ASCENT..1/28/ 24 not quite live!

[hcat]

46 minutes ago, highway180 said:

We usually sail Aq and love Blu.  How was the food there????

unfortunately AQ was sold out when we booked so we were in Concierge. 

food was outstanding..breakfast and dinner..We were not there every am or evening but it was ALL excellent and served at proper temps etc loved the soups.. Good lobster and beef..all you wanted!

Edited February 6 by hcat

[hcat]

that was the view..bur not sears for BLU..as per BLU staff!

[keesar]

1 hour ago, highway180 said:

We were also there on the first night. I must say service was really good. It was the steak that was sub par and poorly cooked 

 

Sounds just like our experience.  We took the recommendation of our waiter.  Wish we had stuck to our original selection as ours were disappointing.  

[calicakes]

@Hcat,  Happy Birthday.  I hope we experience the same level of service in a few weeks on Edge.  We were in AQ, but we did a move up offer and now we'll be in Luminae.

[Mimiya11]

12 hours ago, hcat said:

We all read that..but were told it was untrue..No connection with BLU and one cannot take BLU food out there..not even sure there is a door?,?

 

Anyone can sit out there..maybe with take out from EDEN Cafe.  It was nicer view than on EDGE but still  industrial feel!

Well that is a bit disappointing.  And based on a photo someone else posted, that area is not very enticing.  No biggie, Blu is a beautiful dining room.    

[Mimiya11]

11 hours ago, hcat said:

that was the view..bur not sears for BLU..as per BLU staff!

Well completely different set up and ambiance then what I think I saw on either You Tube or some other Celebrity photos of Blu outdoor seating.  Oh well.   

[hcat]

10 hours ago, calicakes said:

@Hcat,  Happy Birthday.  I hope we experience the same level of service in a few weeks on Edge.  We were in AQ, but we did a move up offer and now we'll be in Luminae.

Hello..

Thanks..it was a nice birthday cruise.! Glad u are moving up..You can still go back to BLU....space was often available. 

 

Are you bringing the portable washer?  We just sent out  1  comped load of undies/socks for packing purposes. of course we re-washed all at home!

 

Happy Sailing!

[hcat]

A few more dining/ drink pics:

 

Cafe Baccio.

.ginger pear tea (served cold icer ice) ..very refreshing... and sweet treats! 

 

 Good service there..but busy.

One smart addition was a "to go"  coffee cart which took alot of pressure off the Counter staff.

 

   We always use table service.. It's great place to relax and chat, and  a few officers like to go there for a quick cuppa!.. We did not see any table hogs! 

[hcat]

first photo....cookies at Baccio

 

Le Grand Bistro..

We did not get a chance for a big meal there.  We were going to a big dinner that night  & prices have  def gone up......so we did a take out lunch served to us  at  the small tables by front entrance..

 

. I had tuna salad..Sal had cold cuts, both on great baguette bread...I also ordered a nicely baked  Apple Tart.. we got drinks next door from  Craft Social .. perfect! Bonus :  Excellent ocean views!

 

  A great treat for under  $  20.. with a  live singer playing down in the Grand Plaza..  Nice alt for a lite lunch away from the sub par, crowded Buffet!

Edited February 6 by hcat

[mitchtech]

We thought Fine Cut was really good.  We too go to steak houses on land and found Fine Cut comparable  to Mortons, Old Homestead etc.  We followed our servers recommendations  and my husband had the tomahawk which you can get smaller without the upcharge , and I had the lobster tail. The appetizers, plentiful sides and desserts were also delicious.  And the service impeccable.  I would totally recommend this restaurant. 

[calicakes]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Hello..

Thanks..it was a nice birthday cruise.! Glad u are moving up..You can still go back to BLU....space was often available. 

 

Are you bringing the portable washer?  We just sent out  1  comped load of undies/socks for packing purposes. of course we re-washed all at home!

 

Happy Sailing!

Lol. no laundry not schlepping that to Australia. I'll be washing in the bathtub, Or the dry bag we bring.

[highway180]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

 

 A great treat for under  $  20.. with a  live singer playing down in the Grand Plaza..  Nice alt for a lite lunch away from the sub par, crowded Buffet!

 

 

 

Interesting, We found the buffet to have a decent amount of choices, and the food quality was decent as well. Unfortunately on a ship this size, it was seriously over crowded in my opinion , drink service was dismal. We opted for Raw on 5 for most lunches, as I enjoyed the raw oysters!!

[hcat]

4 hours ago, calicakes said:

Lol. no laundry not schlepping that to Australia. I'll be washing in the bathtub, Or the dry bag we bring.

hand washing in the sink  and drip dry in shower is an option..When you hit Elite  you may get a discount??  E plus we each get free up to 30 items..but we only send out socks, white tees and undies.. Return was a bit slow!

Looking forward to your next review!

[hcat]

4 hours ago, highway180 said:

Interesting, We found the buffet to have a decent amount of choices, and the food quality was decent as well. Unfortunately on a ship this size, it was seriously over crowded in my opinion , drink service was dismal. We opted for Raw on 5 for most lunches, as I enjoyed the raw oysters!!

we managed a few breakfasts and first day lunch.. they had variety but lots of rice, noodles  carbs .and spicy food.

 

The 1st day beef carving was very chewey & tough!  The made to.order Omlettes  and poached eggs were good, and  also the waffles if they were not sitting out in a pan.  The bagel guy  had an attitude as did some others!   Like the Seinfeld Soup Meanie!   The gluten free desserts were available close to where we sat and tasted great!

 

I do  not in general care for the disorganized layout..To get fruit and veggies  I had to forage.   There was no tableside coffee service...... Lavazza is not our favorite anyhow! .But we managed.   

 

Much prefer breakfast in BLU..but on excursion days buffet has the early hrs.

 

  Never made it to the Seafood Buffet so cannot comment.

 

We rated it "POOR"

 

We preferred lunch at Raw on 5. which was excellent, (15 % off for E +),   something from Solarium (severly limited hours..),  sandwiches at the  Bistro,  and eating in port.   We tried Cosmopolitan for lunch one day..good service & food.. table for 2!

 

The hamburger place was always packed... and was just not very appealing. 

 

But  we certainly did not go hungry..Just wish the Buffet  better suited us...

 

 

Edited February 6 by hcat

[alishac]

I noticed in another thread you mentioned that you did the Art and Architecture tour. Did you like it? Was it worth the money? We are considering it on our cruise on the Ascent next week. It shows up on days 6 and 7 on the itinerary, but will only allow us to book day 7. DId they offer it multiple days on your cruise?

[hcat]

random dining pics.:

 

breakfast at BLU..frittata..excellent!

 

Dinner at EDEN:  Our first time there. Amazing aft view,  outstanding menu, service and food..  Sal had crab cake  app.. mostly crab, no fillers! My salad was a work of culinary magic! We both had  the beef  (can't recall which) with the short rib.  They brought out a tiered sweets tray..

 

Def will book EDEN  on our next E class cruise!

 

 

[hcat]

19 minutes ago, alishac said:

I noticed in another thread you mentioned that you did the Art and Architecture tour. Did you like it? Was it worth the money? We are considering it on our cruise on the Ascent next week. It shows up on days 6 and 7 on the itinerary, but will only allow us to book day 7. DId they offer it multiple days on your cruise?

 

Absolutely loved it. I have done it on EDGE and BEYOND  and now ASCENT!

 

It is usually given on the last day..sometimes one or 2 times offered. Our booked  time was changed   so we missed the Sr Ofcr's party but well worth it! 

 

I will post about that next ( after dinner here in Fla)  and then go back to the  dining.

 

  If you are considering it, I'd secure a spot now!  It does not march you thru the hallway artwork.. did that on my  own.

 

to be continued!!!

Edited February 6 by hcat

[hcat]

Lost connectivity last night..oops!

 

Art and Architecture Tour..(on board)

This was one of the best tours we took on our cruise . 

 

It was led by  a  Guest Relations staff member  (with 2 assts) who is very well informed about the items we viewed and art in general,  as well as the plants on board (which was a new addition to the tour) Very sorry that,  I forgot his name but he was truly an amazing guide with first hand knowledge of many of the works.

 

Our group was about 25 or so. We were given ear loop style  headphones with indiv volume control.  They did not give out the "Ascent Artbook" but we had one in our AQ Class  cabin along with a portfolio of art cards. Hope you have one in your room.! 

 

  The  Artbook by Pete Millard and Partners Ltd  reproduces  the items in the ship's curated exhibit..giving the  title, author, country, date and  type of medium. Similar format to the books for EDGE and BEYOND.

 

The tour covered many of the paintings, scuptuure and architectural details ..very detailed but moved quickly to maximize our time. Elev was used to go up levels ..just once.

 

 I will   post a few photos..to give a flavor of the tour..but hopefully not ruin any surprises! Guests walk by many of these pieces but on the tour you actually  learn about them! Well worth the time and money spent.

 

Edited February 7 by hcat

[hcat]

Grand Plaza.. ..learned so much about the lights, engineering, etc!

 

"Creepy hallway" (my name for it).... maybe not what you think its creators had in mind

 

"Cascade".. between dining levels

 

Mosaic.....entrance into Tuscan..The restaurant itsef is a gallery of art.  Can you find the famous words that wrap around?

 

Edited February 7 by hcat

[hcat]

Pool deck.."Ginormous Octopus":  Amazing!  

 

Pool deck..outside of buffet: "Space Around"  looks simple but  complex!

 

Solarium...The Triathelete ( American)

Tells a story..

 

Magic Carpet:  a work of art and engineering excellence

 

pool deck.. light.. pics

ways forget its name. ( I have a necklace depIcting it from EDGE..)

 

Pottery mural on way to EDEN..can you find the frogs?

 

Bear and Ballerina..near rooftop garden...(On EDGE the horse the Orig Edgies  named Mr Edge was in this spot!)

 

 As mentioned, we learned about many of the plants , how they were selected and how they thrive on a ship! ( photo next post!)

 

HOPE ANYONE TAKING THIS TOUR  ENJOYS !

Edited February 7 by hcat

[hcat]

Rooftop plants..

Edited February 7 by hcat

[hcat]

 

Photo of our amazing guide..well done!

[hcat]

Errata.  sorry for typos and for the EDEN mural..find the turtles not the frogs!

 

 

 

Edited February 7 by hcat

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

Lost connectivity last night..oops!

 

Art and Architecture Tour..(on board)

This was one of the best tours we took on our cruise . 

 

It was led by  a  Guest Relations staff member  (with 2 assts) who is very well informed about the items we viewed and art in general,  as well as the plants on board (which was a new addition to the tour) Very sorry that,  I forgot his name but he was truly an amazing guide with first hand knowledge of many of the works.

 

Our group was about 25 or so. We were given ear loop style  headphones with indiv volume control.  They did not give out the "Ascent Artbook" but we had one in our AQ Class  cabin along with a portfolio of art cards. Hope you have one in your room.! 

 

  The  Artbook by Pete Millard and Partners Ltd  reproduces  the items in the ship's curated exhibit..giving the  title, author, country, date and  type of medium. Similar format to the books for EDGE and BEYOND.

 

The tour covered many of the paintings, scuptuure and architectural details ..very detailed but moved quickly to maximize our time. Elev was used to go up levels ..just once.

 

 I will   post a few photos..to give a flavor of the tour..but hopefully not ruin any surprises! Guests walk by many of these pieces but on the tour you actually  learn about them! Well worth the time and money spent.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed it.    We were going to book it once and one of the Retreat Host's we have known for years said don't bother.  

 

We looked at he a bit shocked.

 

She said I use to do the tour and will give you a private tour.   Off we went and what a treat.   At the end she presented us with the Photo Book which had been signed by the Retreat Manager and the whole team.   What a memory. 

 

Later we tried to find all the art work in the photo book. 

[hcat]

. All the nuances given in the tour..group or pvt are missed by most on board.  On Beyond, I had a  short botanical tour after showing an interest in all the amazing plants!  Now covered in the  regular tour.

 

Btw...On Cunard QM 2, we did a self guided tour with a tape they lent out!