Is Celebrity Infinity Worth It? Honest Mediterranean Cruise Review (2025)

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Thinking about taking a Mediterranean cruise with Celebrity Cruises? Here’s a full breakdown of our 8-day family adventure aboard Celebrity Infinity during Lunar New Year 2025—covering pricing, ports, cabins, ship features, and honest thoughts from a non American family

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Overview of Celebrity Infinity in 2025

In January 2025, my family and I set off on a Mediterranean cruise aboard Celebrity Infinity. With 123 days of previous cruising experience—most notably on Peace Boat’s world voyage and the Norwegian Spirit to Okinawa—I had high expectations. This time, I traveled with my parents and brother, and the trip became one of our most memorable Lunar New Year celebrations. It’s especially hard to travel with Asian parents, mostly ended in quarrels everyday, which happened only one day during this cruise, so I can’t be more grateful for the wonderful experience we had on Celebrity.

This detailed guide covers everything from cruise pricing and ship amenities to real onboard experiences and practical tips, especially for first-time cruisers or travelers considering Celebrity Cruises.

Why We Chose Celebrity Infinity

We compared several cruise lines—MSC, Costa, and Celebrity—based on Itinerary variety, cost, passenger space ratio and ship age and reviews.

I was the one doing all the planning and why we choose Celebrity Infinity is that being a mid-range premium cruise—not as budget-conscious as MSC, but offering better service and quieter crowds. It’s part of Celebrity’s Millennium class, which includes four ships: Millennium, Summit, Constellation, and Infinity.

These ships are slightly older (Infinity was built in 2001), but they’re more spacious than many newer ships and were designed with traditional cruising in mind. A major plus: Infinity underwent a refurbishment in January 2024, and it showed.

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Itinerary Overview: 8 Days, 5 Countries

Our Eastern Mediterranean cruise started in Barcelona and ended in Athens, visiting:

• Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
• Naples, Italy
• Messina (Sicily), Italy
• Kusadasi, Turkey
• Crete, Greece

We also had two sea days, providing time to enjoy ship amenities. It was great to visit Rome during Jubilee but avoid the high cost of accommodation.

This itinerary was perfect for multi-country exploration with minimal packing. We booked an evening flight from Taipei via Istanbul to Barcelona and stayed one night before embarkation.

Not sure where to stay in Athens? Explore this Hotel Map to easily find and compare the best hotels in the heart of the city

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Celebrity Infinity Ship Overview

• Gross Tonnage: 90,940 GT
• Passenger Capacity: ~2,170
• Last Renovated: January 2024
• Class: Millennium

Even though Infinity isn’t the newest ship, I am totally fine with it. I worked as a volunteer interpreter on a Japanese based NGO called peaceboat in 2023 and spent 108 days touring around the world on the former Sun Princess, which was built in 1995.

While newer ships may look more like luxury hotels or city lounges, I actually loved the traditional cruise vibe on Infinity. The hallways were wider, and the décor had a classic, slightly retro charm. For families or older travelers, this ship feels cozy and familiar.

Also, because it was recently refurbished in 2024, the public areas and cabins were clean, functional, and well-maintained.

How Much is the Cruise Fare of Celebrity Infinity?

We booked through the official Celebrity Cruises website:

• Interior Cabin: $700 USD per person (including taxes)
• Oceanview Cabin: $950 USD per person
• Gratuities: $18 per person per night (paid onboard)

💡 Pro Tip: Use cruise price tracking sites like CruisePlum to monitor fare drops.

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Embarkation in Barcelona

The boarding process at Port de Barcelona was remarkably fast. We selected the 2–2:30 PM time slot and breezed through in under 10 minutes. Luggage was collected at the terminal entrance and delivered to our cabins by dinner time. No wonder the embarkation and disembarkation got 5 star rates in cruise critic.

Cruise cards were already waiting at our stateroom doors. No need to line up.

Cabins & Staterooms Review: Interior vs Balcony

Celebrity Infinity Interior Cabin (Deck 7)

We stayed in an inside stateroom, about 16 square meters (~170 sq ft). Honestly, it didn’t feel cramped at all for two people. We could easily open both of our large suitcases at the same time. After unpacking, we stored the suitcases upright in the closet.

Our room steward Aal was amazing — super polite and detail-oriented. From our second meeting onward, he even remembered my last name and always greeted me by name (which took me by surprise at first!). When we arrived, he gave us a brief room tour and pointed out that the water bottles on the desk aren’t free. He also left his name card and extension number for us in case we needed anything.

Housekeeping came twice a day, even in the evening to turn down the bed and leave chocolates. The room was always spotless. I later chatted with Aal and found out he’s been working with Celebrity for over 10 years — a testament to how well they treat their staff.

One time we requested a kettle. Aal didn’t just bring one — he also brought a tray with mugs and a variety of tea bags so we could enjoy tea in the room. My parents, staying in another cabin, only received the kettle alone from their steward. My mom liked the Tetley tea, so I gave her a few bags, and the next day Aal had restocked them! He even noticed we weren’t drinking the Evian and discreetly tucked it away near the fridge to free up desk space. One day he even unplugged the kettle while we were out for safety.

The sofa was handy for piling worn clothes.

I told Aal I once spent 3+ months at sea working as an interpreter. He was surprised — and said he’s never had the chance to work on a world cruise himself!

These days, gratuities are auto-deducted and pooled for the crew, so the staff’s great service isn’t just to earn tips. Plus, as Asian guests, we’re less likely to tip extra compared to Americans — which made me even more impressed with his attitude. I had brought 5 postcards from Taiwan and ended up writing all of them to the crew!

Although you can check the daily schedule via the app, printed materials (port maps, event flyers, promos) are also delivered daily — bring a highlighter if you like to mark things!

Time zone changes are shown on your TV — though my parents still overslept after the first adjustment!

If you miss a live show or talk, many are recorded and replayed on your cabin TV at night. I watched an ABBA sing-along from the first night and the lovely couple were so elegant — definitely pros!

The Cruise Director Sarah and Event Manager Mariana host daily programs.

I loved the elevator design — you can enjoy ocean views while you wait. Our room was a 3-minute walk from my parents’, with an elevator in between — choosing a cabin not too far from elevators was a good call.

Celebrity Infinity Balcony Cabin (Deck 7)

My parents stayed in a balcony room, and according to the official website, the size is the same as the inside cabins — but the layout is different. Their luggage fit under the bed for better storage.

Between the inside and balcony cabins, there’s also the oceanview room, which has a fixed (non-opening) window. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth paying just to have a window you can’t open.

That’s Mount Vesuvius in the distance from their room

That said, the balcony was quite spacious, and even in January, the Mediterranean wasn’t too cold, so they could still open the door for fresh air.

In the Mediterranean, having a sea view is actually useful — when passing close to land, we got mobile signal inside the room! I used about 10GB over 10 days with a European SIM.

Even so, I still think inside cabins are a great value — pitch dark when the lights are off, so I slept very well!

Check sailings and prices at Cruise Direct

Celebrity Infinity Public Spaces and Amenities

Public Areas & Dining (Deck 3–6)

The concierge team was helpful and patient. People queuing all the time for all kinds of questions.

This is the shore excursion counter. We booked the Rome excursion and the voucher is already in our room on the first day. If you lost the voucher, just come here and they’ll issue you a new one with no charge.

The complimentary main dining room with high-quality dishes, flexible seating, and professional service. We later realized that 4F is for anytime dining, like us and 5F is for selected dining.

It looks pretty on the picture but if you sit underneath the blue ceiling, the food in your picture looks weird so I asked them not to arrange a middle table for us.

We are satisfied with the food, 8 out of 10 are delicious. The steak and lamb are superb. They rotate the menu and keep the classics. Didn’t even go to any of the extra charged restaurant this time in our 8 day cruise.

We were served by two to three different groups of server this time, most of them are Filipino, they are nice and patient to us non English native speakers, as I have to translate everything on the menu for my parents.

Here’s my full review on the dining and entertainment experiences. Mediterranean Celebrity Infinity Review (2025): Amazing Food, Fun Shows

Art auctions are held here.

I enjoyed a good cocktail flair show when I was around at the Martini Bar! The view looking at the Martini Bar is nice.

Hosted nightly performances, including dance shows and musical tributes. We often went in through the door at 5F. My dad is allergic to something in the carpet so he often disappear half show. I am sensitive to smell but I think there’s nothing wrong with the smell. I’ll write another article about the performances we enjoyed on board.

This is a course given by our Greek captain.

Check sailings and prices at Cruise Direct

Cafe al Bacio at Deck 5 is a relaxing corner, accompanied by some guitar performance.

On the left side of the counter, you’ll see sliced cakes and cookies that you can ask the staff for—they’re complimentary. However, if you want coffee or tea, you’ll need to pay extra. That said, the tea served here is from Tea Forté, which I think is a pretty good brand. From what I observed, some of the cakes here seem to be the same flavors offered at the buffet on the same day.

The waffle is free, but the gelato is not. There are free ice cream in the buffet and in main dining room.

The casino on this ship is smoke-free, which is fantastic! To my knowledge, photography isn’t allowed in casinos due to concerns about cheating, but I took these photos right after boarding, before the casino opened for business.

The slot machines here are quite new, with large display panels, and they’re always buzzing with people. They’re actually pretty fun to play! Sometimes the casino even gives you a small credit to encourage you to try them out—just insert your room keycard and follow a few steps, and you’ll get $20 in playing credit. But here’s the catch: you can’t just cash it out—you have to win more than $20 before you can withdraw anything.

Also, when you play the slots, you earn reward points. If you rack up 400 points, you can get a $100 discount on your next cruise booking. My brother hit 400 points and got the instructions for claiming the discount—but it was only valid until the end of March or April, if I remember correctly.

Right outside the casino, there was a small display featuring memorabilia from the S.S. United States. I kept telling myself I’d go take a closer look, but somehow, I never got around to it before the cruise ended. All I have is this photo I snapped on the first day. I have served in the “US embassy” so I’d like to appreciate those memorabilia!

One of the unique perks of sailing in Aqua Class on Celebrity Cruises is access to the exclusive Blu restaurant — a private dining venue reserved just for Aqua Class guests. If you’re staying in The Retreat, an even higher-tier suite class, you’ll dine in the more upscale Luminae instead.

But here’s a fun little secret I discovered:
On sea days, Blu occasionally opens up a few tables for card games and even mahjong!

Yes, you read that right — mahjong on a cruise ship! I only found out because I saw it at one of the display screens, and I asked the staff about it. Sure enough, the concierge confirmed that they do offer mahjong sets and that Blu is available as a casual game space during downtime.

We are very happy to play mahjong, since it’s one of our favorite family game especially during the lunar year holiday. They have two full mahjong sets available, but before you start playing, it’s a good idea to double-check the tiles to make sure nothing’s missing. The set we used was missing the “Fa” tile, but it had a Joker — so we just played with the Joker as a stand-in for “Fa.” Problem solved!

We are the only group using it and a nice lady from Texas said she was learning and wanted to watch us play.

One thing that pleasantly surprised me about Celebrity Infinity was the variety of onboard shops. You’ll find everything from typical cruise souvenirs to artwork, designer bags, liquor and cigarettes, cosmetics, Swarovski crystals, accessories, clothing, watches, pre-owned luxury goods, fine jewelry — and even Apple products through an onboard partnership!

I actually really liked the selection at the souvenir store. Their cotton T-shirts had great quality and cute designs, perfect for remembering the trip. I couldn’t resist picking up a keychain shaped like the ship — it was just too adorable!

The prices are fairly acceptable, compared to Virgin Voyages, which I sailed in May.

I should have bought the boat!

Each stateroom also comes with a charm holder necklace, and at specific times each day, guests can line up to collect free daily charms. This is wildly popular among older ladies onboard — my mom made it her mission to collect every single one!

T-shirts with international signal flags (which I loved!) were going for 2 for $30, which felt like a steal.

They also sell Pandora-style charm bracelets. You can get five charms for $10, and each day they release a new themed bead for sale. While I personally don’t love this style of bracelet, my mom’s a fan — and I have to admit, each charm is quite detailed and thoughtfully made.

From time to time, they hold special sales in the shopping area — we saw cute beach totes for just $10.

There’s also a cosmetics shop carrying popular brands like Clinique and Estée Lauder, along with a perfume section that has many familiar names. As for the jewelry store, they often host mini “seminars” to draw people in — but of course, it’s mainly a soft-sell strategy to encourage guests to buy something sparkly.

Don’t forget to check out the Future Cruise desk, where you can inquire about and book your next Celebrity cruise — often with extra onboard credit or better rates. I looked into it myself but didn’t find a suitable itinerary for Lunar New Year next year.

Oh, and yes — there’s a tiny Apple corner on board! But I don’t see any customers. I later read online that the Apple products on ships tend to be older models, so it might not be the best place to shop for the latest iPhone.

There’s a small, lovely Library on Celebrity Infinity 

There are some mac.

Check sailings and prices at Cruise Direct

Pools, Spa & Buffet (Deck 10–13)

This area is quite popular, but it’s hard to get a good photo because of the angle. It’s basically a covered thermal pool with warm water, and there are changing rooms and a sauna nearby.

There’s also a small space called the Spa Café, which supposedly serves healthier breakfast options in the morning. During lunch, they offer burgers, hot dogs, and fries — I didn’t get to try it, but I heard the food is just okay.

The sauna here doesn’t get too hot — more of a comfortable warmth — and you can enjoy a sea view while you relax. I took these photos on the first day during a quick tour.

Excellent buffet on deck 10 is served at Oceanview cafe with rotating menus, vegetarian options, and scenic views.

Now, finally time to talk about the food! But since I have a lot of food photos, I’ll cover that in a separate post.

There’s also a Sunset Bar outside on Deck 10. It was a bit chilly, so I just went out for a quick photo.

If you want to capture photos of the Constellation lounge when it’s still relatively empty like I did, make sure to walk around and take pictures right after boarding.

The dance floor in the middle of this space is used for stretching classes during the day, and at night it transforms into a lively venue for themed parties like ABBA Night, ’80s, and ’60s music, plus Silent Disco and music trivia games.

One thing to know about cruising — if you just want to hang out in public areas like bars, you don’t have to order anything. Feel free to just enjoy the view, read a book, or relax — no pressure to spend!

Since it was January in the Mediterranean, the temperature was on the cooler side — around 10°C (50°F) — so we didn’t spend too much time out on the deck. That said, the weather turned out to be milder than I expected — honestly, Taiwan felt colder than the Mediterranean!

Still, don’t forget to head up to the deck when the ship is in port — the views are worth it.

I took this photo while we were docked in Kuşadası, Turkey, a port that’s often mentioned in reviews as being especially scenic. Definitely make time to enjoy the view from above.

This is Naples at night.

This photo was taken in Crete, and I highly recommend taking a picture with one of the ship’s life rings. The bright colors really pop in photos, and the ship’s name is printed on it, making it a great memory shot!

On the last day, we stumbled upon a beanbag toss game on the deck — a fun little way to wrap up the trip!

Behind the funnel, at the aft of the ship, there’s an open-air cinema. The screen looks tiny in my photo, but trust me — the actual quality is much better, and the viewing experience was surprisingly good!

We watched the Whitney Houston movie, and it even had English subtitles while playing — very friendly for international guests. That said, watching a movie in the wind can get a bit chilly and there’s a blanket around!

Costs & Value for Money

One of the best parts about traveling in January was the low crowds and affordable pricing. Though the weather was cooler, it was rarely uncomfortable. In fact, we enjoyed cozying up in the Solarium, sipping hot drinks, and watching the sea drift by in peace. This off-peak experience reinforced our belief that cruising isn’t just a summer activity—in many ways, it’s even better in the winter, if you’d like to avoid the crowd.

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FAQ: Celebrity Infinity Mediterranean Cruise

Is Celebrity Infinity a good cruise ship?
Yes. Despite its age, it’s well-maintained and recently refurbished. Staff are attentive, and food quality is excellent for a mid-range cruise line.

Is January a good time for a Mediterranean cruise?
Yes, if you prefer fewer crowds and better pricing. Expect mild weather, but dress in layers.

Do I need to pay gratuities in advance?
No. You can choose to pre-pay or settle them onboard.

This is my brother’s Youtube video about this cruise. He speaks in Mandarin, of course just look at the videos he took on the cruise and have the auto translated subtitles on is a good idea.

My Mandarin version of this article can be found here.

Here’s my full review on the dining and entertainment experiences. Mediterranean Celebrity Infinity Review (2025): Amazing Food, Fun Shows

Ready to book your own Celebrity cruise? Check sailings and prices here and start planning your next getaway at sea!

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