Celebrity Ascent Review – Amateur Traveler

The Celebrity Ascent made its inaugural cruise in December 2023. Ascent is part of Celebrity’s Edge series, which is the most luxurious of the Celebrity ships. The Bahamas Getaway short cruise departs from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades with stops in Nassau and Bimini, just 60 miles off the Florida coast. Most of the sailing happens overnight, leaving passengers with two nine-hour days in port. You will need your passport.

Arrival

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is less than 30 minutes by car from the port in the heaviest of traffic. You can cut that in half during a less busy time. If you’re arriving the night before departure, you’ll have to head north for a hotel, as there are none directly between the airport and the port.

Going north, you’ll first hit the two and three-star (mostly airport) budget hotels. But if you’re not on a tight budget (which is very likely if you’re choosing the 3,260-capacity Ascent), Fort Lauderdale Beach is lined with hotels and resorts separated from the beach only by Fort Lauderdale Blvd. The southernmost is the four-star Westin, followed by the five-star W Fort Lauderdale. This is important as the cruise leaves port at 3:30 PM, so checkout time will coincide with when you need to start making your way to the port.

Flying on the day of departure is too risky, unless you’re on one of those routes (like ATL) with frequent direct service into FLL.

Stateroom 153 Celebrity Ascent

Staterooms

Ascent’s more than 1,600 staterooms are divided into six categories, starting with interior rooms and culminating in the 500-square-foot Celebrity Suite, which features its own dedicated dining space and is roughly double the size of the average room aboard Ascent.

Dining Options

Le Petit Chef Celebrity Ascent – beef tenderloin en croute

With 29 food and drink options (9 of which are included), you have to choose your dining options wisely, based on your personal taste(s). That’s especially true if you’ll be on your first Celebrity Cruise. If you haven’t had a proper 3D dining experience and are into upscale French-inspired dining at a leisurely pace, then Le Petit Chef is an obvious choice. There are three set menus, including vegetarian and kids’ options. However, do keep in mind that Le Petit Chef does have more than 120 locations worldwide, with most locations concentrated in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States.

So if you live near a major city, you may want to forego a 3D dinner aboard the Celebrity Ascent in favor of something more exclusive and/or an option with no extra charge.

Celebrity Ascent Eden, Daniel Boulud

If you’re still thinking high-end French-inspired cuisine without the 3D part, there’s Normandie Restaurant, as well as Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud. Lyon-born and New York-based chef Daniel Boulud is Celebrity’s culinary ambassador, and his Le Voyage is available on both the Beyond and Ascent ships. The regular menu is mostly seafood-focused, while there’s a full plant-based menu as well. Le Voyage has a special occasion feel. You’ll get the sense that many of the people around you are on a honeymoon or celebrating an anniversary, birthday, etc.

Unless your child has expressed interest in attending the Culinary Institute of America upon reaching adulthood, it’s probably best to find a less upscale option if you’re dining with young ones.

In the event you want to focus solely on seafood, there’s the extra charge Raw on 5 Restaurant, which is a Japanese restaurant with a heavy focus on sushi and sake that also has a raw bar. But there’s also Fine Cut, which is a traditional American steakhouse where the focus is on eight different cuts of dry-aged beef. Yes, cruise ships do have restrictions when it comes to open flames. However, that should not deter you from choosing Fine Cut, as they’ve figured out how to replicate a land-based steakhouse experience to the extent that only the most discerning diners (like a food critic) would notice the difference.

Oceanview Cafe is Ascent’s buffet, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One of the perks of being on a higher-end ship is the seafood items you’ll see as early as lunchtime. While offerings do change, although not drastically, you can see crab and lobster stacked high in the seafood section.

While the Bahamas Getaway route is a relatively short South Florida-to-the-Caribbean loop, the stations do have global options. Except to see mainstream Asian food, including sushi, Indian curries, and Chinese noodle and rice dishes. You’ll also see the obligatory pasta station, pizza, and French and Italian cheeses in no short supply. There are buffet-quality desserts, (better) ice cream, and the more fun chocolate tower.

lobster at the Celebrity Ascent Oceanview Cafe buffet

The main reasons to have dinner at the buffet are economic (it’s included), time (no need to wait between courses), informality (no strict dress code, compared to the fine dining options), and the ability to double and triple down on steak and seafood without being limited to a single entree. After all, you’ll most likely be on vacation.

Drink Packages

Coffee, water, and soft drinks are included for everyone. Anything additional will require a drink package. The Classic Drink Package should be enough for most. Wine by the glass is included in both the Classic and Premium Packages, but you’ll get an extra five percent off wine bottles with Premium.

Like most major cruise lines, Celebrity has responded to the uptick in sober travel. This has been covered everywhere from AAA to Travel + Leisure. Celebrity’s Non-Alcoholic Drink Package is ideal for anyone who wants to drink more than water, coffee, soft drinks, and whatever the buffet has. Even if you don’t care about Perrier, Red Bull, and vitamin water, mocktails are included, which can make sober travelers feel less out of place at dinner or the bar. Plus, the Non-Alcoholic Drink Package includes smoothies, which are ideal post-workout.

Fitness

Speaking of exercise, the fitness center and spa are on par with what you’d get at a four or even five-star resort. The cardio machines face the windows, which is a welcome distraction to anyone who easily gets bored on a treadmill in the basement or in an average hotel room with no views. There are enough weights and machines to make the gym comparable to a mini Planet Fitness. If you’re new to cruising, you may question the safety of putting dumbbells above your head while at sea, but this is of no concern aboard a 141,000 gross ton ship.

Entertainment

While there’s certainly a sense that the Ascent has put a high priority on fitness (including a pickleball court) as well as food and beverage options, there is other entertainment on board. There’s a casino for the adults, a theater for all ages, pools, hot tubs, and The Magic Carpet. At 13 stores above sea level, the latter juts out over the water and is not for anyone afraid of heights. Then there are the shops, which include La Maison du Chocolat, which has its only North American locations in NYC.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas Getaway gives you 9 daylight hours in Nassau and the same in Bimini. While both are in the Bahamas, the former is the capital city with a population of over 300,000, while the latter has less than 3,000.

If you’re a history buff looking to do some shopping, you’ll be partial to the Nassau excursions. For first-time visitors, Best of Nassau hits the highlights, including the Straw Market, Fort Charlotte, John Watling’s Distillery, and the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge to Atlantis. While Best of Nassau is three hours with an air-conditioned van to take you between stops, the more compact city walking tour is only 90 minutes.

Swimming with pigs is a bucket list item for many. That one will take up more than half of the nine-hour day. But if you just want to chill without going too far from the port, the Royal Beach Club is your best bet. While Celebrity Cruises has managed to duplicate food, lodging, soaking, and many of the things that draw travelers to all-inclusive resorts, the Royal Beach Club has the white sand and turquoise waters that draw visitors from around the world to the Bahamas.

The Bimini excursions are more for the active traveler, including snorkeling, kayaking, and cycling tours. For foodies looking to explore the local dining scene, there is the Bimini Culinary, where you’ll get to try local dishes like cracked lobster and conch fritters. The latter is the national dish of the Bahamas.

Celebrity Ascent press conference

Conclusion

As previously mentioned, Ascent is part of Celebrity’s Edge class of ships. You’re going to pay a premium for the better dining options and cosmetic things like the Magic Carpet. You can certainly save money with one of the Solstice class ships. But if you’re used to the finer things and your budget allows, it’s best to stick with Celebrity’s Edge class ships, such as Ascent. You can always cut costs on dining, spa treatments, and shore excursions, while still traveling in style aboard Celebrity’s second-newest Edge class ship.