Our Cruise Vacation

The Baby Boomer and La Bear have just returned from a 9-day cruise on the Celebrity Ascent which is the newest ship in their Edge Series. The Ascent is a “bigun” being 1073′ long, weighing in at 141,420 tons, a crew of 1400, and serving 3260 guests from 32 distinctive restaurants, bars, and lounges.

We flew from Richmond to Miami early on the morning of the embarkation being transferred to Fort Lauderdale where we boarded the docked ship. Our stateroom was a revolutionary Infinite Veranda which took you to the water’s edge with a cabin wide window which could be lowered halfway down. The bathroom was large compared to our past experiences and the shower easily accommodated the Baby Boomer’s large frame which maintained a hot steady stream of water throughout. La Bear thought she was in heaven due to the size and comfort of the king size bed. The stateroom maintained the required cool temperature day and night and there was even a cabin wide shade that completely darkened the stateroom when lowered.

We were very impressed with how every inch of the stateroom was utilized providing more than enough space for all of your belongings. Our empty luggage stored nicely under the bed. I would’ve liked to see our stateroom be two feet wider and for the furniture to be higher as we thought it sat a little too low. Other than that, it was very well appointed, inviting, comfortable, and keep immaculate by our non-intrusive stateroom attendant.

Committing to go on this cruise was somewhat challenging as our last Celebrity cruise post-pandemic from NJ to Bermuda was horrible at best. We went aboard the Summit which is smaller than Ascent and is part of Celebrity’s Solstice Series. I won’t go into all the “gory” details of that terrible cruise other than to vow we’d never board another ship associated with Celebrity.

We’re really not fans of the islands in the Carribean for all the obvious reasons, but La Bear does love Bermuda. I will admit it’s a beautiful clean island where we have always felt very safe. The blue water is so clear and the sandy shores boast a delicate pale pink hue almost coral in color. La Bear, if she were to have her “druthers”, would live there year-round, but Bermuda is very expensive and for only “zillionaires” of which we are not!!

So, because two of La Bear’s sisters were going on this cruise aboard Celebrity Ascent, although I first balked, I did finally relent, booking the cruise as you should always do what you can do be with family.

Truly everything on Ascent revolves midship around the Grand Plaza which without a doubt is the epicenter of the social scene and Decks 3,4, and 5. Deck 3 is where the Martini Bar is located as you’re totally entertained by the gravity-defying flair of the bartenders. Deck 4 is where Cafe Al Bacio, the Craft Social Bar, and Le Grand Bistro, where we enjoyed a delectable a la carte lunch, are located. It’s from this deck that you’re able to capture the true essence of the Grand Plaza. Deck 5 has the Fine Cut Steakhouse, Raw on 5, and the World Class Bar all specialty dining options. Of course, there are many other distinct food and beverage options to experience all around Celebrity Ascent.

Decks 14 and 15 are dedicated to outdoor activities and that’s where they’re two large pools, a number of hot tubs, the Mast Grill for burgers and dogs, and a number of other watering holes for lounging.

The food on Ascent was excellent, for those of you who know me, also know I do enjoy good food! The only negative experience, which I won’t dwell on, was at the Fine Cut Steakhouse, a specialty dining venue not included in your cruise package.

There are four complimentary main dining restaurants along with the more casual cafeteria-style Ocean View Cafe on Deck 14. On Deck 3 you’ll find both Cosmopolitan and Cyprus restaurants while on Deck 4 you’ll find both Tuscan and Normandie restaurants. Cosmopolitan is the type of main dining experience which mirrors that of traditional cruise menus. Cyprus focuses on seafood and dishes of Greek origin celebrating the Mediterranean region. Tuscan concentrates on Italian inspired cuisine while Normandie features contemporary French options in a modern and refined setting.

I enjoyed one nice breakfast at the Cosmopolitan while the other mornings were spent at Cafe Al Bacio enjoying a couple of hot Americano coffees along with an assortment of extremely tasty pastries. La Bear joined me a bit later each morning as she was in her “hibernation” mode and is not a coffee drinker. Our waitress after Day 1, remembered our names and our likings without us having to be asked. People watching was a favorite activity and believe the Baby Boomer when he tells you there were plenty of sights to see!

Cafe Al Bacio is also where we spent our late afternoons and evenings enjoying some adult beverages, the Grand Plaza, the show at the Martini Bar, and more people watching. Once again, our waitress, who owned a most contagious smile and was so sweet, knew us by name and knew exactly what we wanted and when we wanted it without ever muttering a word–unbelievable service! Additionally, the Baby Boomer does enjoy his drinks liking them in a tall glass with lots of ice and booze–he was not disappointed as not one of his drinks tasted water-downed!

Lunch was enjoyed daily at the Ocean View Cafe where there was a wide range of fresh food choices of which each was cooked to perfection and extremely enjoyable. There they’ve created a number of separate stations each with their own theme. I was truly impressed with how efficient and so smoothly run this huge operation was as I witnessed the very large number of guests needing to have their hunger quenched. I’m still amazed at how much food was consumed–somewhat unbelievable as I’m now one who prefers quality over quantity.

All of our dinners were excellent without exception which utterly surprised me. Each appetizer, soup, salad, entree, or dessert we ate was very good and exceeded our expectations. However, the most gratifying experience was the exceptional professional service we received from each of our waiters and other waitstaff. Not only did they remember us, but knew us by name. Our service expectations were far exceeded as each was extremely accommodating and personable.

We stayed onboard throughout the cruise so we could explore the entire ship while it was far less crowded since we’d already visited the islands on the itinerary. I will attest to the fact that cruising is an all-inclusive way to enjoy your vacation and is very relaxing, at least, at first. However, if you’re fortunate enough to have been on a number of cruises over the years, you’ll find that they become very repetitious meaning this was probably our last cruise yet one of our best cruise experiences.

Another extremely satisfying experience was the smooth disembarkation which, in the past, has had its opportunities. We waited in our assigned spots until we were allowed to leave the ship, easily retrieving our luggage, quickly going through customs, and on to our bus to be taken back to the airport in Miami for our flight home to Richmond.

So, in conclusion, we enjoyed a very nice cruise experience. Celebrity Ascent was a beautiful ship and a very efficient layout, our accommodations were very comfortable, the food was so much better than expected, and the service was exceptional–that’s it in a “nutshell”!!

OBTW, with this being the 24th of November, a date where I reflect and reminisce about my mom who celebrated her birthday on this date and lived a full life until 2019, the Baby Boomer wants to take a moment to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is and always has been my favorite holiday. You can refer to my post on November 23rd of last year entitled “Happy Thanksgiving” to find out why if you’ve forgotten.