“LIVE” from the newest Celebrity lady —- Celebrity Ascent — January 21, 2024.

[kwokpot]

Mac_tlc I'm curious to hear what you feel is the passenger age demographic on your current cruise is. On my Ascent cruise the week prior to yours my guesstimate was the majority of passengers were between 50-80. There's another thread on the Celebrity board where a younger couple wants to cruise on Celebrity in Europe in the late summer/early Fall and would like to be among more passengers in their 30's and 40's than people their parents and grandparents age. I chimed in that's not the general demographic of a Celebrity cruisers. What's the predominant age range on your current cruise? Thank you for any insight!

BTW, my husband and I are 62.

Edited January 27 by kwokpot

[hcat]

Mac_tic... wave as you leave & we board!  Great blog!

[mac_tlc]

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

Mac_tlc I'm curious to hear what you feel is the passenger age demographic on your current cruise is. On my Ascent cruise the week prior to yours my guesstimate was the majority of passengers were between 50-80. There's another thread on the Celebrity board where a younger couple wants to cruise on Celebrity in Europe in the late summer/early Fall and would like to be among more passengers in their 30's and 40's than people their parents and grandparents age. I chimed in that's not the general demographic of a Celebrity cruisers. What's the predominant age range on your current cruise? Thank you for any insight!

BTW, my husband and I are 62.

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

[mac_tlc]

 But this is really what it’s all about:

 

 

Edited January 27 by mac_tlc

[frteach]

Love those almond croissants. Thanks for sharing everything. 

[blueslily]

13 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

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

 

Looks like. How can I access this also? 

[blueslily]

9 hours ago, jelayne said:

We are in a SV on this cruise so I’ll a few comments related to the non suite experience on the Ascent.  
For those of you have had sailed on a E class where the chair was to high to fit under the desk/vanity that has been corrected and the chair fits nicely.

 

The small round stool that’s top switched to a hard surface is gone.  There is no place to sit a cup or glass except the desk or nightstand.  
 

We have ate in the MDR on 6 of the 7 nights, service has been excellent.  On night 2 we went to Normandie and had an excellent waiter, assistant waiter and sommelier.  We have returned to Normandie and they have served us every evening.  The food has been 85% excellent, 10% very good and just 1 dish that was a miss.  
 

I was very concerned by the changes to the wines under $17.  It hasn’t been a issue, we tell our amazing sommlier Windy what we are ordering and she has found some very nice wines with no upcharge, so there more options than those on the by the glass list but not in large supply.  1 we enjoyed on night 2 was gone by night 5.  
 

We have sailed exclusively in suites since the restart and booked this as an unplanned (unbudgeted)  cruise.  We downgraded our upcoming TP from a Suite to a SV as with the changes we didn’t feel the suite price was worth it.

 

We are now looking forward to our TP in a SV.  
Another comment- for those who like movies there are 21free on demand movies available.

 

Thank you so much. We will be in a SV next week.

 

Did you have any noise issues in your cabin? How was the uncovered part of the balcony?

 

We are so excited. This will be my very first aft balcony for my birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 

[mac_tlc]

1 hour ago, blueslily said:

 

Looks like. How can I access this also? 

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

Edited January 28 by mac_tlc

[blueslily]

2 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

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

 

Thank you! 

 

[chill6x6]

Enjoy reading your post! You mind if I ask a question or three?

 

How would you rate overall service? 

 

Did you have a butler/butler team?

 

If you went to the Retreat sundeck, were lounge chairs readily available?

 

Is there a Retreat line to get back on the ship at ports?

 

Thanks so much!

 

[mac_tlc]

7 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

Enjoy reading your post! You mind if I ask a question or three?

 

How would you rate overall service? 

 

Did you have a butler/butler team?

 

If you went to the Retreat sundeck, were lounge chairs readily available?

 

Is there a Retreat line to get back on the ship at ports?

 

Thanks so much!

 

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

[jelayne]

9 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

Thank you so much. We will be in a SV next week.

 

Did you have any noise issues in your cabin? How was the uncovered part of the balcony?

 

We are so excited. This will be my very first aft balcony for my birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 

We are on Deck 7.  We selected that deck because the balcony is totally covered, giving us shade most of the day. 
No noise issues, no creaking, nothing from Eden.

[mac_tlc]

Welcome back to Fort Lauderdale:

 

 

 

Can see Odyssey of the Seas (blue lights) and Nieuw Statendam already in.

 

mac_tlc

Edited January 28 by mac_tlc

[countess5]

You looked good arriving this morning! 

 

 

 

 

Safe travels to Orlando,  See you next month!

 

Cheers! 

[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. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28 by mac_tlc

[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

[bandp407]

11 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

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. 

 

 

 

 

Just had a chuckle with  about your arrival home !  Thank you for your review & even though we won’t be in the Retreat , look forward to your recap. By any chance in your conversations did you hear if there were any issues getting lounge chairs above the pool deck outside the entrance to the Retreat? 

[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

[jelayne]

41 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

 

Oceanview Cafe is still a cattle call. We only went there 4 times. Still not enough seats. 

 

 

 

 

We agree with your assessment  that the level of service in Sky Suites is not the same and it has spilled over into the Lounge.  The days of the Concierge’s walking around the Lounge or the Retreat Sun Deck are gone.  They  are behind their desk with a pretty constant stream of questions or issues to address, just like Guest Services.
 

We, fortunately, are on a later waking, dining schedule than most.   Coffee at 9ish and breakfast 10-10:15 and never had more than 2 people in front of me for a omelette, toast, etc.  Lunch is around about 2 so again no crowds and plenty of seating.  

[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

Edited January 28 by mac_tlc

[txtechmk]

Loved the review.  Thanks for taking the time!  We will be on the Ascent in May.

[asnaleah]

Thank you! 

[billc23]

It was a pleasure to meet you and tlc in Luminae, thank you so much for taking your time to write a live review of the sailing! I agree that Ascent is a great ship. We enjoyed the layout more than the Edge - in particular the way the martini bar is set up and some more comfortable chairs scattered around the ship. I liked the new layout of the Retreat lounge and sundeck compared to the Edge, but the total number of guests in the Retreat takes away from the experience that I have enjoyed on M and S class ships. I found this to be true on the Edge well before the removal of the butlers from Sky Suites. 

 

Glad you made in to your Florida home instead of going back to a (small) snowstorm in CT!

Thanks again, Bill

[dock]

Thank you for taking the time to post. Two weeks and counting for us!

Will watch for your Beyond posts. 

[attitudeda]

On 1/24/2024 at 7:40 AM, mac_tlc said:

Pulling in next to our older sister.

 

 

We were on the Apex