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

[Provence55always]

Good to hear. Same for us Aqua was just so expensive. We booked Concierge on Apex just to get the extra points that will finally get us up to Elite plus. 

[ecslady]

As always with your reviews, great pictures, videos and information.  Really enjoy following you along.  Have a great cruise.

[Travelexpert35]

Fabulous video…..wish I was there!!

[debfed65]

L😍VE this video!  Celebrity should use it in the promotional material!

[hcat]

3 hours ago, Miaminice said:

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.

 

 

We tried a suite once..with our Covid credits but  generally prefer AQ class. Now we will ve jumping around a bit due to pricing of AQ!

 

For upcoming  Silhouette 4 day , we took Prime Concierge..good location &  will try the luncheon . We booked several Specialty dinner venues.

 

On APEX we will go back  to Sunset Veranda middle with 4 mdrs.. but will likely stick with Cyprus &/or Tuscan..the smaller ones. Agree with you  about the 4 mdrs..very nice concept!

 

for Eclipse,  we broke our budget  a bit and will go back to AQ. We like the S Class  thermal area..and   not keen on older ship mdr.

 

nice to have choices!

[Miaminice]

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 6 - Santorini

Sailing into the caldera of Santorini is always fascinating. And whenever we see the whitewashed houses clinging on to the top of the steep brownish red cliffs, we ask ourselves why on earth the founding fathers of Santorini went through the effort. We jokingly said that one of the elders said in his defense: “Wait and see, in a millennia or so, the tourists are going to come!” And they sure do!

 

We have been to Santorini many times and experienced nightmarish days with five or six big cruise ships anchored just off Fira’s port. Today, along with Ascent, there were only two other, smaller ships present. A welcome change. 

 

As always, we took our time and waited until the first rush had already taken the tenders over to the pier before we also boarded a tender boat.

 

On the island we took the stairs up the hill, dodging the donkeys also making their way up and down the steps. Since we had originally planned to visit the island with friends we had booked a car. 

On the tender boat we had talked to a nice father / daughter couple from the UK and since they didn’t know how to get to Oia, we asked them if we could give them a ride. So I picked up the car and then we all headed over to Oia to take the signature photos of the colorful houses and domes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to the car we met them again and together we drove back towards Fira. Birgit and I had planned to drive past Fira and have lunch at the Santo Winery. Our two new found friends joined us and together we enjoyed the view and the food at the winery before we eventually headed back to Fira. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rental car station was at the quieter upper end of Fira. We knew a nice bar close to the station which just called for a visit. So we all agreed to stop at Volkan on the rocks for homemade lemonades, Greek yogurt and more views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late in the afternoon we took the stairs down to the port again to take a tender back to the ship. 

 

 

 

 

For dinner we decided to visit the Oceanview cafe for a change. So after sunset we enjoyed some fantastic buffalo chicken wings and a burger on the outside deck until the moon rose over the cliffs. A spectacular sight and perfect ending to a great day.

 

 

[mac_tlc]

Your Santorini pictures are nothing short of stunning. Thank you for sharing. We have never been, but those pictures are calling us .... and many others.

 

 

mac_tlc

[Ciaranaman]

Agreed - absolutely stunning pictures!  The flowers - Oh MY! - they are so beautiful!  It's pouring cats and dogs, here in S. Ontario, and your pictures have visually transported me to a bucket-list destination.  Thank you!

~Bernadette

[CTSandy]

Incredibly beautiful pictures - thank you so much for sharing!  

[chemmo]

12 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

Your Santorini pictures are nothing short of stunning. Thank you for sharing. We have never been, but those pictures are calling us .... and many others.

 

 

mac_tlc

Definitely one of the most amazing places I have ever visited….

[Cruiscs]

16 hours ago, Miaminice said:

On the island we took the stairs up the hill, dodging the donkeys also making their way up and down the steps.

How was the hike up?

[Spif Barwunkel]

Santorini is a treasure trove of photo opportunities. It gives the most skilled photographer even more virtuosity and makes the most amateurish shutterbug seem somewhat proficient. What you saw through your lens reminds me of what I saw through mine, realizing that with just a slight move left or right, up or down, that same frame could offer many variations on the original look. Lovely pictures. At the same time when considering that the Ascent, fully loaded, brings more than 20 percent of Santorini's population to the Aegean Sea, it is hard to imagine that other boatloads of folks, also enjoying this beautiful part of the world, will not eventually become an encumbrance to local residents and the lay of the land. That can be said, of course, about many places around the world. Indeed, we enjoy and appreciate the privilege of these opportunities.   

Edited Sunday at 06:44 PM by Spif Barwunkel

[Miaminice]

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 7 - Athens

 

I often say Birgit and I are creatures of habit - and our visits to Athens are the best proof. Instead of a bucket list of sites to see in Athens we have a personal list of go-to places. 

We started the day by having a healthy breakfast at Eden Cafe with a view of the familiar Terminal B before we ventured out to Athens.
 

 

 

 

 

Athens is very easy to reach and Terminal B is perfectly connected. There’s no need to walk to a train station or anything. Right after you exit the terminal you’ll find the stop for the X80 bus. The X80 bus takes you straight to a stop for the Akropolis and one at Syntagma Square for a bit over €4. 

 

 

 

 

When we left the terminal, a bus was already there. We hopped on and half an hour later we stood in front of the parliament building at Athens‘ Syntagma Square.

 

Of course a photo of the iconic Evzone guards and their slow motion march is mandatory.
 

 

 

 

We didn’t wait for the change of guards and walked straight down the main shopping street Ermou and then turned left for our first stop. The Le Petit Village Bistro.

 

 

 

 

When I discovered this little gem in Athens almost 10 years ago, the courageous owner wasn’t sure he would survive the depression in Greece and yet he was brave enough to open this café. 

 

 

 

Good quality friendly service and reasonable prices prevailed. Whenever we turn around the corner off the main shopping street and still find the Le Petit Village we are so happy. Today we had a cheesecake croissant and when Birgit took the first sip of her iced cappuccino all I heard was “Ohhhh, soooo good!”

 

So for almost 10 years the Le Petite Village is definitely the best place for fresh lemonades, smoothies and lovingly prepared homemade snacks - sweet or savory.

 

Edited Monday at 04:51 AM by Miaminice

[Miaminice]

After a friendly chat with the owner we continued through parts of Plaka past the Hadrian’s Library and rounded the park of the Agora until we reached the entrance of the Akropolis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though it was still early in the day, it was very hot already. Across from the Parthenon there’s a rock providing incredible views of the famous temple towering over Athens. Today we welcomed the views and the breeze up there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Following the wide pedestrian street leading past the Akropolis Museum we walked down the hill again and entered the Plaka area once again.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

The Diogenes Restaurant was our destination there. Great food and friendly service in the welcome shade under the canopy of the trees make us come back every time.

 

I usually love their freshly prepared Moussaka but, paying respect to the heat of the day, opted for goat cheese salad with cherry vinaigrette - delicious!

 

 

 

 

We continued through Plaka until we reached Ermou Street again. Since the thousand year old Panagia Kapnikarea church in the middle of the shopping area was open for visitors, we took the chance and walked in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some shopping at the local Hondos Center, comparable to Walgreens or Boots, we took the next X80 bus back to the port of Piraeus.

 

We enjoyed the sailaway at the Sunset Bar again and chose the Cyprus Restaurant for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Celebrity Ascent - June 2024 - Greece, Turkey & Italy - 8 - Kusadasi

 

When we had breakfast in the morning, the large Kusadasi sign greeted us from the hillside and the castle on Pigeon Island was illuminated by the bright sunlight already.

 

This time we had breakfast quite early because we had once again booked a tour to Ephesus with a highly recommendable company called Ephesus Shuttle.

 

Starting early is key for two reasons: 1. beating the crowds and 2. avoiding the heat.

As soon as we were able to get off the ship, we walked through the terminal / market building and found our lovely guide Selda already waiting for us. 

 

Together we walked to our van and when the driver opened the door, all we could say was WOW. The interior was customized and very luxurious. So the ride to Ephesus was comfortable and Selda used it to give us some basic information on the area and Turkey in general. 

 

[Miaminice]

When we reached the ancient city, we had managed to beat the big tour buses and the temperature was still bearable.
 

 

 

We had been to Ephesus before. However, every time we walk down the ancient road in Ephesus we can’t help but feel awestruck.

 

 

 

To imagine that this city was once home to over 250,000 people and to see how beautiful and advanced it had been thousands of years ago is simply magnificent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course Selda gave us a lot of information on the sites while we made our way to the Terrace Houses, which helped complete the images in our heads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

The Terrace Houses are an extra section of Ephesus and well worth visiting. In some parts the mosaics and wall paintings are incredibly well preserved.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hcat]

Briiliant review of Athens  great mix of gen info and personal  impressions/ recollections. 

 

And then  on to  Ephesus...we loved both places.  Good memories!

Edited Monday at 08:35 PM by hcat

[Miaminice]

After we exited the houses again and got to the iconic and impressive facade of the Celsus Library, Selda gave us some time to explore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we continued to the huge theater which held 24,000 people in its days. The sight from the ranks down on the performances and the flourishing harbor, which started behind the theater, must have been unbelievable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Since we had only planned to visit Ephesus, we drove back to Kusadasi right away. For first time visitors we recommend visiting the House of Mary as well. And we can highly recommend doing the tour with Ephesusshuttle.com.

 

Back in Kusadasi we strolled along the seaside promenade and then walked into the heart of the town known as the Mekka for “genuine fake” merchandise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From our visits before we knew a small tea place visited by locals more than tourists. That’s where we went to have some apple tea before we had Iskender Kebab for lunch at a Döner restaurant that Selda had recommended. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Birgit decided to go back on board to soak up some sun on deck and I continued to walk around town to take some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Late in the afternoon I walked through the Oceanview Cafe and saw that they offered a Turkish buffet. The food looked so incredible that we decided to have an al fresco dinner there instead of going to one of the MDRs.
 

 

 

 

 

For dessert they offered Baklava and Turkish Delights brought on board from a pastry shop in Kusadasi. 

 

 

 

 

We usually prefer having dinner at one of the restaurants. However, on Ascent the Oceanview Cafe is a real competitor. They also offered cooked to order filets which were superb and as much of really good burrata as you like.

 

So while we had a really good dinner, we waved goodbye to Kusadasi from the open deck of the Oceanview.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hcat]

more great pics and commentary..Thanks for bringing back old memories 

 

Although we had a very early arrivaI at Ephesus, I recall it was sooo hot at the old theater.   I had to pass on climbing up and down ..Sal of course went for it!    I was much younger then but the heat got to me  ..Those who go in hot weather should have a hat & lots of bottled water and def go as  early as possible...also less crowded.   In the port,  we enjoyed lunch at an old  caravan " hotel" ..great meal, stunning architecture & .amazing tile work

[dock]

Thanks for the great review.

Nice to see a Turkish Buffet that night onboard. 

How was the Iskender Kebap place ?

 

We will be on O and stopping in Kusadasi within the next few weeks. 
 

How was Ephesus Shuttle. We’ve booked them for a Private Walking Tour of Istanbul. 
Thank you.