Ship Review: Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Cruises

Jane Archer discovers comfy cabins, top-quality dining and a magic carpet!

Key selling points for agents: 

• Fashionable modern interiors 
• Infinity Balcony cabins that maximise floor space
• Wide selection of restaurants and bars 
• Impressive theatre shows 
• Le Voyage restaurant by Michelin-star-winning chef Daniel Boulud
• Magic Carpet 'floating' bar, which doubles as a gangway platform for easier descent in small ports

Overview: With Greek brothers Dimitrios and Tasos Kafetzis appointed as co‑captains of Celebrity Cruises’ new Celebrity Ascent, it was only fitting that two sisters – Sandy Yawn (aka Captain Sandy from the TV series Below Deck) and Michelle Dunham – were selected as godmothers. They named the 3,260-passenger vessel in Fort Lauderdale during a gala ceremony in December 2023. 

Cabins: Clients who can splash the cash on the most palatial suites and two-storey villas are rewarded with accommodation that comes with butlers and packages that include premium drinks and Wi-Fi. 

Even the more modest Infinite Balcony cabins are decked out in stylish greys and creams, and boast a fair-sized bathroom, sofa and plenty of storage – everything, in fact, except a traditional balcony. Instead, there is a wall of glass facing the ocean; the top half slides down, giving the impression of a balcony when one's required, without losing valuable indoor floor space. Sliding doors can be closed to partition the 'balcony' area, and when they're open the room feels amply spacious.

Fine-dining on board Celebrity Ascent

Food and drink: With four main restaurants, all-day buffet dining and various cafes, you can spend a week on Ascent and not pay extra for food. But you would be missing out big time. Ascent’s speciality restaurants are not cheap – from US$45 to US$125 per person – but the food is far superior. 

Fine Cut and Raw on 5 are respectively for steak and fish lovers, while in Eden chefs experiment with tastes and textures. The Rooftop Garden Grill is brilliant on a sunny evening, but topping them all is Le Voyage, which serves dishes created by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud.

Celebrity Ascent Rooftop Garden

There are as many bars as places to eat. Choose the Sunset Bar at dusk, the Martini Bar for lively entertainment and Craft Social for beers. 

See that orange gantry at the side of the ship? That’s the Magic Carpet, a platform that ‘floats’ up and down the decks. It’s a bar when adjacent to the pool deck and an alfresco extension to Raw on 5 when it slides down – but the magic bit happens at sea level, where it provides a stable platform from which to board tenders to go ashore in ports Ascent can’t fit into. No more swaying gangplanks – that's magic, indeed!

Facilities: There are clubs for kids and teens, as well as an adult-only solarium and pool where grown-ups can relax in peace. The spa offers unusual-sounding massages and facials, and the theatre stages nightly shows notable as much for their technical prowess as the performances, while Eden and The Club entertain with singing and acrobatics. Space is limited, so get in early. 

Suite passengers have all that plus access to The Retreat, a gated residence with a private lounge, a restaurant with Boulud specials on the menu, and an private sun deck and pool.

For more information, call UAE +971 4 331 4299, KSA 800 897 1419, or visit www.celebritycruises.ae

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