambiance is like, and our favorite dishes that we tried.
Allons-y! :)
Le Grand Bistro
If you're dreaming of visiting France but find yourself on a Celebrity cruise to the Caribbean, don't worry! The boulangerie-patisserie Le Grand Bistro on Ascent will definitely do in a pinch! ;)
And PS you can find plenty of Celebrity Cruises stopping in France ;D
Le Grand Bistro is located on Deck 4, midship, between its upscale French dining neighbor, Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud and the buzzing Craft Social Bar where you can enjoy beer flights and bar bites.
Whether you sit down to dine at dinner, enjoy a casual lunch, or prefer a demi baguette and a latte at breakfast - Le Grand Bistro has something for you to try!
Le Grand Bistro Menu on Ascent
Le Petit Chef Menu:
You have a few options if you're interested in dining at Le Grand Bistro.
The interactive dining experience Le Petite Chef can be reserved in the evenings for a fixed price. The Menu on Ascent was as follows:
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Le Grand Bistro Main Menu
On the other hand, if you're craving a morning croissant or an afternoon croque monsieur then the a la carte menu is for you!
In addition to always-available starters, soups, salads, entrees, sandwiches, charcuterie, and pastries you will find "Plats du Jour" (Dish of the day) If one of these French classic tickles your fancy you will want to time your visit accordingly each special dish is only available on a set day of the week. |
Le Grand Bistro Cocktail, wine, and beverage menu
Le Grand Bistro Dessert Menu
Le Grand Bistro To go Menu
Lunch Experience at Le Grand Bistro on Ascent
The meal started with our choice of bread and butter. In the main dining room you always receive a basket of assorted bread/rolls/etc and admittedly it did feel fancier to have the slices hand delivered at Le Grand Bistro.
French Cocktails - $12 + $17
Steak Frites - $24
Lobster Bisque - $10
Take for example the following food math equation: tomato soup + cream = tomato bisque. Voila!
The perfect companion for soup is a salad, right? We did, but didn't, end up with 2 salads. You will understand by the end.
Baby Arugula Salad - $8
Big fan of arugula over here as well as the beauty of simple ingredients that are well prepared making the best of bites!
This baby arugula salad had toasted pine nuts, balsamic vinaigrette and 3 deep fried balls of goat cheese more elegantly known as croquettes. After procuring this glamour shot we got to wondering where the pork belly was... and the poached egg? |
Wait.. Was this even the salad we ordered. Oops. No it wasn't. Quickly the correct salad arrived.
Frisée Lardon Salad - $8
Crème Brûlée - $5
Creme Brûlée is a quintessential French dessert much loved by cruise passengers. You may never order it out back home, but on a cruise you can usually indulge in several of these during your voyage.
To complete the experiment we ordered creme brûlée at dinner in the main dining room that night and we can confirm that YES, it is different! When you are paying extra you want to know you are getting a different product, a better quality, an advanced technique, a personal touch..
Chocolate Chip Cookie - $3
When I ordered a $3 chocolate chip cookie I was envisioning a large bakery style cookie. I didn't expect it to be the cookie of my dreams, but I also didn't expect it to be this little fluffy nugget. lol
I was teetering on whether to order it or not but overhead a lady at the table next to me tell the waiter that they are the best chocolate chip cookies she has ever had and that she had been coming down to order one every day! That locked me in.
The fact that I didn't care for it just goes to show how everyone's tastes are different. There is no right or wrong when it comes to food, it's all preference. So take posts like this with a grain of salt. Read them through the lens of the preferences you know you have already.
If you know you love cake-like cookies then go for this chocolate chip cookie! If you're not a fan of cake-y cookies then skip it (unless you just want to see for yourself which is also cool) and try a more French-y option like a Madeleine or a cherry danish!
Mocha - $5
Le Grand Bistro Ambience
I was surprised that during our visit there was no French music playing in the bistro. I would have really enjoyed that as well as having some of the shoji doors closed to block out the distracting lights and activity of the plaza and turn up the French charm. ;)
LE Grand Bistro Review on Celebrity Ascent
Everything we ate at Le Grand Bistro was good, with the exception of the chocolate chip cookie that I found underwhelming based on my chocolate-chip-cookie-girl high standards.
We had steaks in the main dining room that rivaled the Steak Frites in Le Grand Bistro which is testimony to how good the food on Celebrity is. On the other hand, the salads and the lobster bisque were unique items we didn't see elsewhere during our cruise.
The Frisee Lardon Salad was excellent and unique. I would order that again next time I dine at Le Grand Bistro.
More Celebrity Ascent Reviews:
The baby arugula salad was taken away when we noted that we had been given the wrong salad and that was a bummer as we didn't get to try it to share our thoughts with you. I'm sure the waiter would have left it if we asked, but it happened so quickly that he shuttled it away in an effort to please us and bring the lardon salad asap.
The Lobster Bisque was very tasty. The puff pastry top and fancy bowl are always fun. I just wish there was a touch more bisque and that the lobster meat was more prominent.
If you dine at Le Grand Bistro on your next Celebrity Cruise, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks to Celebrity for hosting this meal. All opinions are my own.
Ready to Book your next celebrity cruise?
Marissa Books Travel is ready to assist! :)
About this cruise:
On this 7 night Labadee & Cayman Cruise on Celebrity Ascent we sailed in an Infinite Verandah cabin. We visited the ports of Nassau, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and Grand Cayman. Stops at Labadee were paused during this time period and exchanged for a Perfect Day visit.
Great question. Read on for everything you need to know about the infinite veranda room on Celebrity Ascent including a photo tour of stateroom 8280. ;)
What is the infinite veranda on Celebrity?
As you can see in the photo below, rather than a heavy sliding glass door standing in the way of you and the ocean air, infinite verandas offer floor to ceiling glass for incredible views and allow you to feel the ocean breeze in your hair at the touch of a button!
Infinite Veranda Cabin 8280 Photos
More Stateroom Tours
Bathroom - Celebrity Ascent Cabin 8280
The shower was spacious and body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were provided. Not all lines (or hotels for that matter) provide conditioner these days...
And no more gross shower curtains. The full glass capsule shower was luxurious and the door was "slow-close" so it never slammed shut on you, which we've experienced on other ships.
The modern design left the bathroom on Ascent feeling spacious, with storage for your toiletries on the counter as well as multiple shelves on either side of the large mirror.
The touch screen thermostat had additional functions including the lighting of the room. Rather than turning each individual light fixture on or off, you could simply tap a preset including bright, dim, or lights out as well as morning, movie, evening, and sleep!
It is important to note that the air conditioning will not run while the window is open.
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Storage - CELEBRITY ASCENT CABIN 8280
The adorable coral display held the stateroom attendants card (shout out to Kevin!) and felt like a little museum piece on display - an elegant touch!
Now lets open the doors to the left of the coral display:
The main closet provided ample wooden hangers with clips, a set of drawers, a safe, and robes!
Not to be missed on the door to the left is a full length mirror. :)
Living Space - CELEBRITY ASCENT CABIN 8280
Inside the white box were some international outlets - 220v, 110v, and 2 USB plugs. It's nice that the international adapter was built in so cruisers from all over would be set even if they forgot theirs! The lid closes to keep cords in order and they can be fed out of the grooves on the front of the box. All in all, this was a nice concept but irl it felt a bit clunky imo and at times we did wish we could move the box out of the way.
Bed Area - CELEBRITY ASCENT CABIN 8280
We opted for the beds to be together and we chose a cabin where the bed was closest to the veranda. The bed was very comfortable and well appointed with pillows both functional and decorative. The TV was right across from the bed and we did enjoy a few movies (for free) on this cruise.
Veranda - Celebrity Ascent Cabin 8280
As you can see there is effectively a floor to ceiling window instead of a balcony you can step out onto. In front of the window you have two chairs and a small table.
As shown below you can leave the entire room open to the beautiful outdoor views, or you can close the shoji-reminiscent dividers for filtered light and privacy. This is a nice feature when one person is resting but the other would like to enjoy the "balcony" area.
Is the Infinite Veranda on Celebrity Ascent the Best Stateroom at Sea?
After sailing in an infinite veranda for 7 nights (Labadee & Cayman Cruise) we can definitely see the pros and cons of this cabin style.
The stateroom definitely feels more spacious! This style also offers more privacy from the cabins beside you than a traditional balcony. Oceanview balcony doors can be heavy and may be difficult for some passengers to open and close, so the ability to enjoy the fresh air at the touch of a button is going to be a game-changer for some.
The ability to enjoy natural light and stunning views and fresh air from anywhere in your cabin (except maybe the bathroom) without physically going outside on your balcony was awesome!
Eating Around The World:
As mentioned earlier, the air conditioning will automatically shut off when you open the window, so depending on what time of year you are sailing and in what region of the world, this may be really impactful. You may rarely open the window because of the amount of hot air or humidity it quickly lets in and that may leave you wishing you had a more traditional balcony that you could step out on and close the door behind you so the room temperature stays to your preference.
Sailing the Caribbean in December we did not find this to be a major issue, but it is something to bear in mind.
So is the Celebrity Ascent Infinite Veranda the best stateroom at sea?
Well.. I have a few more staterooms to try before I can answer that ;) But I will say that I absolutely loved the Infinite Verandah on Celebrity Ascent. It's definitely not for everyone, but for me - I would not hesitate to book this cabin category at any time in the future!
In fact, I hope to sail on Ascent again soon as it's one of my personal favorite ships!
More Celebrity Ascent Reviews:
Oh, Hey!
We're Justin and Marissa
We love to travel and eat!
Traveling Through Food is a place to share some of our adventures in travel and food so you can find inspiration for your next big trip whether it's around the world or down the freezer aisle at the grocery store. :p
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