Key Aspects:
- A key feature of a City of Palma tour will not be available when Celebrity Xcel visits Palma de Mallorca on May 10.
- Because the visit is on a Sunday, the city’s iconic cathedral and its museum will be closed to visitors.
- The overall tour is not cancelled but Celebrity Cruises is alerting guests to what could be a disappointing change.
Shore tours can be a phenomenal way for cruise guests to learn about the history and culture of a region, but what if that history and culture isn’t available on the one day a ship will be visiting?
Unfortunately, guests booked on Celebrity Xcel‘s April 26, 2026 sailing will miss their chance to see the interior of the spectacular Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (also known as La Seu Cathedral), one of the most famous Gothic architecture cathedrals in the world.
The ship will be visiting Palma de Mallorca on Sunday, May 10, as the last port of call on the 15-night transatlantic cruise. This amounts to poor timing for that outstanding site.
Celebrity Cruises reached out to guests booked on impacted tours to alert them to the change.
“We’ve been advised by the tour operator of an update to the ‘Small Group: City of Palma’ excursion. As our call to Palma de Mallorca will take place on Sunday, May 10, 2026, the Cathedral and its museum will be closed,” the cruise line explained.
“As a result, planned visits to these landmarks will take place from the exterior only.”
Because the visit to Palma de Mallorca is still several weeks away, however, guests who no longer wish to take the planned excursion have ample time to cancel the tour and select a different option they may enjoy more.
Tours are available once the up to 3,260 booked guests log in to the Celebrity Cruises app, or tours can also be booked on the cruise line’s website.
Other stops on the adjusted tour are not impacted, and visitors are sure to still enjoy the amazing sites of the Spanish city in the small group tour that provides a better individualized experience than larger group bookings.
Celebrity Xcel‘s itinerary is not changed. After departing Fort Lauderdale, the ship will also be visiting Bermuda, the Azores, Lisbon, and Cartagena before arriving in Palma de Mallorca. Debarkation will be the next day (May 11) once the ship arrives in Barcelona.
The Edge-class ship will be offering Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona and Athens through the summer and will return to the Sunshine State in early November, at which time she will homeport from Miami.
Is Visiting the Cathedral Necessary?
To be clear, the intimate, immersive tour will still be visiting the cathedral, but guests will not go inside the building. Instead, the tour guide will likely offer what historical context they can from the outside.
Guests will still see the impressive flying buttresses and pinnacles of the iconic structure, as well as other distinctive architectural elements.
Because they will not be going inside, however, they will not be able to view the stunning artwork, the glorious light from the rose window, the tombs of Mallorcan Kings James the II and III, or the white marble Episcopal Throne of 1346.
The cathedral is the most popular tourist site in Palma de Mallorca, but it is important to remember that it is still an active cathedral.
On Sundays and on holy days, visitors may not be permitted, as space would be reserved for parishioners. Tour groups would disrupt the sanctity of services and other cathedral activities.
Cruise lines always follow local laws and make every effort to respect local history, traditions, and customs.
While it can be an amazing experience and a special bonus for cruise guests to visit a city on the day of a local festival, art fair, or other event, it is important to respect closures and restrictions as well.
