LIVE: Salt Lifer hitting the high seas! Ascent, April 7-14, 2024

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Oh my. The nope rope would have been it for me. No thank you!

[Salt Lifer]

I am falling behind.  Maybe I can at least get caught up on the food from yesterday, before moving on to entertainment ...

 

Yesterday was my first visit to the buffet for lunch.  I intended to get a salad and pizza, but it was the British themed day, so I couldn't pass up also getting a little lamb, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and a custard tart.  

 

 

Our afternoon canapes were not really that impressive.  But I strangely like playing the game of 'what will we have today'?

 

Dinner was quite good tonight.  I had my usual soup, the spinach turnover (another favorite of mine) and the tilapia and pasta dish for my main at the suggestion of my server (nothing on the menu was jumping out at me so I asked her to give a suggestion).  I was skeptical about the tilapia since it is a cheap fish, but it was actually one of the best tasting dishes I have had onboard, yet!  My server actually brought me a larger portion of both the tilapia and the accompanying pasta because she was sure I would like it, and I did!  For dessert I had the sachet torte.

 

 

 

 

With all that food at dinner it is a good thing my step count from yesterday was decent!  I know I am losing the calories in/calories out battle, but I am at least slowing down the gain ....

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11 by Salt Lifer

[Salt Lifer]

Okay, now on to entertainment options from yesterday. This is where Celebrity really fumbled the ball. Badly.   

 

After we got back from the excursion and had lunch I decided to hit the pool for some laps and then an aqua exercise class at 2:30.  That was a lot of fun! 

 

Following that was supposed to be ladder ball on the resort deck at 3:30.  Well, 3:30 came and went and no ladder ball was to be found!  I decided hit the walking bath and walk over to the rooftop garden, just in case it was there (remember the day before they had a dance class scheduled at the rooftop garden but they actually held it at the pool deck).  Nothing.  So I continued on the walking track back towards the pool to make sure I didn't miss it somehow, but it was not happening.  Since at this point I had walked a full lap I decided to do 4 more and make it a mile.

 

So I went back to the cabin to change and meet my husband to head to Eden for a game of tower toss (which sounds like some version of corn hole) at 4:30.  We got there and no tower toss was to be found!  I asked one of the activities guys who was finishing up a trivia game and he checked his schedule and it appeared that, while the activity was on the daily schedule, it was not on the employee schedule. I suspect the same was the case for ladder ball.

 

Celebrity really needs to do better keeping the app accurate.  When 2/3rds of the activities I want to do in the afternoon are bogus, it effects the guest experience!

 

Now it was time for the evening show. This is where things went from bad to worse.

 

First of all, I am not going to go into a lot of details about what the show was who who the performer was.  I don't want the poor guy to Google himself and read this.  What I am about to say is not his fault. 

 

Basically, the show was not well received on the ship.  By the end, probably half the audience had left.  I question if the show was appropriate in scope as an evening theatre show, but especially not on Celebrity sailing where the average age of cruisers is too old to understand or appreciate the type of show he had.   It probably would go over better on a Royal Caribbean sailing with a lot of teenagers on board.  

 

Frankly, I was really disappointed in my fellow cruisers for their rudeness to the performer.  People goy up in large groups and just walked out all during the show, not even trying to be discreet in doing so. This guy was sharing his talent and, while it isn't most of our cups of teas, he still deserves some basic kindness and respect. 

 

The blame for this huge fail falls entirely on whoever booked this act.  That person doesn't deserve to have a job for so badly misjudging the audience.  Frankly, 3000 people got cheated out of a night's entertainment.  

 

The only thing that saved the day was the 10:45 late-night comedy show by Steve Caouette.  He is the absolute best! He will be joining Captain Tasos for another late-night show in the theatre tonight and I can't wait!

 

 

[hcat]

What type of show was it that was not fit for mature cruisers,  silly, raunchy, refences to Online gaming apps, insulting teachers/  parents, drug culture,? (hope you or someon e will look  up the name or give us a clue!)

 

Rocks  photos were great.. We have never gone b/c we never felt we were agile enough to climb on, over and through slippery rocks.  We love Tortola..so many choices but will pass on slippery rocks!

 

Never tried grilled Octopus but have had it in soup..yum!

[Salt Lifer]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

What type of show was it that was not fit for mature cruisers,  silly, raunchy, refences to Online gaming apps, insulting teachers/  parents, drug culture,? (hope you or someon e will look  up the name or give us a clue!)

 

Rocks  photos were great.. We have never gone b/c we never felt we were agile enough to climb on, over and through slippery rocks.  We love Tortola..so many choices but will pass on slippery rocks!

 

Never tried grilled Octopus but have had it in soup..yum!

Okay, basically this was a show that took popular internet memes and put them to music.  Nothing raunchy about it but the humor went over most of the audiences' heads.  The performer wasn't bad and there was some funny parts, but all in all the show was just a terrible fit.  And even if it had been a good fit for the audience, it really wasn't evening theatre main show entertainment.  

[hcat]

9 minutes ago, Salt Lifer said:

Okay, basically this was a show that took popular internet memes and put them to music.  Nothing raunchy about it but the humor went over most of the audiences' heads.  The performer wasn't bad and there was some funny parts, but all in all the show was just a terrible fit.  And even if it had been a good fit for the audience, it really wasn't evening theatre main show entertainment.  

got it.. so bring your kiddos along to explain..maybe better  suites on a jr college campus....

[DonnaK]

On 4/7/2024 at 10:26 PM, Salt Lifer said:

Tonight's dinner was good!

I had the Tuscan shrimp soup (a favorite of mine from the Beyond last year), and escargot for my starters; the trout for my main course; and the panna cotta for desert.

 

Sorry, my soup was half eaten before I remembered to take a picture!  I was just so excited to get to eat it again.  😉

 

The escargot were a really nice size.  Much better in size and taste than those I ate on Beyond last year.  

 

The trout was good.  The grapes on top seemed like an odd pairing, but the flavor contrasted perfectly with the fish and other items in the dish.  I may seriously have to start slicing grapes and putting them on all my dishes at home.

 

The panna cotta was a nice light and refreshing ending to the meal. 

 

Our server in Tuscan was very personable, so we ended up making reservations for the rest of the week so we could sit in her section.

 

 

Bhanwar was our server on Ascent in February, and I agree she's the best!!!  🙂  Very knowledgeable about the menu items, especially those in the other MDRs that are available to order in the Tuscan one.

[DonnaK]

On 4/7/2024 at 2:11 PM, cruisinsusin said:

Hope @Salt Lifer doesn’t mind if I jump in - we have stayed at the Hyatt Centric before several cruises out of Ft Lauderdale and have really

liked it. Not very far from the port or airport

We recommend The Riverside in Las Olas.  Their Boathouse restaurant is excellent, and we also recommend Louie Bossi's restaurant.

[miched]

On 4/9/2024 at 4:07 AM, jam19872016 said:

The duck is another Celebrity favorite. I tried duck so many times on various cruise lines, including "

Cunard, and found it to range from didn't care for to just OK. 

 

I'd pretty much just concluded I didn't like duck but tried it again anyway and was blown away by how good this dish was! 

I found the duck on Celebrity to be rather chewy.  😱

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Salt Lifer]

Falling farther and farther behind!  I have a new respect for the "pros" who do frequent LIVE reports!

 

Yesterday we stopped in St. Kitts.  This was yesterday's step count.  Spending the morning on a non-physical excursion cut into my total steps.  I know my calories yesterday far exceeded my burn.

 

Breakfast was from the buffet:

 

Lunch was on our excursion. More on that in a bit. And then I had the delivered canapes when I got back, plus one of my stashed chocolate tarts. 😉

 

Dinner was where I really went overboard with eating.  I had my usual Tuscan shrimp soup for an appetizer. Delicious as always.  I also had the Caesar salad and, once again, found the lettuce to not be as crisp as I would like.

 

 

Now my mains is where I may have gone a little overboard.  I couldn't decide between the Marmite Dieppoise from Normandy or the Spaghetti a la Mallorquin from Cosmopolitan - so I ordered both!  (Both were very, very good, by the way!)

 

 

Then for dessert I got one of my Celebrity favorites - Olive Oil Cremeux.  That was worth the extra calories!

 

 

[spiff2]

I will be on Ascent in November and if I haven't gotten anything else out of this report, I have got to try some of that soup.

[Salt Lifer]

2 minutes ago, spiff2 said:

I will be on Ascent in November and if I haven't gotten anything else out of this report, I have got to try some of that soup.

Hahahaha.  Oh gosh, now I am afraid I have set the bar too high! But I do love it!

[Salt Lifer]

Yesterday's St. Kitts excursion was "Small Group: St. Kitts Culinary Experience and Rum Tasting.". I highly recommend this tour if you enjoy food.  It takes place at Fairview Great House and Gardens and you get to watch as a private chef prepares your meal and talks about the dishes they are making.  These are traditional Kittian dishes.  At the end you get to sample a shot of four different flavors of rum. I would gladly do this tour again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Kitts is our favorite island of any we have ever visited.  It is very special to us, so it is always nice to be on a cruise that stops here.  If I were to move to the Caribbean, this would be the place.

 

 

[Galaxy2004]

@Salt LiferWe did this same excursion last year and really enjoyed it.

[lunedemiel17]

Thank you for that wonderful report.  I just finish packing for our TA on the Ascent this coming sunday.  I put WW diet on hold, but because of you report I gained 5pounds..    For sure i will try the shrimp soup. 

 

I did my best english is not my first language, i,m a french canadian.

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip. 😜

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KellyCz]

On 4/10/2024 at 12:13 PM, Salt Lifer said:

More to come about our excursion to the Virgin Gorda Baths, but wanted to give a quick update on a very important topic... Chocolate tarts are back at Al Bacio today!  I stocked up on several extra and stashed them in my fridge to help with my 'fix' in case we don't see them again after this.

 

You're really making a case for these chocolate tartlets! I hope to see them on Ascent in December.

[Salt Lifer]

Last night was full of good entertainment.  First up was the 2nd production show, Dreams.  The lighting effects were amazing in this show and the performers are top notch.  I personally preferred this show over Bridges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The late night show was "The Liar's Club" featuring Steve Caouette, Captain Tasos, and Alejandro.  Let me tell you, each of these men on their own are about the funniest people I have ever met but when you combine them together they are hilarious.  The banter between Tasos and Alejandro is especially exceptional.  This is a can't miss event for anyone on upcoming sailings.

 

 

 

[TheHawk1]

3 hours ago, spiff2 said:

I will be on Ascent in November and if I haven't gotten anything else out of this report, I have got to try some of that soup.

With apologies to the OP, no matter how good it is, I can't imagine having the same thing every night.

[Salt Lifer]

1 hour ago, TheHawk1 said:

With apologies to the OP, no matter how good it is, I can't imagine having the same thing every night.

I fully get it.  I just like the soup and figure it'll be a year or more u til I can get it again so I might as well enjoy it.  Plus, the serving is rather small so it doesn't keep me from eating other appetizers, too.

 

My husband gets the French onion soup every night, too.  We are creatures of habit. 😉

[Salt Lifer]

3 hours ago, lunedemiel17 said:

Thank you for that wonderful report.  I just finish packing for our TA on the Ascent this coming sunday.  I put WW diet on hold, but because of you report I gained 5pounds..    For sure i will try the shrimp soup. 

 

I did my best english is not my first language, i,m a french canadian.

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip. 😜

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are going to have the best time and I am jealous!  Alejandro and Captain Tasos are great.  Be sure to post and let us know how your trip goes!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Captain Tasos & Alejandro together would definitely be a hoot.

 

[Salt Lifer]

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Captain Tasos & Alejandro together would definitely be a hoot.

 

They are a riot!  They are continuously heckling each other!  It is obvious they both love their jobs and get along with each other well.  

[Salt Lifer]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:55 PM, DonnaK said:

Bhanwar was our server on Ascent in February, and I agree she's the best!!!  🙂  Very knowledgeable about the menu items, especially those in the other MDRs that are available to order in the Tuscan one.

I told Bhanwar about this "live" tonight and that you had also commented on how great she was. She was really touched!  

 

[Salt Lifer]

Today was a sea day. I love sea days but they also exhaust me because there is so much to do!

 

Started the day off with a quick breakfast at the buffet:

 

Then it was time to head to the theatre for a presentation by Captain Tasos. He talked about building and launching the Ascent, as well as co-captaining with his brother.  He is so funny, but also comes across as really sincere and a great guy.  And of course he and Alejandro bantering back and forth is hilarious!

 

After Captain Tasos' presentation I headed up to the pool area for a line dance class.  This about did me in - I blame the fact that it was in the heat of the day and not that I am just out of shape. 😉

 

After the line dancing class I retreated back into the AC to do a sketch class with artist Paris.  I have sailed with him before and his classes are always fun!

 

Finally, it was time for lunch... Italian theme in the buffet. Of course I ate too much.  I thought the beef lasagna was especially tasty!

 

Since I ate too much I decided to walk a mile on the outdoor track.  Then treated myself to a Mudslide as a reward/dessert.  

 

And good news (for me)... Al Bacio has chocolate tarts again today, so I grabbed one!  

 

Canapes were in the room but I was really too full today to enjoy them.

 

Next I took in a bit of Rebel's 3pm show in the Grand Plaza.  They are just awesome!  

 

The next event on my agenda was a talk by Alejandro in The Club all about how he became a cruise director and some funny stories about his time in the job.  Very entertaining!

 

When this was over, I headed back out to the outdoor track and walked another mile and a half before it was time to get ready for the evenings shows and dinner. 

 

[Salt Lifer]

Tonight's main theatre show was Jessie Hamilton Jr.  He puts on a great show.  It was over way too soon!

 

 

For dinner tonight I had "the soup" and shrimp cocktail for my appetizers, lobster with a side of lamb for the main course, and baked Alaska for dessert.  Everything was very good.  The baked Alaska was probably the best I have ever had on a cruise ship.  I am not sure what made this one unique from others, but it sure tastes good.

 

 

 

 

After dinner, we headed to the Grand Plaza to watch Alejandro's latin dance party.  My husband and I aren't big dancers but we love people watching.  We had fun watching this dance party... there are some great dancers on this ship!

 

Today's step total was respectable.  

 

Tomorrow is our last day.  :(.