Celebrity Ascent or Constellation for a Mediterranean cruise?

[Sigyn]

I'm looking at Mediterranean cruises for summer 2024. There's a lovely 7-day cruise on the upcoming Ascent, or a beautiful 10-day on the Constellation. I've never done any Celebrity cruise yet, so I know nothing about Celebrity. I'll be on my first Celebrity cruise this summer when I head to Alaska on the Millennium. So that's why I need your help me deciding which ship might be the best option. I have done a Mediterranean cruise before, on the Carnival Vista when it was three months into its inaugural season. So, before you judge me for going on Carnival, know that it was a brand new ship and trust me, the crowd that is on Carnival in the Mediterranean is not the same group that goes on Carnival for a cheap cruise out of Jacksonville. (I know, because friends made me do THAT cruise, too!)

 

We plan our cruises at the same time our teenager is at summer camp, so we're quite limited in the time we can be away. There are a couple of NCL cruises that work as well, one HAL, and a couple from Viking, Seabourn, Oceania and one from Virgin. I'm skipping over MSC because most of those hit ports I've been to with nothing new added, or they're purely Greece and Turkey and I want to visit Croatia as well if I'm on that side of the Med. 

Here's the Ascent cruise:

Embarkation in Barcelona

Debarkation in Rome

Day 1 Barcelona departs 5 pm

Day 2 Ibiza, Spain 11:30 am - 8 pm

Day 3 Valencia, Spain 7 am - 7 pm

Day 4 Sea Day

Day 5 Nice (Villefranche), France 8 am - 8 pm (tender port)

Day 6 Santa Margherita, Italy 8 am - 8 pm (tender port)

Day 7 Florence/Pisa (Livorno) - 7 am - 7 pm

Day 8 Rome (Citavecchia) - 5 am arrival

 

Edge Stateroom is $5,481, all included

 

Here's the Constellation cruise:

Embarkation in Venice

Debarkation in Rome

Day 1 Venice - departs 5 pm

Day 2 Trieste, Italy - 8 am - 6 pm

Day 3 Sea Day

Day 4 Dubrovnik, Croatia - arrives 8 am - overnight

Day 5 Dubrovnik, Croatia - departs 4 pm

Day 6 Zadar, Croatia - 8 am - 6 pm

Day 7 Split, Croatia - 8 am - 6 pm

Day 8 Kodor, Montenegro - 8 am - 5 pm

Day 9 Sea Day

Day 10 Amalfi Coast (Salerno), Italy - 8 am - 5 pm

Day 11 Rome (Civitavecchia) - arrive 6 am

 

Veranda stateroom is $6,775, all included 

 

[cruisestitch]

Constellation for the extra days, the balconies, and the Sky Lounge

[jelayne]

The Ascent will be brand new.  If you are pricing a IV or Aqua class I hope you understand that neither have a true outside veranda.  You may want to do a search as I'm sure you will find some video's of the Infinite verandas, some love them other hate them.

 

The Infinity is a older ship, more traditional in design and smaller than the Ascent.  It does have traditional balconies.  

 

Personally I would choose the Infinity.   When we go overseas our priority is the itineraryy not  the ship. We have been to all the ports on both itineraries and all are good but Croatia with a overnight in Dubrovnik, Montenegro, the Amalfi Coast and Trieste would be our choice hands down.  Not to mention 10 N vs 7 and no tender ports.  If you can go in a day or 2 early and spend some time in Venice that would be great.

Edited February 14, 2023 by jelayne

[cruisemom42]

I think Kotor is a tender port?  It was last October on Constellation...

 

At any rate, I would definitely go for Constellation. I enjoy the smaller ships and was on Connie BTB in the Med for 19 days last October; loved every moment.

 

There will be fewer bells and whistles than on larger ships and of course Connie is not new. But all Celebrity ships seem to be well maintained. I also find crowding is less of a problem on smaller ships and you have more likelihood of finding a favorite nook, table, lounger, server, etc. 

 

Add to that the itinerary (which I cruise for) is IMO better -- and longer.  If you want Croatia, there are no stops there on Ascent. 

 

Seems like a no-brainer?

 

[Northern Aurora]

We have been to all of the ports with the exception of San Margherita.  I also think the decision is a no-brainer and would select the Constellation.  The overnight in Dubrovnik will be lovely.  And we enjoyed Split and Zadar very much.  

 

We have been to Kodor several times, including in 2019 when we were B2B2B on the Constellation, and it has always been a tender port for us.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

 Conny be sailing out of Ravenna, Italy not Venice , that may change your mind 

do a google search and check the videos on both ships 

 

[cruisemom42]

12 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Conny be sailing out of Ravenna, Italy not Venice , that may change your mind 

 

Of course NO ships are sailing out of Venice at the moment. Some are able to use closer ports (usually the smaller lines though....)

 

Ravenna is a lovely town and very much worth spending 1-2 days seeing the sights there. Wonderful mosaics and wonderful food as well.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

11 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Of course NO ships are sailing out of Venice at the moment. Some are able to use closer ports (usually the smaller lines though....)

 

Ravenna is a lovely town and very much worth spending 1-2 days seeing the sights there. Wonderful mosaics and wonderful food as well.

I know that , 🙄

But does the  OP knows that since , she wrote “Embarkation in Venice” not Ravenna 

[Sigyn]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

The Ascent will be brand new.  If you are pricing a IV or Aqua class I hope you understand that neither have a true outside veranda.  You may want to do a search as I'm sure you will find some video's of the Infinite verandas, some love them other hate them.

 

The Infinity is a older ship, more traditional in design and smaller than the Ascent.  It does have traditional balconies.  

 

Personally I would choose the Infinity.   When we go overseas our priority is the itineraryy not  the ship. We have been to all the ports on both itineraries and all are good but Croatia with a overnight in Dubrovnik, Montenegro, the Amalfi Coast and Trieste would be our choice hands down.  Not to mention 10 N vs 7 and no tender ports.  If you can go in a day or 2 early and spend some time in Venice that would be great.

yes, that is a consideration. I have seen videos of the IVs and don't know if I'd like them. But willing to give them a try. The other ship is the Constellation, not the Infinity. So it's an M-Class. 

 

The only ports on either of these itineraries I've been to are Barcelona, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Salerno (for the Amalfi coast). I've also spent three days in Venice before. And several days in Rome. 

 

42 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I think Kotor is a tender port?  It was last October on Constellation...

 

At any rate, I would definitely go for Constellation. I enjoy the smaller ships and was on Connie BTB in the Med for 19 days last October; loved every moment.

 

There will be fewer bells and whistles than on larger ships and of course Connie is not new. But all Celebrity ships seem to be well maintained. I also find crowding is less of a problem on smaller ships and you have more likelihood of finding a favorite nook, table, lounger, server, etc. 

 

Add to that the itinerary (which I cruise for) is IMO better -- and longer.  If you want Croatia, there are no stops there on Ascent. 

 

Seems like a no-brainer?

 

You're right. Kodor is a tender port. I will update that on my notes. Too late for me to edit my original post. While I would like to see Croatia, it's not a must-see this time. I do love Spain and Italy, too. I mean, who doesn't?! 

 

33 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

We have been to all of the ports with the exception of San Margherita.  I also think the decision is a no-brainer and would select the Constellation.  The overnight in Dubrovnik will be lovely.  And we enjoyed Split and Zadar very much.  

 

We have been to Kodor several times, including in 2019 when we were B2B2B on the Constellation, and it has always been a tender port for us.

Yes, you're right, Kodor is a tender port. My mistake. Did you like Kodor? What did you do in Split and Zadar?

 

32 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

 Conny be sailing out of Ravenna, Italy not Venice , that may change your mind 

do a google search and check the videos on both ships 

 

Yes, it's Ravenna. I have that in my notes but just did a quick cut and paste here. I had that for flight purposes for my travels. I've been to Venice before, for a land vacation, so I don't feel compelled to go back to it for a quick visit with the ship sailing out of Ravenna, if there's anything worth seeing around Ravenna. Which there probably is. There's always something lovely in any Italian town, from my experience. That's the beauty of Italy. 

 

There aren't videos yet on the Ascent because it hasn't been built yet. It launches next year. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by njsmom

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Glad you knew it was Ravenna , 😁

[jelayne]

7 minutes ago, njsmom said:

yes, that is a consideration. I have seen videos of the IVs and don't know if I'd like them. But willing to give them a try. The other ship is the Constellation, not the Infinity. So it's an M-Class. 

 

The only ports on either of these itineraries I've been to are Barcelona, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Salerno (for the Amalfi coast). I've also spent three days in Venice before. And several days in Rome. 

 

You're right. Kodor is a tender port. I will update that on my notes. Too late for me to edit my original post. While I would like to see Croatia, it's not a must-see this time. I do love Spain and Italy, too. I mean, who doesn't?! 

 

Yes, you're right, Kodor is a tender port. My mistake. Did you like Kodor? What did you do in Split and Zadar?

 

Yes, it's Ravenna. I have that in my notes but just did a quick cut and paste here. I had that for flight purposes for my travels. I've been to Venice before, for a land vacation, so I don't feel compelled to go back to it for a quick visit with the ship sailing out of Ravenna, if there's anything worth seeing around Ravenna. Which there probably is. There's always something lovely in any Italian town, from my experience. That's the beauty of Italy. 

 

There aren't videos yet on the Ascent because it hasn't been built yet. It launches next year. 

The Ascent will be almost identical to the Beyond.   Any videos of the Infinite Verandas on Edge, Apex and Beyond will be what the IV will look like on the Ascent the only difference may the the accent color on pillows.

[phoenix_dream]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

The Ascent will be brand new.  If you are pricing a IV or Aqua class I hope you understand that neither have a true outside veranda.  You may want to do a search as I'm sure you will find some video's of the Infinite verandas, some love them other hate them.

 

The Infinity is a older ship, more traditional in design and smaller than the Ascent.  It does have traditional balconies.  

 

Personally I would choose the Infinity.   When we go overseas our priority is the itineraryy not  the ship. We have been to all the ports on both itineraries and all are good but Croatia with a overnight in Dubrovnik, Montenegro, the Amalfi Coast and Trieste would be our choice hands down.  Not to mention 10 N vs 7 and no tender ports.  If you can go in a day or 2 early and spend some time in Venice that would be great.

100% agree!

[cruisemom42]

Just a note for researching purposes:  it is Kotor with a "t", not "Kodor". 

 

 

[Sigyn]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

Just a note for researching purposes:  it is Kotor with a "t", not "Kodor". 

 

 

Good to know. I was going to morph it into Hodor next. 

[cruisemom42]

Split is one of my favorite smaller Med ports. It's enchanting to me that the entire old town is built into what was the palace of a Roman emperor. The promenade along the water is also beautiful.

 

Zadar is more low key but there are several very old churches worth a visit. The town itself has charming reminders of its past as part of the Venetian republic. Roman ruins; great ice cream; try and buy some local maraschino liqueur.

 

[Northern Aurora]

Well -- apparently several of us can't spell today and someone who is very familiar with the Celebrity fleet is calling the Constellation the Infinity.

 

We have been to Kotor four times.  The sail in and out is absolutely spectacular.  Look for the WWII submarine pens.  In any event, two times we essentially stayed in the old city enjoying the medieval architecture including the old walls, beautiful cathedral, a local museum and great food.  The town is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  One time we did a tour out to the end of the Bay of Kotor doing a walking tour of Herceg-Novi and then enjoyed local food.  Other time we visited the town of Perast enjoying more old churches and took the ferry over to Our Lady of the Rocks.  Again more local food was enjoyed.

 

We have only been to Split one time and I was impressed.  The Palace of Diocletian is impressive.  This town is also a World Heritage Site.  And the walk along the promenade was also lovely.  We enjoyed a great meal at a local restaurant located just outside the Palace.  It was hard to choose which restaurant as several looked great.

 

In Zadar there are more Roman ruins and more great medieval architecture.  Great number of old churches.  Again we found a great local restaurant and enjoyed the local cuisine.

[Shadow9612]

My vote is for the Constellation for the reasons highlighted by others...

 

Enjoy whichever you decide!

[montythecat]

Definitely Constellation for all the reasons which have been identified

so far. It is a great itinerary and it is longer. The forward facing Sky

Lounge has been mentioned and that would count a lot if I were 

choosing between your two alternatives.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, montythecat said:

Definitely Constellation for all the reasons which have been identified

so far. It is a great itinerary and it is longer. The forward facing Sky

Lounge has been mentioned and that would count a lot if I were 

choosing between your two alternatives.

There is only 2 sea days, so you would be spending much time in the Sky Lounge

The Sunset Bar and the outside area at OVC is probably more important  to me 😁

[Essiesmom]

If you are going for the ship, do Ascent.  If going for the ports, do Connie.  EM

[Sigyn]

44 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

If you are going for the ship, do Ascent.  If going for the ports, do Connie.  EM

Hmmm...to me, every cruise is a combination of the two. I want a lovely ship with appealing amenities and great ports. 

[cruisemom42]

12 hours ago, njsmom said:

Hmmm...to me, every cruise is a combination of the two. I want a lovely ship with appealing amenities and great ports. 

 

I don't view the Constellation as a compromise. It IS a lovely ship with appealing amenities; however, it will have fewer OPTIONS than larger ships will. 

[Nado44]

As much as I love the Edge class of ships, I'd choose the Constellation.

 

Save the Ascent for a future itinerary that isn't port intensive. You'll have more opportunities to enjoy the ship.

[Sigyn]

I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but there is a price difference on the cruises. $1,300 more for the Constellation. And for things I have to consider outside of the cruise cost, going on the Constellation will cost me an extra $1,200 as well, so $2,500 to do the Constellation 10-day cruise as opposed to the Ascent 7-day cruise. It's an acceptable cost, just one more consideration. 

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, njsmom said:

I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but there is a price difference on the cruises. $1,300 more for the Constellation. And for things I have to consider outside of the cruise cost, going on the Constellation will cost me an extra $1,200 as well, so $2,500 to do the Constellation 10-day cruise as opposed to the Ascent 7-day cruise. It's an acceptable cost, just one more consideration. 

 

$1300 for 3 more days and a better itinerary (to me) would be worth it. But throw in your additional costs and it's a determination only you can make...

 

FWIW, I probably would just skip the Ascent altogether if that itinerary was my only choice.