Celebrity Cruises sale: cruises from £494

Celebrity Cruises is running a summer sale with up to 60% off the second guest fare on European sailings, bringing 7-night cruises from £494 per person. The lowest fare is a Greek Islands sailing from Athens visiting Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu — £494pp for 7 nights including cabin, all meals and on-board entertainment. For a no-flights option, a 7-night Norwegian Fjords sailing from Southampton starts at £1,054pp. The sale ends 1 June 2026. Use code PAYDAY40 for a further £40 off before 31 May.

The £494 Greek Islands fare undercuts what you’d spend on accommodation and food on Santorini alone for 7 nights, before flights. Add the cheapest return flights to Athens from a UK airport, typically £60–£100, and the all-in cost still beats the DIY equivalent. For the Fjords from Southampton, a comparable DIY trip with flights, hotels and food typically runs £1,400–£1,800 per person, making the £1,054pp fare a clear saving on that route too.

What’s on offer

All prices below are based on two adults sharing an interior cabin, verified on Celebrity Cruises’ website on 29 May 2026. Upgrades to ocean-view or veranda cabins are available at higher rates.

• 7-night Norwegian Fjords from Southampton from £1,054pp, departures May–September 2026
• 14-night Norwegian Fjords from Southampton from £1,330pp, extended itinerary with additional port calls
• 7-night Greek Islands from Athens (Piraeus) from £494pp, includes Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu
• 7-night Barcelona to Athens from £950pp, includes Marseille, Monaco and Valletta
• 10-night Italy from Ravenna from £893pp, includes Rome (Civitavecchia), Amalfi Coast and Palermo

Prices were live on 29 May 2026. They vary by travel date, departure port and cabin type.

The Fjords sailings from Southampton visit Aurlandsfjord, Geirangerfjord and Bergen. The Celebrity Eclipse handles the 7-night itinerary, with port calls that give you enough time to explore independently without buying a shore excursion through the ship.

Is this genuinely good value?

Yes, particularly for the Fjords sailings from Southampton. A DIY Fjords trip for two, with return flights to Bergen from around £100–£150 each, hotels at £150–£200 per night and restaurant costs, adds up to at least £1,300pp. The Celebrity fare at £1,054pp includes all of those meals and on-board entertainment for the full week. That’s a meaningful difference, not a marginal one.

Celebrity sits in the premium-economy segment: above P&O and Carnival, well below Silversea or Cunard. You’re getting modern ships, better dining than the budget lines, and a quieter on-board atmosphere. At this price point, it’s hard to find direct Fjords competition that also departs from a UK port.

The caveats worth naming: drinks aren’t included in the base fare. Celebrity’s Classic drinks package covers most beer, wine and cocktails at around £70–£85 per person per day. Pre-cruise pricing is lower than on board, so lock it in when you book if you drink regularly. Gratuities are also extra, at around $19–$24 per person per day. Add both and the effective daily cost rises, but the headline fare still compares well with the DIY equivalent.

The verdict

The Celebrity Cruises sale is a strong option for UK couples or friends who want to see the Fjords without the logistics of planning a Scandinavian trip from scratch. Departing from Southampton removes the flights question entirely. If you’ve been curious about cruising but put off by cost or complexity, this is a reasonable entry point with a reputable line.

The Mediterranean options are worth a look if Norway isn’t the destination. The Greek Islands sailing from Athens starts at £494pp for 7 nights; you’ll need to factor in flights to Greece separately. The Barcelona-to-Athens routing works well if you want to combine a city break with a Mediterranean sailing.

If you want full control over your itinerary, pace and daily food choices, a point-to-point holiday gives more flexibility. Solo travellers should check the solo supplement before booking. The sale ends 1 June. The PAYDAY40 code expires 31 May.

How to book

A few tips before you search. Tap Book Now to go straight there.

1. Choose your travel dates before pricing the cabin. Fjords sailings in July and August fill quickly; mid-May and mid-September offer better availability at similar or lower prices.
2. Compare the interior cabin price with an ocean-view upgrade before confirming. The gap is sometimes as little as £50pp and it’s worth knowing before you commit.
3. Apply code PAYDAY40 at checkout before 31 May for an additional £40 off your booking.
4. Check Celebrity’s price match policy after booking. They’ll match a lower advertised rate on the same cabin within a set window if the price drops.

About Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises is an American cruise line founded in 1988 and part of the Royal Caribbean Group. It sits in the premium segment: above Carnival and P&O for ship quality and service, below the ultra-luxury lines such as Silversea and Seabourn. The fleet runs around 20 ships worldwide, with several operating European itineraries from April to October each year.

All standard fares include accommodation, three-course dinners in the main dining room every night, casual dining on board and entertainment, including theatre shows and live music. Specialty restaurants, the spa and shore excursions cost extra. The on-board atmosphere is quieter than the budget lines: Celebrity attracts a 40-plus demographic that’s more focused on the destination than the pool deck. Children are welcome but it’s not a family-first cruise line.

Celebrity’s Classic drinks package covers beer, house wine and most spirits up to a price threshold. If you drink regularly, buy it before you board: the advance rate is lower than the on-cruise price. Gratuities of around $19–$24 per person per day are added to your on-board account automatically; you can pay these in advance at a fixed rate. The Captain’s Club loyalty scheme is free to join and credits points from your first sailing.

Norwegian Fjords: what to know before you go

The 7-night Fjords itinerary from Southampton calls at Bergen, Ålesund, Geirangerfjord and Flåm. Bergen is the main city port: the wooden warehouses along Bryggen Wharf are a UNESCO World Heritage site, there’s a daily fish market and a funicular up to Fløyen for city views. You’ll typically have 6–8 hours in port. Geirangerfjord is the iconic one: sheer cliffs rising over 1,400 metres from still water, with the Seven Sisters waterfall visible from the ship as it passes through.

You don’t need a visa to visit Norway on a UK passport. Norway isn’t in the EU but it’s in the Schengen Area, so your passport covers visits under 90 days. Shore excursions through Celebrity are available at each port but they’re expensive: a guided fjord tour runs £60–£120pp. Local ferries and buses in Norway are reliable and considerably cheaper, and most Fjords ports have easy independent access on foot or by local transport.

Temperatures in the Fjords run 12–18°C in summer, cooler in the evenings. Bring a waterproof layer even in July: the deep valleys create their own weather. For ports on the Mediterranean sailings, see our guide to Rome on a budget for the Italy itineraries, our Barcelona on a budget guide for the Barcelona departure, and the best time to visit Greece for the Greek Islands sailing.

Frequently asked questions