Celebrity Ascent Cruise: 10 Things To Know About This Incredible Ship

Just a few weeks ago we took the plunge and embarked on one of the first Celebrity Ascent Cruises! Not only that…it was our first cruise in general!!!

From what we heard from some cruise professionals is that we have started at the top of the line or the cream of the crop in terms of cruise options. The 3,260-passenger Celebrity Ascent is being considered one of the best cruise ships out there right now and after experiencing 3 days on it, I can confirm this has to be true. It simply blew our minds.

The ship is the fourth one in the highly awarded Edge Line series from Celebrity Cruises ( owned by Royal Caribbean Group). This series also includes the Celebrity Edge, Apex and the Beyond! 

The Celebrity Ascent ship is massive and has so much to explore within it. I am breaking down everything you need to know about cruising on here if you are contemplating booking a cruise on here!

Celebrity Ascent Cruise Ship Main Features

With 32 restaurants and bars within, a casino, full on spa, gym, club and more- there is a lot to discover on the Celebrity Ascent!

No matter what area you are experiencing one thing is for sure and that is that the ship caters to those who love design. The Celebrity Cruise line has collaborated with the likes of Nate Berkus and Kelly Hoppen to create world class spaces that look like they are out of a magazine or HGTV show.

They key areas within the ship are without a doubt the Grand Plaza which houses the ever inviting Martini Bar! The light fixtures, indoor bridge and center LED chandelier make it the perfect focal spot to hang out at, see all the action and people watch!

The other main feature is the large outdoor deck pool flanked by sculptural trees, sleek and modern cabanas, two eye drop shaped Jacuzzis that overlook the deck below and an Octopus sculpture ( each Celebrity Cruise ship features a different one)

The ship also features the VIP add on option like The Retreat- an exclusive area with separate rooms, pool, loungers and a private restaurant for just Retreat Guests. Basically an experience for cruisers who want privacy and to be treated like a celebrity!

Lastly you can’t miss Celebrity Cruises’ iconic Magic Carpet structure which is something that I have not seen on any other cruise brand before ( They have it on the Beyond and Apex- also owned by Celebrity!). It is a vessel that can move from level to level for various view points and is a full functioning restaurant! Talk about a unique place to hang out in.

Celebrity Ascent Rooms

The attention to detail on the ship extends to all of the room options within the decks as well!

We stayed in an Auqa class room on Deck 9 and being in the Auqa class category granted us extra perks like Spa access, exclusive restaurant reservations and the ability to visit the Persian Garden! In addition to these extras, the room itself offered up ceiling to floor windows with a retractable setting giving us a quick balcony option! We also had upgraded bathroom amenities and an expanded room service menu.

The price upgrade to Aqua Class on Celebrity Cruises depends on the length of your trip and itinerary but if it’s only a few hundred dollars more I would recommend it. For me the best perk was the Spa.

Ok now back to our room. Having the little sofa area was AMAZING! I also liked that our sofa area was by the balcony versus right when you walked in. We enjoyed some wine between both spots and it felt like a little living room.

The bathroom was great too. There was numerous shower settings, a blow dryer and ample room to set up personal belongings. Next time I would probably look for a room that has a bathtub for extra relaxation.

Our room also included bathroom robes and slippers – huge win for me!! And the cozy level was up there.

Celebrity Ascent Cruise Restaurants

I know the whole idea of cruising is for people to experience a bunch of different places and countries to hop off the boat and visit some of the ports they stop at. The thing is on the Celebrity Ascent the restaurants will have you staying on the ship for the night. There are SO many options that are 5 star and truly made us feel like we were in NYC or Vegas. They were TOP KNOTCH and elevated in every way and no matter what your dining style/preference or restrictions are- Celebrity has you covered.

While we only had so much time to eat and drink our way around the ship, we did manage to eat at almost all the spots for at least a nibble or drink. We didn’t get to eat at Cyprus or Normandie so I can’t speak for those but I would like to call out each restaurant or bar for what I enjoyed most about them!

Best Spot to watch the Sunset?

As the name suggest, the Sunset Bar- a space designed by Nate Berkus- was the place you go before dinner for a pre-dinner drink. We sat in the loungers, sipped on spicy margs and mai tais and really felt like we were somewhere special. This was my favourite bar on the ship

Best Looking Restaurant?

Daniel Boulud’s Le Voyage was hands down the most stunning. It features a champagne palette with metallic ceiling accents and walls. It was bold and striking and the food matched it’s exterior beauty. With a celebrity chef behind it, I’m happy to report it lived up to the hype! Book here for a fancy special occasion!

Coolest Restaurant Experience?

Looking for a dining experience like no other? Book Le Petit Chef! This is an immersive dining experience where you are entertained throughout dinner with story telling, visuals and an interactive menu. It’s pretty cool! I would do it again with the kids especially. If travelling with a family or group, I would recommend this spot!

Best place for Breakfast?

We loved going to The Ocean Restaurant aka the big buffet each morning. Honestly the selection that they offer up here is insane and you can find ANYTHING you want. They have an “American”, “English”, “Fruit”, “Raw”, “Bakery”, “Waffle” and “Pancakes” section to name a few and MORE. They even have a station for poached eggs or omelets! Don’t want classically brewed coffee? Don’t worry they have a full on coffee bar for specialty drinks. Highly recommend this place at any time really but especially in the morning. The views are also mesmerizing here and a perfect place to start your day with

Must experience restaurant?

Do not miss Raw on 5. As the name suggests, this restaurant features fresh and raw fish selections! Think oysters, lobster, crab, all sorts of sushi and sashimi and even some hot appetizers. We went for lunch and we ended up going back one more time because we needed another fix! The chef there is actually from Japan so you know it’s legit!

Other Notable Options:

• Best place for a post dinner drink: The Martini Bar!! What a vibe
• Best place for a burger: Craft Social ( also get the fries!!)
• Late night drinks: Eden Bar ( craft cocktails + late night entertainment)
• Best place for healthier options: Blu

Looking for other winter escapes? Check out these Caribbean posts below!

• The Ultimate Antigua and Barbuda Travel Guide
• Cancun or Tulum? Which one is better!
• 5 of the Best Caribbean Island for First Timers
• 27 Dream Destinations to Add To Your Bucket List
• Everything You Need to Know about Montego Bay, Jamaica

Celebrity Ascent Spa

The biggest area of the ship that blew my mind was hands down the Spa on board. The facilities, decor and ambience of the space made me feel like I was in a Spa in Beverly Hills.

With our Auqa class level room category, we were able to access the spa facilities free of charge which is something worth considering when looking at the room options. Being able to use the steam room and lounge area was so beyond perfect and made me feel so refreshed each morning.

In addition to the steam and lounge area, they also have a thermal circuit which includes a rainfall shower, energy/crystal room, dry sauna and Himalayan salt area. We moved from room to room for over 2 hour and in between would rest on the window facing loungers. The sun was out that day and it was like the best of both worlds being able to feel that natural heat coming at you but being in the comfort of your robe inside!

Another highlight of the Celebrity Ascent Spa was all the treatment options they offer. I did not book one of these but boy oh boy was I tempted! They not only have signature massages and ELEMIS facials but they have: A full service Kérastase salon ( legit one of the best hair brands in the world), barber room, laser treatments, IV enhancements to help with weight loss or motion sickness and LED facial procedures. All in all if you want to leave the ship feeling and looking younger, you can certainly do it here!

Celebrity Ascent Cruise Gym

The gym facilities on the Ascent are legitimately out of this world. Not only do they have the basics like treadmills, ellipticals and free weights but they also have a full on barre/trx space and a spinning room. There are fitness schedules each day that you can book and all of the facilities are complimentary to use

I did one of the spin classes and it was honestly better than my studio at home. What normally costs me $30 a class, was worked into our Ascent pricing!

If you wanted to really add a twist on things, they also have a pickle ball court that doubles as a yoga area on the Rooftop Deck at certain times. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw people playing pickle ball. I believe this is something that needs to be rented out and is an added expense but so cool!

Celebrity Ascent Deck Plan

I don’t know why but I before embarking on the Celebrity Ascent I got such a thrill of looking up the Deck plans! I liked finding where my room was and mapping out the restaurants I wanted to try.

While I didn’t include all the Room Plans on here- I did find it helpful when looking to see what suite we would go with. Getting an ocean view was important to us and we wanted to be a bit higher up so we opted for the Auqaclass on Deck 9. Basically all the rooms can be found between Decks 6-12.

You can view the room deck plans here

Celebrity Ascent Itinerary Options

Alright if I have convinced you already that you need to book a cruise on this ship, let’s talk about the Celebrity Ascent Itinerary Options! Between November-March of 2024, the Celebrity Ascent will be making it’s way around the Caribbean and they have plenty of options for everyone! All of these itineraries for the Caribbean Ascent depart from Fort Lauderdale or Port Everglades

If you want to visit a bit of the Caribbean with a splash of Mexico- they have a 8 day cruise that ports at: Bahamas, Mexico and Grand Cayman

If you want to visit a few more unique islands ( this one is more my speed), they also have a 10 day cruise option that ports at: St. Maarten, St Lucia, Grenada, St. Kitt’s, Barbados and Antigua

From April 2024 until the Fall, they will be heading over to Europe where you can choose from the Italian Riveria and France to Italy France and Spain. These cruise itineraries port out of Rome and Barcelona! The kind of decisions I like to make!

Celebrity Ascent Entertainment & Fun

No need to visit Vegas after cruising on the Celebrity Ascent, the entertainment on board is of the caliber of a Broadway show or high end ticket to one of the many productions in Vegas.

To be honest sometimes I am a bit hesitant to sit down for a show or play because I get bored easily. Normally after 10-15 minutes, I’m like ok I am good ( this may be because of my ADD haha but for real some shows just don’t draw me in right away). This is not the case on the Ascent.

Each night you can head over to their state of the art Theatre for a 60 minute production that incorporates dancing, singing, creative costumes, aerialist, lighting and visuals that will have your jaw dropping the entire time.

First up is the show “Awaken”. This one will have you singing along to the likes of Bruno Mars to Janet Jackson and it has a more “pop” or “modern” feel to it. It features a few duet performances, solos and then gets the whole crew up and involved. I thought there was no getting better than this one until the next night….

Our second show was “Bridges” and WOW! This one had us travelling to different bridges all over the world- London, Brooklyn, San Fran and incorporated tunes and dancing that fit the theme of those cities. This show felt like more of a play and I loved it SO SO much.

The lighting and stage system that compliments the talent in the shows was believe to be about 5 million dollars and it shows. It’s crazy cool.

TIP: You do not need to book seats for the theatre but I would recommend getting there about 15-20 minutes before

Tips + Things To Know Before Going

• It is best to get to the Port about an 45 minutes or so before boarding time. I would recommend checking in on the Celebrity Cruises app prior to this as well. The app even shows your reservations
• With that being said- Reservations! If you plan to visit one of the restaurants like Raw on 5 or the Rooftop Garden, you MUST make reservations in advance. They fill up very fast and we missed out on the Rooftop Grill because of it!
• Spa treatments also book up in advance so if you want a massage or session of something, make sure to plan ahead
• If you forget sea sick pills or any other items, the gift shop has them. Additionally they have a medical team/area and in the spa- offer IV drip motion sickness treatments. Also great if you had too many drinks the night before;)
• While the rooms are definitely spacious compared to most cruise ships, there isn’t a TON of space for luggage- I would recommend a carry on if you can!
• Book a room by the elevators or by the pool/spa
• Take advantage of some of the free events they have on board. Often these events come with complimentary sparkling wine or a cocktail!

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