The quality of Celebrity Cruises Cafe Al Bacio is impressive
I recently cruised on the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda, and one of my very favorite places on board was the Café Al Bacio. Café Al Bacio is Celebrity Cruises European inspired Café which serves up gourmet coffees and premium teas alongside complimentary pastries and other sweet treats.
However, Café Al Bacio is more than your average cruise café that serves up ”fancy” coffee. The menu is extensive and offers truly unique and inspired coffee creations. All of this is served with many ”special touches”, which totally compliments the Celebrity Cruise vacation experience.
7 reasons you will love Café Al Bacio
Before I list the Top 7 Reasons You Will LOVE Café Al Bacio, I’ll let you know something AMAZING! Although there is a fee for the ”fancy’ coffee and tea (see menus for price list), if you have the Classic Beverage Package, specialty coffee and tea is included. This is a huge bonus and in my opinion, well worth it!
I have included photos of the menus at the end of this post for your viewing pleasure :-)!
1. Café Al Bacio is gorgeous!
Café Al Bacio is a spacious, upscale, yet inviting venue where you will find intimate seating areas for two, as well as small groupings of stately plush high back chairs which seem to invite conversation. The decor is rich and warm, with dark leather banquette seating adding to the ambiance. The atmosphere was always just right for sitting and chatting.
2. Delectable pastries and treats
Pastries and delicious cakes are available throughout the afternoon and evening, while a variety of muffins, pastries and small donuts were offered in the morning. Why not wake up and start the day with a cappuccino and delicious blueberry streusel or a banana walnut muffin? I did this when we had to be out early for an excursion. Yummy. My husband particularly liked the small sugar donuts that he would sometimes have as a ”pre-breakfast” snack (something he only does this on a cruise ;-)!
Many evenings, we went to Café Al Bacio after a show and had a slice of cheesecake, small éclair, or red velvet cake (my fave). We enjoyed our favorite coffees, served so elegantly. The dessert choices varied each day and truly were decadent!
Something to note is that there are some gluten-free choices of muffins, cookies and pastries as well as sugar-free choices.
3. Top Quality Delicious Coffee
Cafe Al Bacio serves the top quality Italian brand of coffee, Lavazza, which has been producing premium coffee since 1895.
I love the various coffee creations that rival any popular coffee chain that starts with an S ;-)! Whether you have an espresso (the quintessential Italian coffee), a latte or a cold brew, you are sure to have one of the very best coffees you have ever had! Although I love the cappuccino, my go-to is the Americana, and it was done perfectly every time. I also have a few special favorites, but more on that in number 4.
4. Decadent Dessert Coffees
While I am not sure that these coffees can actually be described as dessert coffees, this is how they felt to me. My absolute favorite (the one I actually dream about) is the Affogato, which is espresso poured over a small scoop of vanilla gelato, then drizzled with chocolate and served in a martini glass. Enough said, right?
The IGLU cafe frappé was a favorite of my teen son; the ultimate beverage on a hot cruise day! There were many great ones, so take a look at the menu and give a new one a try.
And here is the menu of a few other decadent favorites you must try! The Espresso Melba was a favorite of friends.
5. Impeccable service
The service is friendly and refined, and never feels hectic or rushed. Whether you sit down and a waitress comes and takes your order (yes, really), or you take your coffee to go, you will have a great experience. We noticed by the end of the cruise, the barristas seemed to know most of the guests preferences. With over 2000 passengers on board, I am truly in awe of how they manage this.
Lovely Coffee Barista who always served perfect coffee with a smile! And YES, this is on a cruise ship!
6. Thoughtful Presentation
Whether we ordered our coffees at Café Al Bacio to our small table or took it ”to go”, the presentation was so wonderful and just made every cup of coffee taste all the more delicious. Take a look at some of the lovely coffees we enjoyed.
7. Tea and Tisanes
The choice of premium teas, herbal teas and tisanes is extensive. If you are a tea lover, you will find a lot to love at Cafe Al Bacio. I will be the first to tell you, I am a COFFEE LOVER (and martinis), so I did not have any tea on board. However, friends of ours did and they enjoyed the selection and presentation.
Recap: 7 reasons you will LOVE Café Al Bacio
We really enjoyed our cruise on the Celebrity Summit, and a big part of that enjoyment came from Café Al Bacio. We always felt like we were a little bit spoiled, which is so nice when on vacation. The coffees were excellent and consistently well prepared. The delicious desserts and treats varied from day to day and were a yummy addition to our coffees, whether we sat at Café Al Bacio, or if we took our coffee ”to go”.
Something to note, if you have the Classic Beverage Package, specialty coffees are included whether in Cafe Al Bacio, or in the dining room. If you are a coffee lover, do consider adding the beverage package or taking this as a perk.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this, you may enjoy reading an accompanying post inspired by our cruise on the Celebrity Summit 12 Special Touches That Will Make You LOVE Celebrity Cruises.
Thanks for taking the time to read about my Celebrity Cruise experience.
If you are wondering about specialty restaurants, read about our dinner experience at Tuscan Grille (spoiler alert – was TOO good!).
What are your thoughts about Café Al Bacio? Do you have a favorite that you just love? Questions? I’m happy to dish the details. Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Cruising!!
Ilana xoxo
P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends on social media. Thanks so much!
As promised, below are some menu pages from Café Al Bacio.
Wonderful blog post – I love your writing style and all your pictures. Thank you so much for sharing. I am going to read your other blog posts now. Glad you had such a good time!!
Author
Hi Michelle,
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback. I so appreciate it! I’m glad you enjoyed it and hope you’ll find the other blog posts helpful and enjoyable.
Take care,
Ilana
Did my best on the Reflection to drink my way through the coffee menu! Discovered that the espresso Melba is DELICIOUS! Who knew peaches in coffee would be amazing? Only 44 more days till I get to drink my way through the menu on the Equinox!
Author
I love that Stacy! That`s a challenge I`m up for, lol. Si, I`ll certainly be trying the Espresso Melba next time I cruise with Celebrity! Have a great time on the Equinox!!
Ilana
First time cruiser here (coming up in a couple of months). What a great idea for a blog! I’ve found many of your posts through Pinterest, and they’ve been really enlightening. Looking forward to reading more posts!
Author
Hi Jaye,
That`s so exciting!! I know it`s such fun to plan a first cruise expecially (although I still love it!).
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I`m so glad you`re finding the blog helpful :-).
Have a wonderful cruise,
Ilana
I am a little taken back to find that 18% gratuities are added to extras, after we are already paying gratuities and regardless if you have a drink package. Is that correct? I don’t think we will be purchasing drink packages because I cannot consume more than a couple of alcoholic beverages and coffees the entire trip due to a medical condition. Thanks for the great posts. We are sailing on Celebrity in less than 1 month and it’s hubby’s first and my second. It will be a huge step up from my Carnival cruise I am sure. I am a little excited nervous!
Author
Hi Kim,
So the way it works is you would only pay the additional gratuity per drink if you don’t have a beverage package, as they add this on. The same is on Carnival and other cruise lines.
I think there’s some confusion about cruise line perks, as different cruise lines sell it differently. Celebrity includes gratuities on the beverage package (service) in the price you pay. Norwegian adds the gratuities on the perks. If you purchased your Celebrity cruise and had perks included, you won’t have an extra fee each time you get a drink.
If you didn’t opt for the beverage package perk, then a gratuity will be added each time. If you don’t drink much, you definitely don’t need to purchase a package – it won’t be worth it for you.
Have an amazing cruise!!
Ilana
Hey Ilana!
First things first, AMAZING post, AMAZING blog. I will be following you from now on. Kudos 🙂
This reply was exactly what I was looking for. Bringing my aging mum on solstice on the Alaskan Seattle round trip.
It answered my burning question on gratuities for drinks even though we are on Classic/Premium drink packages. Good to know that everything is covered in the packages.
One question though, if I could seek some insight.
You mentioned snacks and treats throughout the day. However i don’t see them listed as menu items. Are they included in the cruise entrance ticket and complimentary to all guests?
I’m having a challenge looking for which outlets on the ship we can go for complimentary snacks.
Hope to hear from you soon 🙂
Very best to you and the family!
– Ed
Author
Hi Ed,
The pastries, desserts and muffins are all complimentary at Cafe Al Bacio. Other places to eat include the buffet (certain hours but pizza, pasta and fruit is often available), room service (free certain hours), and MDR. Just a note, unfortunately the Affogato and similar “gelato” coffees were not offered on our recent cruise on Celebrity Summit in 2022. I’m not sure if this is a permanent change.
Ilana
Do you still have to pay for Al Bacio coffees now that alcohol drinks are included on all Celebrity Cruise packages?!🤔
Author
Hi Janet,
Cafe Al Bacio is now included as per the old Classic Beverage Package. Enjoy!
Ilana
LOVE all your videos and tips!! We are going on our first ever cruise in November on the Summit. Your tips and vlogs have eased a lot of jitters. One question, if something is not included in my “Always Included” will I be informed when I order? You will find me in Café Al Bacio with my latte and a sweet treat. Thank you!
Author
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for your kind words! Very exciting to be going on the Summit – this is a pretty great first cruise! I haven’t sailed yet with the AI, however I think you’ll be informed. When we cruised with the classic package it was explained to us and it was easy to know what was an extra. If I find more specific info I’ll make sure to share.
Happy cruising!!
Ilana
Thanks for this! Your explanations, photos, and writing style are entertaining and very informative. I appreciate the photos of other travelers and the menus. This is our first cruise with Celebrity, and we expect it to be a bit different from the Royal Caribbean and Norwegian ships we’ve been on before. Each cruise line is different, and the package perks keep changing. Your comments on the differences between the lines and the various levels are very helpful. I’ve read a few of your blogs and shared them with my friends. Travel safely and happy cruising!
Author
Hi Marie,
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the posts. I truly appreciate your kind words. Enjoy your Celebrity cruise!!
Ilana