Flatsman

We were in 8101 on the Ascent this January. Forward facing and had no noise. We also booked 8101 on the Apex for our 2025 TA. We like the ability to look forward and watch where we are headed. Extra room is nice. The only noise and vibration was from the thrusters when maneuvering. No banging or popping noises and the curtain shuts out the night lights.

Lots of good advice on this thread. We personally love Barcelona and have been there many many times since the 70's . Stay in Barcelona, there is lots to do and see. As stated earlier - get a Rick Steve's guide and down load the self guided walking tours. Excellent recommendations on resturants. He updates his guides every year. A personal favorite is a service by Barcelona Slow Travel. The tapas and seafood are abundant. Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Picasso Museum, Las Ramblas , walking the Gothic Quarter are just the beginning. We always find something new every time we are there. We have booked our TA for 2025 ending in Barcelona. Oh yes, talk to the locals, especially in the hotel you are staying; they will give you lots of advice on places to eat and visit.

On our cruise on the Ascent this past January, our experience in Fine Cut was excellent. Service and food were excellent. Prime rib and lamb chops cooked to perfection and very tasty. All the sides were excellent.

Eden Cafe serves a good breakfast and lunch. I was disappointed in the Reuben as they used gerkins instead of sauerkraut. Carve of the day is consistently good and salad fare is good as were the many add-ons and dressing selection. The chicken salad with pesto paninni is consistent and tasty. The mushroom soup was a tad bid salty the one day it was featured. Finding a seat in the table area can be tough but we managed to find some folks leaving while we waiting. We were a party of 4. If you are a party of 2 and willing to meet new people and share a table, it was easier. Other choice is to move more in the open seating in the other areas of Eden, which is nice because it is quite and sometimes you can meet some of the entertainers; has happened more then once for us. Was a real treat talking to them.

We just came off this same cruise. Excellent in all aspects and have to agree with kwokpot, Jesse could use a little humility. We enjoyed his show on the Beyond during our transatlantic this past May. Here Comes the Sun was excellent and significantly better than any Beatles tribute band that we have seen. Fine Cut Steakhouse was excellent. We ate there the first night and the service and food was perfect; prime rib and lamb chops cooked to perfection and tender. All the sides were perfect. We had no issues or wait times in the main dining rooms and rotated through all of them. Walked up and seated right away. Food and service were excellent. Eden's chocolate chip cookie and banana bread were excellent. Thanks kwokpot for the review and pictures

I graduated from the U; The University. Great thread

Happy Anniversary to you. Thank you for posting your experiences on the Ascent. We board on January 14th, so following your thread. Enjoy every moment of every day.

You have got to see Jared and the Vagabonds. Great high energy show from a great group of guys. Met them on our TA on the Beyond this past May.

On Edge class, in main dining rooms, don't forget the duck breast, lamb t-bones without the sauces. Let your waiter know 24 hours in advance and they will arrange to fit your needs.

What TMLAalum said. Cinque Terre is beautiful, but the cruise ships bring the tours there and it gets crowded on the trails. If you do Porto Venere, it's fun to explore and the higher you go , the better the views. The real town is on on Via Capellini. Must see sights include Church of San Pietro, the other big church - San Lorenzo, and Castello Doria, where a hike up the terrace will reward you with a panoramic view. To eat, try Portivene (Un Mare de Spori); Local dishes with a modern flair. They are closed on Mondays. Crusing is a "gateway" to find something in which you are interested. Lots of good advice on this thread. If you do stay before and after your cruise, read a lot of guide books, consider hiring a local guide and buy your tickets in advance to the museums and sights, which are of interest to you.

Just came off this same cruise. Ship is beautiful. Take some time to explore the art work on each deck. The passageways have real interesting photos on each deck. We enjoyed the Eden cafe, open during sea days, for breakfast and lunch. Get the chocolate chip cookies at lunch as soon as they set them out. They go fast. Did they close the stirfry for dinner in the OV?

Have used ParkNGo and Park By The Ports. Both provided great service. Park By the Ports is a little longer ride to the ship, but easy in and out