by Paul Heney
Last updated: 3:45 PM ET, Mon December 4, 2023
Celebrity Cruises launched the Celebrity Ascent on Friday with a naming ceremony that included two sisters as Godmothers: Captain Sandy Yawn (from the Below Deck television series) and Michelle Dunham (founder of the Jacksonville School for Autism).
And there were even more siblings on hand, with Ascent Captains Dimitrios and Tasos Kafetzis, said to be the first brothers to co-captain a cruise ship.
Ascent is the fourth ship in the Edge Series, with the fifth and final (Xcel) coming in Fall 2025. Laura Hodges Bethge, President, Celebrity Cruises, said that Ascent, “is very similar to Beyond, with the two-story sunset deck in the back. This ship was made a little bit bigger.
Beyond and Ascent are slightly larger than Edge and Apex—and that gave us more room to expand the Grand Plaza and move the [martini] bar a little bit. That’s a really big gathering spot.”
Celebrity Cruises' employees celebrate at the conclusion of Ascent's naming ceremony (Photo Credit: Paul Heney)
Design Evolutions and Additions
Hodges Bethge also noted that the company has focused on entertainment over the past year, as it is one of their guests’ passion points. Three shows, Awaken, Bridges, and Smoke & Ivories, were presented on the preview cruise, showcasing the performers’ abilities and range. From the feel of old Hollywood clubs to the New York hip hop scene in the 1980s and 1990s, viewers were transported to a multitude of places, with the latest in technology adding to the magic.
Additionally, Celebrity Ascent features a redesign at the specialty dining restaurant, Le Voyage. While there is a Le Voyage restaurant on Beyond, it was redesigned here with a new menu from Daniel Boulud. Hodges Bethge explained that the casino floor has been laid out with a new floorplan and also has brand new games and a new type of slot machine.
There’s also a new experience in The Annex, which we enjoyed immensely. It's a private room where you can play karaoke, video golf, and all different types of interactive video games. The room is rentable for parties for between $250 and $350 depending on the day and specific package. That price gets you 2.5 hours for 10 people, with included minibar with soft drinks, as well as an assortment of snacks and food. The karaoke machine has more than 10,000 songs downloaded, and a staff member assists with any needed setup.
The Grand Plaza's Martini Bar is a festive central gathering spot on the ship (Photo Credit: Paul Heney)
Easy Luxury
The new ship is a stunner, with inviting spaces to gather with friends and family, from the iconic Grand Plaza in the interior to the sunny Solarium near the top deck. We enjoyed drinks on the signature Magic Carpet, a floating platform that moves up or down at different parts of the day, even lowering to sea level to serve as the gateway to the Ascent’s large and modern tenders.
Service here is exceptional, with staff members going out of their way to satisfy requests.
When a companion requested a vegetarian meal without mushrooms at the Le Petit Chef experience, the waitress asked if a cauliflower steak would work. Only later did I find out that she’d had it brought over from neighboring Le Voyage restaurant. We never realized anything was out of the ordinary, as the whole meal had been so seamless.
Another time, after I asked whether a latte was possible at the Martini Bar, the waiter told me absolutely and then breezed over to nearby Café al Bacio to secure the drink. Had I realized that I’d come to the wrong drink venue, I’d have gladly walked the few extra steps myself. But his going above and beyond made me feel like a valued guest.
Rooms are modern and well appointed, and our bathroom was spacious, with excellent water pressure and thoughtful spaces to fit every possible toiletry item. While we didn’t have a deck, an ingenious retracting top glass panel made the sitting area every bit as good and kept the space more functional—smart design.
One of Ascent's suites, a part of The Retreat (Photo Credit: Paul Heney)
Stunning premium suites are part of The Retreat, sort of s ship within the ship that is the ultimate luxury vacation experience. Guests here have access to private dining, exclusive spaces, and many additional services and amenities.
Food was excellent on Ascent, and it was fascinating to hear from Jason Liberty, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, how AI is being used to prepare food in the extensive Oceanview Café’s buffet.
Jason Liberty, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, speaks at the Ascent naming ceremony (Photo Credit: Paul Heney)
Depending on everything from the demographics of the people on board to the outside temperature, the AI system helps chefs figure out, say, how many turkey burgers to prepare for a given lunchtime.
Speaking of Oceanview Café, the buffet, which has a bright, open marketplace feel, was of the highest quality—comparable to seated restaurants on many other cruise ships. Fine Cut Steakhouse produced one of the most perfectly prepared filets I’ve had in a long time, with an exceptional outside crust. Le Grand Bistro’s classic French offerings were outstanding, even down to the creamy potato leek soup, which had me wishing for a second serving. The ship has a total of 32 different food and beverage experiences to try. My only regret was that the short introductory sailing left me wishing I could have tried them all.
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