2 cruise classics, aboard Celebrity’s latest ship, the brand new Ascent: 7 nights in the Caribbean departing from Fort Lauderdale, then later in 2024, a 13-night transatlantic crossing from Barcelona, for the ship’s return to Fort Lauderdale and its next season back in the Caribbean.
First, upon returning from South America aboard the Viking Jupiter (February 2024), and with an opportunity offered by Celebrity Cruises, it was a good excuse to stop halfway back to France! The Celebrity Ascent was built in Saint-Nazaire, France, and has just been delivered. It is now embarking on its maiden voyages. It joins the three other ships in the Edge Class (Celebrity Edge, Apex, and Beyond). It benefits from some of the improvements made to the third ship, the Beyond.
After a night in a Fort Laurderdale hotel, it was off to the port for embarkation, which was as efficient as ever. Check-in was done online before the cruise, and upon arrival, a few standard checks allowed for a smooth boarding process. Passengers were asked to adhere to a pre-arranged time slot, which helped streamline the entire process. The cabin was ready upon arrival. Only the luggage followed a different route, due to security checks, and was delivered to the cabin a couple of hours later.
Then, in the autumn, a transatlantic crossing, from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, in 13 nights. Fast train (TGV) from Paris, night at the Barcelo Sants hotel and boarding the very next day, as smooth as ever.
The stateroom is a bit special… it’s a Suite located under the Magic Carpet. There are four cabins of this type per deck. It’s best to avoid deck 12 and even deck 11, as you’ll find yourself directly below the Magic Carpet’s most frequent position (which can be anywhere from deck 5 to deck 15). It’s most often at position 14 (so just above deck 12, since there is no deck 13…).
Of the four cabins on each deck, two have a particularly appealing feature in my opinion: they have a balcony that not only offers a classic side view of the ship, but also a section that faces either forward or aft. This allows you to see so much more! It was cabin 10168, deck 10, with a forward view.
This suite also grants access to the Retreat Lounge and Sun Deck, as well as the Luminae restaurant, reserved for suite passengers. Drinks are included in the cruise fare, and we even received $1400 in onboard credit… enough to make our transatlantic crossing truly luxurious!
Like the Celebrity Beyond, the Ascent is an evolution of the first Celebrity Edge-class ships (Celebrity Edge and Apex): a much larger Sunset Bar, the return of the World Class Bar (present on the Edge class, as on the Solstice class, but surprisingly absent from the Edge and Apex). The restaurants are the same, with the two fine-dining restaurants “Le Voyage” and Eden, not forgetting one of my favorites, Raw on 5, with its seafood specialties.
The shows are as good as ever, especially thanks to the incredible, ultra-modern theater equipped with cutting-edge technology, perfectly utilized by all the performances. And let’s not forget the Halloween party at the end of October, which transformed the entire ship into a giant carnival, complete with a best costume contest. The competition was fierce!
Pools
A perennial highlight of this class of ship, the two swimming pools are located on deck 14: one indoor pool with a spa theme, and the other outdoor pool, one of the largest in its category. Plenty of space for swimming laps, especially in the evening from 6:30/7:00 PM onwards, when the Americans have left… to go eat!
Next page, the stops, the restaurants… and the conclusion!
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