Celebrity Ascent Review

[kmhkmb]

Just off the Celebrity Ascent yesterday and thought I would share my thoughts.  

 

The good: 

-Embarkation - extremely smooth and efficient - we arrived at the port at 11:20 and were on the ship by 11:40!

-GORGEOUS ship! Just stunning - loved all the art pieces

-Eden - same as Beyond (except for the art pieces) and just as wonderful as a peaceful place to hang out and enjoy the ambience. 

-Extremely friendly and helpful crew that are doing a fabulous job 

-Entertainment - the best cruise I've ever been on in terms of entertainment.  Not counting the Eden shows (too late for me) there were 4 production shows (3 in the theatre, 1 in the Club) plus FOUR!  guest entertainers: a comedian, a magician, a soul singer and and a Linda Ronstadt tribute singer - we loved all the performances!  The production shows in particular were spectacular - the current cast of singers and dancers plus the Celebrity Orchestra are phenomenally talented! 

-Activities - I'm not really one for the classic activities like trivia/shopping related events but on this cruise they were offering a learn to draw class that was extremely well done. 

-Thermal Suite - I bought a pass and thoroughly enjoyed visiting this area every day either first thing in the morning or later in the evening - the hours are great - 8 am - 10 pm.  Word of caution though - during the day it may be tough to get one of the heated loungers as some people are camping out in this area for extended periods of time - and this is the only part of the thermal suite they are using (not wearing robes, wearing their normal clothing and using the loungers for reading/long naps).  Thought this might partially be because we didn't have the best weather for the first few days of the cruise - very windy and overcast - but also saw people settling in for an extended stays on the beautiful weather days.    

-The quality of the food - we were really pleased the the buffet in particular (and we aren't usually buffet people in general due to infection control concerns) - they did such a beautiful job with variety, presentation, quality and taste.  

 

The not so good

Warning - I'm going to nit pick here so if you are a Celebrity loyalist you may want to stop reading as you will likely be offended!  🙂  

-Cabin - my fault - given the huge price difference when I booked  (over 1K Canadian) we decided to try out the deluxe inside cabin - I was on Beyond in Jan 2022 and never had a problem finding a nice place outside to sit so thought it would be ok.  We REALLY missed the light and fresh air that comes with a balcony (even the Edge class ships "balcony").  We also couldn't find anywhere outside on the Ascent where they weren't blasting music - might be good for creating a party atmosphere but not really conducive to relaxing with a good book and listening to the ocean IMO.  

-Cabin amenities: if you like a VERY firm bed you are in for a treat!  If you don't you may be uncomfortable (as a side sleeper I certainly was).  

-Sheets - this might be because I was in a Deluxe inside - but the sheets were very scratchy and felt like they were low quality.  

-Toilet Paper - terrible quality - if we sail with Celebrity again we might go as far as bringing our own.  

-The MDR menus: was disappointed at the lack of variety/creativity.  For example, only 2 of the starters changed everyday for dinner - the standard starters (not the exclusive ones) were shrimp cocktail, escargots, Caesar salad and French Onion Soup.  The entrees were also uninspired - things like a chicken breast with veg and potatoes - I make that all the time at home! 

-At times the ship felt very crowded.  On the last day we went to the Buffet for lunch and had to circle 3x to find a table (to be fair this was the first time this happened).  Once we finally found a table for 4 (only table that was free) we got immediately pressured by the crew to share the table - which sorry, isn't something we wanted - we just ate as quickly as possible.  There were also long lines at the Cafe.  

-In Cozumel  our snorkeling excursion was cancelled due to it being a red flag day in the morning.  That of course is out of Celebrity's control - but it was a 1 pm excursion and they made no effort to contact us to let us know - despite the morning excursions being cancelled.  When we saw how windy it was in the morning we stopped by the excursion desk to ask if our excursion was still on - they told us the morning excursions were cancelled and they would leave a message on our phone if our 1 pm excursion was also canceled.  Since the wind had really calmed down by 12 pm and we didn't get a message we got ready, packed everything up and headed to the end of the pier to join our excursion - only to find out it was cancelled.  If we had been notified we would have attempted to make alternative last minute plans and it would have saved us the hassle of getting ready for a water-based activity and walking to the end of the pier.  

-Disembarkation - we always do express walk off - but on this ship it was far from "express".  We were forced into joining a long line with hundreds of other people that snaked though Eden and then along the outside of the ship along deck 5 - only to see tons of people cutting the line in various spots - particularly the magic carpet doors on deck 5.  I think if they are going to force people into this miserable parade they need to station people at the points in which people can cut in for the sake of the people who actually followed the rules.  Better yet, find a way to avoid the long line up and parade!  

 

Would we sail on this ship again?  Probably - if we found an itinerary we really liked as the good most definitely outweighed the bad! 

Edited January 15 by kmhkmb
Fixed a typo

[truckswain]

Thank you for your review.  We were on the Beyond in November and your comment regarding Disembarkation is spot on.  Very annoying.

 

We are on the Ascent in a couple of weeks and I am hoping the outside space in and around the sunset bar is a little quieter than what you described.  

 

 

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[dleahy4444]

14 minutes ago, kmhkmb said:

Just off the Celebrity Ascent yesterday and thought I would share my thoughts.  

 

The good: 

-Embarkation - extremely smooth and efficient - we arrived at the port at 11:20 and were on the ship by 11:40!

-GORGEOUS ship! Just stunning - loved all the art pieces

-Eden - same as Beyond (except for the art pieces) and just as wonderful as a peaceful place to hang out and enjoy the ambience. 

-Extremely friendly and helpful crew that are doing a fabulous job 

-Entertainment - the best cruise I've ever been on in terms of entertainment.  Not counting the Eden shows (too late for me) there were 4 production shows (3 in the theatre, 1 in the Club) plus FOUR!  guest entertainers: a comedian, a magician, a soul singer and and a Linda Ronstadt tribute singer - we loved all the performances!  The production shows in particular were spectacular - the current cast of singers and dancers plus the Celebrity Orchestra are phenomenally talented! 

-Activities - I'm not really one for the classic activities like trivia/shopping related events but on this cruise they were offering a learn to draw class that was extremely well done. 

-Thermal Suite - I bought a pass and thoroughly enjoyed visiting this area every day either first thing in the morning or later in the evening - the hours are great - 8 am - 10 pm.  Word of caution though - during the day it may be tough to get one of the heated loungers as some people are camping out in this area for extended periods of time - and this is the only part of the thermal suite they are using (not wearing robes, wearing their normal clothing and using the loungers for reading/long naps).  Thought this might partially be because we didn't have the best weather for the first few days of the cruise - very windy and overcast - but also saw people settling in for an extended stays on the beautiful weather days.    

-The quality of the food - we were really pleased the the buffet in particular (and we aren't usually buffet people in general due to infection control concerns) - they did such a beautiful job with variety, presentation, quality and taste.  

 

The not so good

Warning - I'm going to nit pick here so if you are a Celebrity loyalist you may want to stop reading as you will likely be offended!  🙂  

-Cabin - my fault - given the huge price difference when I booked  (over 1K Canadian) we decided to try out the deluxe inside cabin - I was on Beyond in Jan 2022 and never had a problem finding a nice place outside to sit so thought it would be ok.  We REALLY missed the light and fresh air that comes with a balcony (even the Edge class ships "balcony").  We also couldn't find anywhere outside on the Ascent where they weren't blasting music - might be good for creating a party atmosphere but not really conducive to relaxing with a good book and listening to the ocean IMO.  

-Cabin amenities: if you like a VERY firm bed you are in for a treat!  If you don't you may be uncomfortable (as a side sleeper I certainly was).  

-Sheets - this might be because I was in a Deluxe inside - but the sheets were very scratchy and felt like they were low quality.  

-Toilet Paper - terrible quality - if we sail with Celebrity again we might go as far as bringing our own.  

-The MDR menus: was disappointed at the lack of variety/creativity.  For example, only 2 of the starters changed everyday for dinner - the standard starters (not the exclusive ones) were shrimp cocktail, escargots, Caesar salad and French Onion Soup.  The entrees were also uninspired - things like a chicken breast with veg and potatoes - I make that all the time at home! 

-At times the ship felt very crowded.  On the last day we went to the Buffet for lunch and had to circle 3x to find a table (to be fair this was the first time this happened).  Once we finally found a table for 4 (only table that was free) we got immediately pressured by the crew to share the table - which sorry, isn't something we wanted - we just ate as quickly as possible.  There were also long lines at the Cafe.  

-In Cozumel our excursion our snorkeling excursion was cancelled due to it being a red flag day in the morning.  That of course is out of Celebrity's control - but it was a 1 pm excursion and they made no effort to contact us to let us know - despite the morning excursions being cancelled.  When we saw how windy it was in the morning we stopped by the excursion desk to ask if our excursion was still on - they told us the morning excursions were cancelled and they would leave a message on our phone if our 1 pm excursion was also canceled.  Since the wind had really calmed down by 12 pm and we didn't get a message we got ready, packed everything up and headed to the end of the pier to join our excursion - only to find out it was cancelled.  If we had been notified we would have attempted to make alternative last minute plans and it would have saved us the hassle of getting ready for a water-based activity and walking to the end of the pier.  

-Disembarkation - we always do express walk off - but on this ship it was far from "express".  We were forced into joining a long line with hundreds of other people that snaked though Eden and then along the outside of the ship along deck 5 - only to see tons of people cutting the line in various spots - particularly the magic carpet doors on deck 5.  I think if they are going to force people into this miserable parade they need to station people at the points in which people can cut in for the sake of the people who actually followed the rules.  Better yet, find a way to avoid the long line up and parade!  

 

Would we sail on this ship again?  Probably - if we found an itinerary we really liked as the good most definitely outweighed the bad! 

Thank you for your review and the heads up about disembarkation. Would it have made a difference if you had been earlier or later? I completely agree that if they are going to have a long line, they should have staff making sure that people don’t cut the line. That is how arguments start and no one wants to end a good vacation on a sour note. 

[KLM3164]

28 minutes ago, kmhkmb said:

Toilet Paper - terrible quality - if we sail with Celebrity again we might go as far as bringing our own.  

I wouldn’t recommend bringing any TP from home as it can (and most likely will) result in a plugged up toilet that will also affect those in cabins around you. The ships use TP that is specifically designed for the vacuum toilet systems and any attempt to flush something it isn’t designed for can be a real problem. Trust me it’s not a fun experience when someone around you is throwing something in the toilet that isn’t designed for the system they have onboard. 

[gizmodog]

The horrible toilet paper (I agree by the way) is there for a reason though this is specifically for their sewer system, it would not be wise to bring your own, worst ever though  agree, but a definite reason.

[kmhkmb]

15 minutes ago, dleahy4444 said:

Thank you for your review and the heads up about disembarkation. Would it have made a difference if you had been earlier or later? I completely agree that if they are going to have a long line, they should have staff making sure that people don’t cut the line. That is how arguments start and no one wants to end a good vacation on a sour note. 

We were told to come for 7:30 - we got down to deck 5 around 7:15.  It was the latecomers that were jumping the line as it wasn't moving until after 7:30.  

[kmhkmb]

Just now, gizmodog said:

The horrible toilet paper (I agree by the way) is there for a reason though this is specifically for their sewer system, it would not be wise to bring your own, worst ever though  agree, but a definite reason.

That is a really good point - was not entirely serious about bring our own!  I've been on other cruise ships with better quality TP though - so not willing to let Celebrity off the hook on this point!

[kmhkmb]

32 minutes ago, truckswain said:

Thank you for your review.  We were on the Beyond in November and your comment regarding Disembarkation is spot on.  Very annoying.

 

We are on the Ascent in a couple of weeks and I am hoping the outside space in and around the sunset bar is a little quieter than what you described.  

 

 

I hope you have more luck than I did as that area of the ship is very lovely.  Will certainly mention the volume of the music in my Celebrity survey!  Maybe it was just me - I was shocked at how packed the pool area was as I found the volume particularly bothersome in that area (not saying music isn't appropriate in that space as it should have a party atmosphere but for me the volume was uncomfortable).   Apparently though hundreds of people disagreed!

[kmhkmb]

10 minutes ago, KLM3164 said:

I wouldn’t recommend bringing any TP from home as it can (and most likely will) result in a plugged up toilet that will also affect those in cabins around you. The ships use TP that is specifically designed for the vacuum toilet systems and any attempt to flush something it isn’t designed for can be a real problem. Trust me it’s not a fun experience when someone around you is throwing something in the toilet that isn’t designed for the system they have onboard. 

Point taken!  Maybe Celebrity adding bidets is a better solution! 🙂  

[KLM3164]

2 minutes ago, kmhkmb said:

Point taken!  Maybe Celebrity adding bidets is a better solution! 🙂  

That’s an excellent suggestion!

[hcat]

great review..very helpful..we board Jan 28th

 

Celeb does not get high marks for disembarking. We have no plane to catch so we may try our luck putting luggage outside the door.. ..and hoping it does not get lost.

 

We will do our best to avoid loud music as we prefer a quiet spa atmosphere.  We will use our AQ class perk for the thermal suites a few times and try early am in the Solarium.. We usually leave when it gets crowded. We are staying on board in San Juan so will swim early at the outdoor pool.

 

Shows sound great and looking forward to  some Specialty Dining.  

Our excitement is building !

[dleahy4444]

59 minutes ago, kmhkmb said:

We were told to come for 7:30 - we got down to deck 5 around 7:15.  It was the latecomers that were jumping the line as it wasn't moving until after 7:30.  

So annoying 

[Mimiya11]

2 hours ago, kmhkmb said:

At times the ship felt very crowded.  On the last day we went to the Buffet for lunch and had to circle 3x to find a table (to be fair this was the first time this happened).  Once we finally found a table for 4 (only table that was free) we got immediately pressured by the crew to share the table - which sorry, isn't something we wanted - we just ate as quickly as possible.  There were also long lines at the Cafe.  

 

Just curious.  When we were on the Apex a couple of months ago, we had to circle the buffet a few times but even more frustrating was tables were often left with dirty dishes and a few times, we had to push them to the side with no sight of crew coming to clean up.   Was that a problem?   .   

[sunshinegirl89]

7 minutes ago, Mimiya11 said:

 

Just curious.  When we were on the Apex a couple of months ago, we had to circle the buffet a few times but even more frustrating was tables were often left with dirty dishes and a few times, we had to push them to the side with no sight of crew coming to clean up.   Was that a problem?   .   

It was definitely a problem on the Apex the week before Christmas!  So many empty, dirty tables in OceanView.  

[kmhkmb]

1 hour ago, Mimiya11 said:

 

Just curious.  When we were on the Apex a couple of months ago, we had to circle the buffet a few times but even more frustrating was tables were often left with dirty dishes and a few times, we had to push them to the side with no sight of crew coming to clean up.   Was that a problem?   .   

That really wasn't an issue that I noticed - we got to the point where we watched people who seemed to be finishing up and then pounced on their table.  The times we did that a crew member was there right away to clear.  Can't say enough good things about all the crew we encountered on Ascent - they were exceptional.  I suspect the issue with Ascent will be that it is the Buffet seating area is the same size as the other Edge class ships with no allowances for the increase in the number of passengers.  

[smeck]

After reading this thread glad we’re in the Retreat. 

[kris4842]

Thank you for an excellent view. I may have missed it but what time did you wind up getting off the ship during embarkation? 

[Mimiya11]

15 hours ago, smeck said:

After reading this thread glad we’re in the Retreat. 

We were in the Retreat on the Apex but got tired of lunches in the Luminae since we were on the ship for 2 weeks and same old same old lunches.  Edge Cafe was terrific but also got crowded. 

 

Enjoy.  The Retreat is pretty great...  

[PTC DAWG]

I like tunes by the pool myself..

 

Thanks for your review, we are boarding the Ascent Sunday..

[hcat]

we like quiet at the pool in am so we can relax and read.

 

Games, DJ and  band music is fun time in the  afternoon if not rap..or offensive lyrics!

[PTC DAWG]

11 minutes ago, hcat said:

we like quiet at the pool in am so we can relax and read.

 

Games, DJ and  band music is fun time in the  afternoon if not rap..or offensive lyrics!

In my experience the music etc. doesn’t start until noon or later..

Edited January 16 by PTC DAWG

[kmhkmb]

2 hours ago, kris4842 said:

Thank you for an excellent view. I may have missed it but what time did you wind up getting off the ship during embarkation? 

We were off by 8:10 - so it took about 40 minutes once the line started moving at 7:30.  We joined the line at 7:15.  

[mrgabriel]

We were on the Christmas cruise, disembarking on Dec 31 and we were off in minutes. No waits at all. We left a bit later, at about 8:30. At the airport before 9. 

[hcat]

53 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

In my experience the music etc. doesn’t start until noon or later..

that  works well!  Good planning!

when X introduced the Miami DJs on REFLECTION  yrs ago,  the whole ship was loud & shouty  starting early am... could not escape endless loop music.