mac_tlc

From discussions with the cruisers on the past few cruises, looks like you got the rock star Head Butler. Bravo! mac_tlc P.S See, even X knows the Retreat Host is a Stateroom Attendant ......😂

We also recognized a bunch of Beyond folks. Luminae maitre’d is also from Beyond. It looks like your wife is seated in, or very close, to the table we had at Luminae! Say hi to Vivin, Paul and Ana Liza if they are your server team ! A couple of Beyond folks left yesterday, so your 90 day timeline seems accurate since they went to Ascent in October. Mac_tlc

Sounds like there are at least two. Ours was Milan, others had Edwin.

Well said and similar to our approach going forward. mac_tlc

Sounds like if we pair up Edwin with Ivan we have a winning team !! mac_tlc

Oh boy, this is going to cost me several thousand dollars as I search out a YC experience !!! Enjoy!! mac_tlc

It is very interesting, and it will be noted in my survey which I received and will probably do today. My guess is Edwin is a rock star. mac_tlc

And, finally: The Ascent: She is a beautiful lady. Similar in all respects to the Beyond. We like the decor and we even found a few seats that were comfortable! Love Cafe alBacio and the free food selections. Great place to watch the world go by -- inside or outside the ship. The theatre is spectacular. Deck 5 front row seats have a lot of legroom. We thoroughly enjoyed our week on the Ascent. It was also great to sail with people we have met on prior cruises -- and right here on CC!! @Mrs_Tiki, great to see you and DH again. Please let us know how DH does with that new Knee and I expect a comparison of Ascent to Seashore !!! @Irishredhead21, also great to see you again. Enjoyed our discussions about our future cruises. Looking forward to seeing you on Vista in 2025? Enjoy Azamara. Always interested in your opinion and comparison to X. @danceswithphones, it was great to finally meet you and have some fun discussions in the Lounge. Sorry we did not get to our EV peek. Time just got by us the last couple days. @billc23, always great to meet another original nutmegger! Our discussion on future cruises was enlightening. Gave us some things to think about, especially SilverSea. Godspeed on your travels this year, sounds like a blast. And also to @jelayne, @Janthere and @schooner_Drinker -- although our paths did not cross, thanks for your contributions to the thread. Please do not hesitate to add your thoughts. Its always good to hear other opinions of the same voyage. And so, I will now pass the Ascent baton to @hcat and @David Kane. I will be following!! My next diatribe will be in about three weeks as we sail the Ascent's older twin -- Beyond on February 19th -- to a few places we have never been to. With Captain Kate and Bug Naked in charge, it should be fun. Thanks all for following along ....... mac_tlc

OK, here it is ..... Butler/Butler Team : Stop calling it that. It bears no resemblance to the prior system and does not provide the same level of interaction or service. We met our "head butler" Milan at about 1:15 on Day 1 and never saw him again. In fact our Retreat Host (probably due to habit) introduced himself as our stateroom attendant on Day 1. Freudian slip maybe? His work was excellent. Ice always there, mini bar emptied immediately. Room spotless. When we met him in the hall we were always addressed by name. The Retreat concierges (four names on the business card) were behind their computer terminals almost all the time we were in the Lounge. We never met any of them or had any informal discussion with any of them. I did see, a few times, where some folks did but not as frequent as it was before they gave them a lot more work to do. And, unbelievably, I did remember to fill out my own breakfast hanger card every day for our daily coffee. I thought for sure I would miss one. One morning Milan made the call that it was on its way but it was delivered by 5 different people over six days. To me this whole issue is as much corporate trust as service level. The level of service is not the same -- I don't care what X says. If they ultimately back down from this, I cant wait to see how they pat themselves on the back for it. The level of service we did receive was excellent -- for what it was. It was not elevated and at all intimate. I remember all of our prior butlers (AJ, Al, Maria, Dean) not because they put a couple bottles of beer in the fridge, but because they made it a point to ask if you needed anything and got it -- without me having to take the initiative. At the end of the day, its a value proposition. Would I abandon Suites on X because of it? Probably not. But the price I will pay is adjusted accordingly and at today's forward looking prices, especially on E-class, its a no go. I will say there are a couple of S class options for early 2026 that are more in line with our perception of the value proposition. We really like the E-class and specifically Beyond/Ascent. We shall see. We only went to the Retreat Sundeck once, seats were plentiful and there were bar servers making the rounds and serving fruit skewers. Nice !!! We don't like laying in the sun or heat so we do not use it much. There were no specific Retreat lines to board the ship at any ports. But we still appreciate the cool towels and flavored waters. Next - The ship and final thoughts. mac_tlc

OK, so either me or CC is a little fickle here today, so this may take a few posts to complete...... ah, where was I ---- Oh, Oceanview Cafe... We went there once for breakfast because all the sit down spots close at 9:00 -- that will be in the survey -- again. It was crazy busy -- Lines at egg station was too long, of the four items I did take off the buffet, three were cold. While our lunch spots were a little better, we are going less and less. Age and pushing a wheelchair makes it a hassle. Service - non-Suite areas: I am splitting the Retreat out from this due to the butler changes which require some more discussion. Service everywhere else was very good to excellent. Why not always "excellent". A few times (three in Cafe alBacio and one at Craft Social) it too long to get anyone's attention. But the Staff is super-friendly and smiling all the time. No issues at any bar other than the one noted above. Entertainment: We thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment offerings. In fact, we missed a bunch because there is so much and they invariably overlap. One production show was cancelled (Awaken). For one of the shows we were seated off to the side of the stage. IOHO, not a good location. You lose all of the effect of the fabulous screens. Get there early, get a seat in the middle -- on either level. I love that they have the live orchestra for the shows. Really adds to the experience. The four lead singers were very good, especially the male and female leads. Lots of live music at varying times in varying places. We love The Club and the trivia and game shows. It is nice to have a large area dedicated to these events, unlike Royal where the trivia is shoved into a bar with inadequate seating. This is one area that we are concerned about when we venture to other lines. Next up --- The Retreat and final thoughts. mac_tlc

Well, the first load is in the dryer, the second in the washer and the NFL Pre-game is on ---- I guess we are not on a ship anymore.. Here is a timeline of this morning: Abandon Room 6:48 Up to Lumine one last time 6:51 Walk-offs called 7:25 Finish Breakfast 7:31 Numbers 1-6 called 7:32 Off ship and in luggage warehouse 7:51 Called Lyft to pick up rent a car 8:01 Pick up rent a car 8:20 Obligatory Dunkin' stop 8:25 Pull into driveway in Orlando 11:56 Here goes with a recap on some major areas that seem to get a lot of attention here on CC : Food : There were really no bad items all week. Most were very good. As far as Luminae, we have been very fortunate to be there a lot in the last 18 months. Therefore, we would like to see the menu change a bit. Not very many salads as appetizers. Thankfully the Classic menu is available. Eden is always a highlight for us, and we will do it again next month. After that, at current prices we will probably stay away for a while. Absence makes the heart.......... Oceanview Cafe is still a cattle call. We only went there 4 times. Still not enough seats.

Welcome back to Fort Lauderdale: Can see Odyssey of the Seas (blue lights) and Nieuw Statendam already in. mac_tlc

As soon as we are back at our house in Orlando , I will post a wrap-up and definitely hit on the questions you asked. Probably early afternoon today. mac_tlc

I use the “CruiseMapper” app. It lets you pick a ship and find its current location. It’s also good for checking itineraries or how many ships may be in a port on a given day. Also, couldn’t get any info on when Blue lagoon excursions may be offered again. mac_tlc

Unless you have a cruise already booked and paid for, all Viking Ocean cruises have crazy early payment dates. Depends on when you book but expect 12-18 months anyway. Of course there are exceptions… mac_tlc

But this is really what it’s all about:

I would say our cruise age demographic is the same as yours was, maybe a little lower. There are certainly some folks in their 30s/40s and I think I have counted five or six children, assuming it’s not the same child I counted six times. Majority 55-75. For research purposes, I am 63 and my wife is 64. mac_tlc

Thank you for adding this. Always nice to get various views! mac_tlc

The sea spray can really affect visibility through any glass such as the lower half of your balcony. The bridge windows are probably the most important to keep clean. So how do they clean the outside? They spray water on the outside of the windows and have windshield wipers! As an added bonus, above the bridge is the veranda of the Iconic Suite… IMG_5549.mov

I will endeavor to get some more info on the coins today. There was no one in the photo shop when we passed by. Here is a picture of the coins in the display case Not sure if the coins shown are the two sides of the same coin but one side has a picture of the brother captains, the other says Ascent Inaugural Voyage and the date.

We had the pleasure of sailing with David and I can tell you you will definitely see David and XZ. can’t miss ‘em!!! Wonderful couple to sail with. mac_tlc

I little congestion on the commute this morning, as we round the west end of Cuba. But a great picture of the moon! Thankfully the ships are not as close as the first picture might indicate!!!😂😂😂 mac_tlc

And finally, for day 7:

Couple small comments : A Sky Suite on X includes the Premium Beveage Package. You never pay for soda, coffee or any drink up to $17. Sky Suite also include Premium WiFi. One login per guest. You cannot book a Sky Suite or higher without having the beverage and wifi packages included. If you happen to be Elite Plus, you get specialty coffees for free regardless of cabin. We are on the Ascent right now and booked on Vista in November. We will see for ourselves and not completely rely on others, although it is good to read the information. mac_tlc

Not a fan :