Live(ish) Report - Celebrity Ascent - June 18, 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy

[Fabulous Four]

We’re looking forward to following. We have a similar itinerary in May 25. Thank you

[Beachlover1989]

Thank you so much for doing this! I love your reviews and look forward to following along! I love the excitement of Embarkation Day!

[ciera123]

I’m looking forward to following along, s I have dear friends sailing with you. Thank you for doing this!!! 

[cruzzzinma]

8 hours ago, Miaminice said:

So let me introduce stateroom PO 6236 to you…

That is a gorgeous cabin!

[Barwick Cruiser]

Honestly, the pics you include are the best of any trip reports…make me wish I was travelling along in person! Is that PO stateroom the same as the IV but without the drop down window? 
Wishing you both a wonderful sailing and thank you for posting so we can all follow along! 
Cathy

[Miaminice]

3 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Is that PO stateroom the same as the IV but without the drop down window? 

yes, it’s basically the same. Maybe a bit smaller.

However, you need to see that you choose a PO which is not obstructed by a davit of the lifeboats. #6236 is great.

[Miaminice]

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 4 - Naples

 

In the morning of the first day of the cruise we looked down on Naples from the back of the Oceanview Cafe and were pleasantly surprised. It has been many many years ago that we have seen the port area without the huge and never ending construction site of the Metro Linea 1 which forced visitors to walk around scaffolding and trenches. Now it was an open space with a large entrance to an underpass and direct access to the Metro L1. 

 

We didn’t have any plans for the day. Herculaneum, strolling along Via Tribunali - THE place for traditional Neapolitan street food - had been possible options.

 

While looking down on the Molo Beverello ferry pier just behind Ascent and seeing all the jet ferries leaving for Ischia, Capri or Sorrento I asked Birgit: “Do you want to go to Capri?” 

 

 It has been many years since I had been there last. Actually since my childhood… when I was a little kid my parents and I used to go to Ischia for holidays once a year and sometimes we’d take a ferry over to Capri. 

 

Birgit agreed and so we started our way down my personal memory lane by walking over to the ticket booths to buy a ticket. There are different ferry companies and each have their own timetable and ticket booths. So if you don’t want to mix lines or get the tickets for the return trip later on the island, check out which company offers times suitable for you for both ways and get the tickets at the booth. The prices of all lines are very similar and you need to factor in approximately one hour for the trip.

 

We purchased tickets with SNAV for 11:10am to Capri and 14:50pm back to Beverello - giving us a comfortable buffer to all aboard time of 5:30pm. The total price of the tickets was €100.

 

 

 

 

The journey over to Capri was smooth and an hour later we set foot on the island.

 

 

The narrow strip of the port area is lined by countless restaurants, and of course, the staff trying to lure the tourists in. Capri town is further up the hill. There’s a footpath up the hill for the ambitious visitors and a funicular for people preferring the more comfortable method. Trying to keep in shape, we decided to walk up.

 

On top of the mountain, you reach a piazza surrounded by the typical shops and more restaurants - and of course more tourists. We bought two granitas and enjoyed the view across the gulf over to Naples.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we decided to walk around for a bit.

 

 

 

Without talking about it, we both felt a bit disappointed. Capri somehow did not live up to its name and we felt it was overrun and overrated. The charm and beauty I remembered from my childhood days just wasn’t there anymore. So after a short while we decided to walk down the hill again and even considered taking an earlier ferry back to Naples. 

 

Halfway down the hill we stopped at a garden café and killed some time, before we eventually returned to port to take the ferry back to Naples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few years back, on a previous visit of Naples, Birgit and I had taken a ferry to Ischia. Exchanging our impressions of the day, we both fully agreed that Ischia was the nicer place. It felt it was more inviting, more charming, not as overrun and definitely more accessible to people with mobility issues. So if you’re thinking about doing one or the other, we definitely recommend Ischia!

 

When we got back to Naples, we still had enough time to walk up the newly created square and to stroll through the impressive building of Galeria Umberto I.

 

 

 

 

 

When it was time to return to the ship, we took the stairs down to the metro and took the underpass leading directly to the port. In typical Italian understatement, many banners and posters proclaimed the new station to be the nicest underground station of the world. It was big, but we think the nicer parts must probably be lower underground in the actual subway area. However, the huge entrance to the station right at the port terminal really provides many possibilities for cruise passengers. You can now take the L1 Metro straight to Napoli central station from where you can easily take a train to Herculaneum, Sorrento or Pompeii.

 

 

 

For sailaway we enjoyed a cool drink at the Sunset bar chatting with some friendly fellow passengers. For dinner we chose the Tuscan restaurant. We really enjoy the choice of restaurants on Edge class ships. Each one of them pleasantly designed and offering a more quiet ambience in comparison to the single, large main dining room on other ships. 

 

 

Eventually all the walking of the past few days, took its tall and we went to bed right after dinner. Even without our usual routine of stopping at Al Bacio.

 

 

[debfed65]

4 hours ago, Miaminice said:

While looking down on the Molo Beverello ferry pier just behind Ascent and seeing all the jet ferries leaving for Ischia, Capri or Sorrento I asked Birgit: “Do you want to go to Capri?” 

 

 It has been many years since I had been there last. Actually since my childhood… when I was a little kid my parents and I used to go to Ischia for holidays once a year and sometimes we’d take a ferry over to Capri. 

 

As always, your live reports are great to follow and your pictures are beautiful.  I would like to comment on Capri if you don't mind - just to give another viewpoint.  Of course, it is always subjective to each individual.  

 

We were also underwhelmed by Capri Town, and the area at the dock is a little congested without much ambiance.  However, we enjoyed Anacapri very much.  You can take the little bus to the top of the island and the views are beautiful.  Lots of lovely shops with a nice selection of pottery, jewellery and clothing and the staff are very, very friendly up there.  Beautiful restaurants overlooking the island and bay, along with a good selection of little sidewalk cafés.  

 

There is also a chairlift you can take to the very top, but we did not do that.  

 

It gets very busy up there, so it is best to get up there as soon as you arrive and then work your way down the island.  The bus stops on each level of course, but the line ups can be long. 

 

Here are a few pics from Anacapri.  

 

 

 

 

 

[debfed65]

1 minute ago, debfed65 said:

Here are a few pics from Anacapri.  

And here is the view from the top.  If you walk past all the shops to the left there is a beautiful lookout point.  It's about 15 - 20 minute walk through the line of boutiques to get to the lookout, but well worth it. 

 

Debbie & Ron

[debgreg]

Loving this, we are doing the same trip only the other way around, starting in Athens and ending in Rome. We have been to Rome & Athens before but always on a cruise so rushing around, this time we have time to explore. We have also been to Naples about 4 times and always said we were going to go to Capri, but it never happened. I will take you advice and go to the other place 😊 Thanks 

[Miaminice]

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 5 - At Sea
Our sea day routine is always the same… no rush, no plans, no schedule - just relaxation. It started with the usual breakfast on the outside deck of the Oceanview Cafe. Then we grabbed some lattes and went up to the Sunset Bar area. Quiet, empty… beautiful 🤩 
Later on Birgit enjoyed the sun for the afternoon and I did my usual photo tour of the ship before torturing myself at the gym for a few minutes.
While touring the ship I also walked through the lunch buffet. I have to say, extraordinary would be the correct description. A beautiful selection of food - Italian, Greek, Latin, Asian - presented in such a beautiful way that it looked more like a piece of art than a buffet. Bravo Ascent!
For dinner we enjoyed a perfect Filet Mignon at the Rooftop Garden Grill - just like Captain Dimitrios and his off duty brother Tassos, who had dinner there as well.
Today I will present the ship photos as a video to you - take 5 minutes time off to join us on the beautiful Ascent. 😉
 

 

[debfed65]

8 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Today I will present the ship photos as a video to you - take 5 minutes time off to join us on the beautiful Ascent

The video doesn’t work for me when tap the play button 😢☹️

[Miaminice]

13 minutes ago, debfed65 said:

The video doesn’t work for me when tap the play button 😢☹️

 I noticed… I will try to upload again 

[Miaminice]

I’m sorry… I give up trying to upload the video. I’ll just post the pictures instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DaKahuna]

 As always, absolutely beautiful pictures.  You have a wonderful eye for composure and talent for taking pictures.  

[hcat]

All lovely ..weather looks great.

Brings back good memories of our recent  Carib cruise on ASCENT..in January .  Best so far of the E class series!

 

[dock]

@debgreg, I’ve been to Amalfi many times, on cruises and a land based holiday for a week.

Personally, imo, if you’ve been never to Capri, I would visit.

It will be busy,( esp in Summer), but it’s gorgeous. 
We’re at the point in our lives where we now say what are the places we’d like to see one last time and Positano and Capri is on the list. 

Happy travels. 

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, dock said:

@debgreg, I’ve been to Amalfi many times, on cruises and a land based holiday for a week.

Personally, imo, if you’ve been never to Capri, I would visit.

It will be busy,( esp in Summer), but it’s gorgeous. 
We’re at the point in our lives where we now say what are the places we’d like to see one last time and Positano and Capri is on the list. 

Happy travels. 

 @debgreg or you go to the hidden gems right away and visit Ischia 😁

 

All jokes aside… we talked to some other people on the ship about their experience on Capri.

Some found it amazing - probably because of the feeling of having been to Capri. It does have a reputation.
The other half said, that they expected more and thought it didn’t live up to the hype. Just like us.
 

We are privileged and have been to both places. Birgit went to Capri full of anticipation and immediately found Ischia much nicer. So of course we would recommend Ischia.

 

However, that’s just our thoughts and feeling.

if you go or went to Capri and love it - perfect! The goal is to have a good time, isn’t it?!

[Scottishclover]

Fantastic photos. Helping me to get even more excited for our cruise on Ascent in August. Thank you!

 

Regarding the Capri or Ischia debate, can I throw another contender into the ring? Try Procida for a more authentic experience. We spent the day there last July and it wasn’t crowded in the least. We only heard two other English speakers the whole time we were there. You can cover most of the island in one day and it’s an easy walk to the famous pastel houses viewpoint in Corricella.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you get up to next.

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, Miaminice said:

 @debgreg or you go to the hidden gems right away and visit Ischia 😁

 

All jokes aside… we talked to some other people on the ship about their experience on Capri.

Some found it amazing - probably because of the feeling of having been to Capri. It does have a reputation.
The other half said, that they expected more and thought it didn’t live up to the hype. Just like us.
 

We are privileged and have been to both places. Birgit went to Capri full of anticipation and immediately found Ischia much nicer. So of course we would recommend Ischia.

 

However, that’s just our thoughts and feeling.

if you go or went to Capri and love it - perfect! The goal is to have a good time, isn’t it?!

Different people do have different perceptions…Having told a friend that Santorini was the highlight of a cruise she was going on I was dismayed when she returned that she had been, seen and much preferred other places as Santorini was just too crowded.

 

4 hours ago, dock said:

@debgreg, I’ve been to Amalfi many times, on cruises and a land based holiday for a week.

Personally, imo, if you’ve been never to Capri, I would visit.

It will be busy,( esp in Summer), but it’s gorgeous. 
We’re at the point in our lives where we now say what are the places we’d like to see one last time and Positano and Capri is on the list. 

Happy travels. 

There is even a danger in returning to places you love…Even when there is historical protection they can change so much. We very much felt this on our second visits to Thailand and Crete. Quite simply the first times we visited we were there before mass tourism had really taken off. We enjoyed our second visits to both but they were not the same…

 

When we returned to the Plaka area of Athens shortly before covid we were concerned as it had special and romantic memories for us from nearly thirty years before. The day coach dropped us off and we looked with dismay at the initial shop frontages…However a winding walk soon took us back to a place and time long ago. We even found a lovely little bar whose only lunchtime offerings were an unspecified ‘fish’ and a pasta dish which we didn’t recognise containing a multitude of fresh herbs and vegetables in a meaty sauce…Back in time we went…

 

Miaminice, sincere thanks for your continuing saga…I am enjoying with my coffee now.

 

dock, sincere best wishes for a wonderful return to Capri! Perhaps if it is busy you could try a little street meandering…..

 

[Miaminice]

Made it 😁👍 finally the upload worked .

sponsored by Massimo Dutti‘s free customer wifi 😁

 

 

Edited Saturday at 08:07 AM by Miaminice

[hcat]

very nice video..( it took awhile to load on my android)..patience needed!

 

On Ascent, a huge improvement over other E ships, is the expanded Sunset Bar area.. It has  lots of terraced  seats,  beautiful plants & awesome views. We think it's much nicer than the Rooftop Garden area, now  often used for pickleball in daytime.   ( Ship lacks a dedicated sports area inside or outdoors.)

[Provence55always]

Really enjoying following along.  The ship looks amazing with all your great photos and video. I was wondering do you miss Blu as I know like us you are big fans or does having the 4 restaurants to choose from make up for not being in Blu?  We will have our 1st experience of an E class ship next October when we are onboard the Apex. Wishing you both a wonderful cruise.

[Miaminice]

14 minutes ago, Provence55always said:

Really enjoying following along.  The ship looks amazing with all your great photos and video. I was wondering do you miss Blu as I know like us you are big fans or does having the 4 restaurants to choose from make up for not being in Blu?  We will have our 1st experience of an E class ship next October when we are onboard the Apex. Wishing you both a wonderful cruise.

in some way, we miss Blu – because we’re just used to it and because the personal service is just great. However, especially on the E class, the 4 restaurants make it easier. They are all very nice and all have a much quieter ambience than the large dining room ships.

 

So to be honest, there was no way to justify the huge price difference. Aqua would’ve been more than double the price.