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We are on the Beyond as I write this. The ship is beautiful and the service fantastic. We are in a suite so we get extra special service. The Steakhouse is great and going to the Rooftop Grill Friday. We love Celebrity and this cruise has met all out expectations. Happy cruising Ilana.
Cruising is what YOU make of it! We are always grateful to be able to cruise, and enjoy it all! On the beyond for our anniversary in April. Happy sailing!
we’ll be in the Retreat on the Beyond in 8 weeks ourselves. Looking forward to Luminae (and Blu?), plus all the other restaurants open to all. Plus Eden. I figure that Ascent and Beyond must be nearly identical other than artwork and statues.
My wife and I took many cruises from the mid 1980's to around 2005 and now have scheduled our first cruise since on the Summit March 4th (first time on Celebrity). I've watched many of your videos and have really enjoyed them, they're very helpful regarding what to bring (or not bring), things we should make a point of buying to add to the experience and all the super helpful tips. Really excited to get cruising again. Thanks for the tips!
We sailed to Bermuda on the Summit last June and also did a 3 day Key West/Bahamas cruise in April of ‘22. My family and I LOVE this ship. Smaller size so no big crowds anywhere. Service is top notch. Try the Tuscan Grille for a great steak dinner-usually can get for $30 each on 1st night of Sailing. 😊
We love port days on the ship. It's so much more quiet and relaxing. Especially during our Mediterranean cruise on the Beyond, we've been to most of the ports via land holidays before, so out of the 9 port days (only had 2 sea days in an 11 days cruise) we only got off the ship once. When on a gorgeous ship like that, the last thing I would want to do is get in a bus to go somewhere or stand in queues in the heat (Santorini). It was great 🙂
Thanks for the great in depth review! We should be sailing on the Celebrity Ascent on the 2nd of September out of Barcelona. The cruise will be sailing to Italy and France as well. We might be staying on the ship during the stop over at Rome Civitavecchia as we have been to Rome so many times. I guess it would be a good time to roam around the ship whilst most of the passengers are on their excursions! Thanks again for a great review.
My husband and I are so excited ! After watching many of your videos we are sailing on our first cruise together at the end of march on the Ascent. As newcomers it’s a bit overwhelming but my husband is a 3 time cancer survivor so I’m pretty sure we can handle it! Lol. and we were married on my birthday so it’s a triple celebration for us. It’s all in how you choose to enjoy it! Life is so precious I think we are in for a real treat! Praise God! And Thankyou so much for your videos! Such a blessing! 😊🥰
We are sailing on Ascent in November for Thanksgiving - I am so much more excited about this cruise after watching this video, as well as your infinity veranda video! We will also have our 11 year old and 9 year old cruising with us. I’m hoping there are enough kid-friendly activities for them as well.
Thank you for the review. When we were on the Beyond, the food at Eden was the best we've ever had in any restaurant, not just on a cruise ship ! We were lucky to get loads of onboard credit with our cruise, so used part of that to eat at Eden 3 nights out of the 11 night cruise.
@@NicoleE12388 there are many ways, some I’m sure I don’t even know about. The two ways I do know about are (1) book your next cruise onboard your current cruise, if you negotiate you can even get more than what they initially offer you (2) book through a travel agent, they usually have deals that include OBC and in our case the travel agent had an extra chunk of OBC she received from Celebrity as a promotion, so she got that added onto the base OBC that came as part of the booking (3) just remembered this one, if you make a valid complaint you get OBC a lot of the time as a goodwill gesture. I think there’s OBC deals associated with the casino as well, but we don’t gamble, so don’t know the details
Love your videos they are so informative. Do you have any information on the obstructed view infinite veranda on the port side on deck 8. I have this booked on Ascent for next April. I can't find any information on it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
...... Also , there is something surreal-magical about staying onboard, especially at a popular port where EVERYBODY gets off. If you've visited the port before it's worth staying on.
So listening to your breakdown, I see how much I miss the excitement of an RCCL brand cruises, but do not miss the nickel-and-diming for every other thing. We leapfrogged over to Oceania and are very much enjoying cruising on O. We find it to be equally affordable when you add in specialty coffees, waters, room service is included, as are the specialty restaurants, excursions, etc! (except the Booze pg, which is a scant $30/day, and it does not need to be for both ppl in the room). the activities and wow factor are not as great as on RCCL lines, for sure. Like everything else in life, there are trade-offs ... We also LOVE Cozumel! try Poncho's Backyard next time! We skipped Costa Maya last time, and will skip again in a couple weeks After your vid, we may consider it again. thanks, Elana!
Your videos have been so helpful in preparation for our transatlantic cruise on Celebrity Ascent. My question is: should we do the Move UP to get something in the Retreat? Currently we are Aqua Class, which is new to us. This is for our 45th anniversary, so we just want it to be great. Just not sure that an additional $4,000 is worth it for the Retreat. Any thoughts? Also, did you hear or expereince anything about Dining on the Edge (the Magic Carpet)? Thanks!
My wife and I just did a 7 night Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Apex. We agree with most of your comments and overall love Celebrity cruise line. The only real disappointed for us was the martini bar. As you mentioned, it was always crowded and very, VERY loud! With the band playing,the sunken layout, and the crowed atmosphere , the noise level was almost unbearable. We definitely prefer the Martini bar layout on the Solstice and Millennium class ships.
We are booked on the Ascent for November 2025 on deck 7. I’m going to check the floor plan😊. We are looking forward to it and will see if we like the infinite veranda.
I really do not like those infinite verandas. If I want a balcony type cabin then I want it totally separated from the main room so one of us can go outside while the other remains inside.
At paradise beach club, you can upgrade to all ultra premium liquors for an additional fee above the standard all you can drink package , all parties your with have to get it, do you think that fee is worth what you get or do you stay with cheap liquors, I do not like cheap liquors and got the upgrade?
I have no issues with Celebrity’s ships and their crews. But I do have issues with Celebrity’s land based staff. It is very clear to me that $ is the most important consideration now….making their customers happy is moving down the list quickly. One more cruise booked with Celebrity and then I will seek another cruise line or go back to land based vacations.
All cruises lost their shine. Dress code lost, respect lost , shareholders need more $ , cuts everywhere…not only Celebrity but all cruise lines lost the pizazz of cruising.
@nkdgolf haha ! hey i know that no worries . and i won't stop traveling. can i have my opinion on the question ? new ships are stunning... in some areas the cruising industry lost a bit of its "shine" ...
@@papaghys You can have any opinion you want. Restaurants have changed. Hotels have changed. Flying has changed. It’s not just about shareholders and money. In many cases it’s about a business keeping their doors open. ALL travel has changed and in my opinion not for the better.
I’m glad I had never cruised before COVID. Not having that “good old days” yardstick, I have loved all aspects of our now three cruises. Good food and drinks that I don’t prepare, someone tidying my room and doing my laundry, breakfast and coffee delivered to my room each morning etc. feels absolutely luxurious. On our second cruise we were seated next to two women who turned their noses up at ALL the food. We thought it was pretty good. Not gourmet, but very good. Neither of them looked like they missed a lot of meals so I don’t know what they must be eating when not on a cruise. Four star only I suppose. It’s all subjective at the end of the day and everyone is entitled to their opinions.
@@LifeWellCruised Not really. It was a much older crowd. Leaving the ship was like leaving a nursing home. I can go back to Celebrity in another 20 to 25 years and I may fit right in.
Hi Ilana! We sailed on Ascent on Feb 4th to 11th ourselves, and found the food outstanding- with high standards as fellow Montrealers. ❤ I would agree with you that Normandie was the best restaurant, including the quality of service, in particular, there. Cyprus was our next favourite, followed by Cosmopolitan. Dinner at Tuscan was essentially American shopping mall Italian food and the service in the dining room there verged on flat out unprofessional. On our cruise we found the crowd swung much older- the average age looked to be about 60-65, I was surprised to hear the age was so much younger when you went! We found the ship to be beautiful, with expansive open spaces, luxurious finishes and fixtures everywhere. One thing we noted and loved was how music was always very ambient in public spaces and never overbearing- from the coffee bar to the pool bar, whomever was in charge of designing the playlists did an excellent job creating the right balance of atmosphere. Same with the lighting on board in the restaurants and public areas. They really hired the best of the best in the business to put together a dazzling sailing experience. We would highly recommend and will definitely sail again with Celebrity. I’ve previously sailed with Cunard on the QM2, so my expectations were high… delighted to say that Celebrity met them!
Thanks for sharing your review! Always great to hear from fellow Montrealers. I agree we tend to be a little bit critical on food as we have such great dining here.
Hi Ilana!! Finishing up the Amazing Ascent cruise as I write !❤ The ship is beautifully designed and magical. The entire cruise ship 18:49 is kept spotless ( even the common bathrooms!) and they are constantly cleaning the tables for the next guest! The entertainment is spectacular offering two shows( get there early as they are very popular)! The service is excellent and the storage is excellent while suitcases under the bed! I would recommend bringing surge protector power extender with multiple plugs. It really helped! ❤ It’s been a fabulous week!! 🎉
Went on the Equinox in January. Great cruise, but the ship was tired in many places. In particular the cabins. Celebrity is focusing on their newer ships at the expense of the older ships.
We sailed on Celebrity Apex last month. We loved everything about it! Celebrity Cruise Line is the only one we can sail on because there is no smoking inside the ship, not even in the casinos. I wish other cruise lines would follow suit. We booked Celebrity Reflection for next year.
Virgin Voyages has a separate room of the casino that allows smoking. It supposedly has a separate ventilation system. I don't know how they do it, but the rest of the ship doesn't smell at all, not even in the casino. There is a small smoking area on the pool deck as well. Of course there are people on all lines who don't understand that "no smoking on balcony" means just exactly that.
We have been on the Apex twice and a dozen Celebrity cruises. On our Apex cruise last month, the service in the dining rooms was the worst we ever experienced on Celebrity.
Just went on my first cruise and you were so helpful. We followed your suggestion about thank you cards with thank you in their native language. Our main dining servers really made each dinner special so we made sure to learn where they are from and figured out their dialect. We left an extra tip within the thank you card. We did the same for our cabin Stewart and a specific bartender. It was the staff that really made the cruise. Thanks for all the help!
I sailed on Summit for my first time with Celebrity (many cruises with other lines). It was nice, but I was expecting a more upscale experience. I didn't get that, and did find some rather snobby passengers.
I've been on twice in the last year, and I love it. I was on the silhouette and the reflection I have nothing but high accolades for the food and service that was perfect.
We sailed on the Ascent mid-August ‘24. We stayed in the RETREAT Aqua Sky suite. It was more expensive, but value for the dollar. The MDR’s were awful compared with Luminae and Blu.. We made a big mistake going to the Tuscan which we thought was like the specialty restaurant Tuscan we knew from the Solstice class ship, however it was nothing even close (bad service, pepper mill empty, food average). We walked out after 15 minutes and ate at Luminae. As elite plus cruisers, we will never book anything but the RETREAT. As a matter of fact our upcoming cruise is again on the Ascent May ‘25 to Italy, Greece & Turkey, in a Celebrity 2 rm suite. The RETREAT is like a “ship on a ship”, never lines or crowded, includes premium drink package and premium WiFi but the best was the entire front of the ship on 4 decks were RETREAT only plus a concierge lounge manned by 2 concierges all day, so they will book you and solve problems without going to customer relations. Luminae is worth the price.
We're on the Ascent on March 10.. we'll be dining at Le Petit Chef, Le Voyage and Eden! We loved Le Petit Chef and Eden on the Apex in 2022... and we love love love Cafe Al Bacio! Eden is also open for breakfast and it is simple, healthy and yummy!
Two time Disney ship cruiser. We love it and want to cruise more. We want to try another line. Less kid-centric. What do you recommend? Also where is your video talking about infinity verandah/balcony?
I was on the Ascent B2B the first two weeks of January. My favorite restaurant was the Normandie. The scallop casserole appetizer was excellent. The entertainment was great just be sure to get to Eden and the Club early as they are smaller venues and get quite crowded.
Hello Llana , My wife and I will be sailing on Celebrity Ascent ( our first time sailing on a edge class ) October 20th 2025 out of Rome Italy for 11 nights in a prime Aqua Class cabin on deck 9 and yes we checked the cabin configuration. Lol. as we don't want the bed close to the floor to ceiling Infinite balcony . Also we will be sailing on Ascent again for 11 nights March 16th 2026 in a Aqua Class Sky suite to the Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean as well. Any suggestions for our October 20th 2025 trip to Europe? The cruise starts on a Monday and we plan to fly to Rome Italy on Friday so we have a couple days to explore before the cruise starts. We need to find a upscale and safe hotel to stay in that's walking distance to attractions/ sites to visit etc. Thanks for ALL you do! Peace & Kind regards.
The decor in the atrium and restaurants onboard is not my personal taste -- I certainly won't decorate my home in the styles I saw in your video... but that's not enough to stop me cursing with Celebrity. The food looked divine!!! and the cabins clean and modern. Your review was informative and helpful, as always... and if the right itinerary turns up at the right price, I'd certainly jump aboard :) ALL cruise lines need more bar staff -- as you say, at the bar itself, waiters going around asking for orders and bringing them back, and also bus persons to clear empty glasses... but post-covid, unfortunately staffing is one area all cruise lines seem to cutting back on... I know it can save the cruises millions a year, but that extra service was something we always appreciated onboard in the past
I love your helpful videos! I'm thinking about taking a cruise with just me and my husband in March or possibly this October. We have taken our five kids on our previous cruises. We have taken Carnival to Catalina and Ensenada, Royal Caribbean to the Bahamas, and Royal Caribbean to Eastern Mediterranean. We've enjoyed every cruise, but found Royal to be a little nicer than Carnival even though service and food were great on both. I'm not super picky and I just want to see cool places and enjoy the ship. My question for you is, what is your absolute favorite cruise destination and ship? I'm a little overwhelmed looking for a cruise for two when we could go anywhere, lol! I'd love to hear from Ilana if you're not too busy, or any other fans of the page. 🙂
I think the new infant balconies are a HUGE miss step! People are not happy with them. Caribbean cruise where it's like 90f outside, and you open the balcony window and your cabin's AC shuts down. With cabin AC, it will take hours to get it cool again! What a waste of energy.
I think in general Celebrity, especially the Edge class, is great and if money wasn't a factor I would go on them whenever I had the chance. Unfortunately with all the changes over the last few years, cutbacks, changes in how they sell cruises (gratuities no longer included) and increases of cruise fares and items onboard, I think they're falling out of the value for money category. To the point where this year we're having land holidays, while Celebrity and the cruise industry as whole readjust and stabilise. I would hate to book a cruise and then when I got onboard realise it was no longer exactly as advertised, which is what's been happening.
Thanks for sharing - we will be on her sister Edge (old in cruise ship lexicon) in New Zealand, Australia, South Pacific next spring. Spent 21 days on Apex in Northern Europe in the larger interior - lovely cabin and we are looking forward to our return to the E class.
Good Video. Until Grand Cayman gets a real cruise port, I will avoid that port. Staying on the ship is a good idea. The worst tendering mess I have ever seen was at Grand Cayman the two times I have been there. I purposely avoid cruises that go there.
Went on Equinox last May. Food was regularly served cold at dinner. Food was fair. Entertainment was quite poor. Found lack of activity at night. Service was good.
We are debating to get the VIP and not sure is worth it? We are going on MEditterean cruise to Greece and thought be good to get VIP to get priority for the tender boat at the Santorini port.
I'm not considering Celebrity at this time as they are adding surcharges over and above the single supplement for solo cruisers. While I like the line, I'm not going back until they rescind this.
We sailed on the Solstice last Sept. service was excellent but food was disappointing. Both husband and I caught covid at end of our cruise. Made getting g home from Vancouver challenging
Sounds like they are making improvements which they needed to do. The last Celebrity cruise I went on summer of 2023 the food in the dining room was horrible. Thank you so much for your videos.
We went on the Eclipse last October and there was no resemblance to previous Celebrity cruises. Dining room food tasteless and cold. Disinterested dining staff. It appears that all emphasis is on new ships.
Honestly you messed up by not ordering the burger at Rooftop Garden Grill. it's one of the best burgers I've ever eaten and I've had numerous steakhouse burgers around the country.
I was disappointed with our Navigator of the seas cruise. Drinks were weak, pool side only about 4 mixed choices. Formal night in the main dining room the table next to us had 8 people in beach wear and ball caps.
We are going on the same cruise in March. I wish Celebrity would come up with something for us folks that don’t drink a lot of alcohol. We’ve done the math and it does not compute…barely drink 2 drinks a day on vacation. 1 or 2 days nothing but water, feel like they are pushing cocktails 🍸 🍹 Been on the Edge twice, looking forward to seeing the Ascent.
Wow the food looks amazing it was on the solstice’s as well when we went 6 years ago we went on 2 Princess cruise last year May and December the food in the dining room was probably 3 or 4 out of ten 🇦🇺🇦🇺
I'm really enjoying your videos! Husband and I have our very first cruise scheduled for Nov. 2024 on the Ascent and are looking forward to the experience. All the information you provide will have us well prepared - thank you!
Our last cruise on the Eclipse last June was just OK not memorable. The food in Blu was not as good as what we had experienced in the past. The fancy coffees (the ones with alcohol) at Cafe al Bacio were weak and not as tasty as previous ships. The shows were terribly scaled down with just a handful of performers rotating night to night. Now they have taken the prepaid tips out of the All-inclusive package. Eliminated On Board Spending perks when booking. It just seems that they are looking to optimize profits while reducing services and perks.
We loved the Ascent, we did the Inaugural on December 3rd. We didn’t have a single complaint, food was excellent everywhere we ate, and on the last sea day, the Lunch Extravaganza was incredible.
We were on the Maiden also but we were in Aqua, so we had Blu and also dined in Eden, Rooftop Garden Grill, and Raw on 5. NO complaints with these choices. Just about perfect. If I had one minor complaint, it would definitely be the lack of quality wine. I definitely think they need to up their game there.
@@pamelabrauer9450 we have done Aqua in previous cruises, and Blu is excellent, have eaten in Eden and love it, the best crab cake is from Eden. Yes, wines could get better!
We love the Edge class ships & have been on the Apex twice, the Beyond & just last month we were on the Ascent. We love all the restaurants on board but we're changing things up & taking a 10 night Spain cruise on the Equinox. We were on the Equinox back in 2014 & will celebrate our 20 yr anniversary on her! How exciting!
So my wife and I will be on the Ascent on March 17th doing the exact same itinerary you did. We’re so excited. We were on the Edge in Nov. ‘22 and loved it. Thank you for your pointing out in a previous video about the different set-ups of the infinity balcony cabins with the bed either towards the balcony or closer to the closet. We agree with you that we prefer the bed closer to the closet. I checked our cabin on the Ascent and determined as you did in this video that there is a bump-out in the floor plan where the bed goes, so our bed is towards the inside (yay). We usually are in Aqua class so we eat at Blu but we’re in just a regular balcony cabin in March, so we were happy to hear that you thought the food was great in all four dining rooms. We will likely stay on the ship in at least one port, as we’ve been to all ports before. Also, we’re doing a side-to-side cruise. The day we get off the Ascent in Ft. Lauderdale, we’ll be getting on the Celebrity Reflection (and interestingly staying in the exact same cabin as we were in on the Reflection in December). We love your vlogs, Ilana. Keep up the great work.
Hi Larry, my husband & I are going the same cruise as you. We are first time-ers!!! (my big birthday celebration). We will be in Aqua Class so will be dining at Blu most nights (tried to book at the other restaurants but only bookings now available are 9pm). The Blu restaurant looks nice though so happy with that. We might bump into you onboard! Claire & Steve :)
We did a 13 night cruise and NEVER got off the ship. It was so classy and comfortable, we never felt like we wanted to leave. We are going on the Accent in April.
Thank you for the great review! I was on the Ascent in December. I have been on all the edge class ships and the Ascent is the winner! Luigi the cruise director is one of the best entertaining directors of any cruise ship! We loved the food and shows. Trying to get a seat u. Eden or the club for the special shows was challenging. Also Celebrity has increased their bar drinks too much. Other than that we are booked on Beyond in December for the Panama Canal cruise!🚢
I have no intention of EVER going on a cruise because I get severe motion sickness, but your videos are so, so entertaining I can’t stop watching them! I actually can’t believe I’ve watched so many videos about cruising, but that is a testament to your ability to present information.
It's all about personal perspective. That's the big thing. Some folks will say lacking, not up to standards etc and other will say I didn't have that experience. Don't let others opinions make your decision and judge for yourself.
Absolutely, for this reason, I like to include a lot of cruise ship footage, both with the ship is busy with passengers and quiet. These videos should only serve as a resource, but people should, of course make up their own mind.
Hi Elana, I’m going on Ascent in April. Did you visit p Persian Garden? How much it was? Do they have a dry sauna at the spa change room like it was on Eclipse?
I have heard that Celebrity is now charging solo travelers an extra fee on top of having to pay for two as a single. As a Widow, I won't be sailing on them as long as that holds true. Other lines are working to make solo travelers welcome. Other than that, it looks like a lovely ship.
My husband and I just finished a seven day cruise aboard Beyond. It's our first cruise so we have nothing to compare it to. The ship was beautiful but there were SO many people, too crowded for us (maybe that's how they all are?). The food at the restaurants was really good, but the buffet was only good the first night. The service was excellent everywhere except the Mast Bar; it seemed like we were being intentionally overlooked, so we ended up having to go to another bar to get served. 90% of the passengers were at least 65 and older, and it seemed the entertainment selection mainly centered around that age group. My husband and I are in our 40s, so we didn't find many activities that peaked our interest. We did one snorkeling excursion in Bonaire (through Celebrity). The crew of the sailboat that took us was great, but they were late picking us up and returned early so we snorkeled for a very short time. Again, I have nothing to compare it to but I'm not going to be booking another cruise anytime soon...
Thanks for sharing your experience. I think it depends on the sail date, along with other factors. It sounds like the cruise ship & line may not have been the right match for the vacation you were hoping for
Travel Tourist Videos did some videos comparing the Celebrity Apex with the Millennium and showed the similarities and differences between the ship classes. I saw no issues with the quality of the food on the older ships. I would say that since the ships are smaller, there are fewer options. However, the cruise fare was also so much smaller. I think that there were only two things on Celebrity's oldest ship were sub-par. The light and sound system in the main theater was primitive and there the ship has limited indoor space during inclement weather.
I'm dying to try this class of ship - we've got one of the EDGE class ships coming to the UK this year, so I'm going to try and get on (even just for a short cruise) - they look stunning!
I was on its first (pre maiden) voyage in November. The ship was amazing and we had a great time. Zero complaints. I prefer the solstice class though. It felt more like a resort than a ship. I like the classic “ship/cruise” feeling of the older ships. I’m excited for our upcoming 9 night cruise on the Constellation next week!
It's not older vs. newer. It's the style and intimacy and presentation that's different. It's trendy vs. evolutionary. The Edge ships are trendy. The Solstice built on what the Horizon, Century, and Millennium class ships where the Edge tries to depart from that in significant ways. Ship lounges, presentation, intimacy, those things were removed from the Edge ships and more emphasis is put on multi-purpose, multi-level spaces, brightness, exclusive suite spaces. Yes, the restaurants were retained but the only real Celebrity style I see in the Edge ships is the Normandie restaurant. It's a modern take on a classic style. That used to be most of Celebrity style and that's lacking in the Edge ships.
My twin sister and I were on your cruise and we did our best to find you to say hello but did not see you, A little known secret is the Edge class ships have what is called an Deluxe Porthole view with Verandah cabin. These are only on a few decks and there are not many of them and usually at the front of the ship and a few towards the aft of the ship. If you look at the ship from the outside, these are the cabins with the round pothole window. There is a small balcony but it's a balcony for those who like to sit outside The cabin is slightly smaller than the infinite verandah cabins but has the same storage, etc . We celebrated our birthday at Eden and they spoiled us so I would highly recommend anyone with a birthday to book there and let them know it's your birthday. I like eating in the buffet and the food selection is always great. I really enjoy that every meal has cut up fresh fruit and a huge variety of fruit. . We also ate at Rooftop Garden and had the filet and it was one of the best steaks I have had in a long time. We like Cypress and I like that you can order something from another dining menu such as the yellow corn soup from Cosmopolitan. I am glad Cafe al Bacio finally has some savories and what we tried were all very good. Those were easy to take to the cabin and put in a zip lock bag and put in the refrigerator to eat on a morning when we had an early start . We did a back to back and that process was seamless and we were back on the ship in no time and were treated to lunch at Tuscan which was a nice touch. There are a few oddities about the ship but all in all it is a beautiful ship and the staff that we encountered were amazing and the service was amazing and the foot was amazing !
You can leave a note with the Guest Services, if you know someone is on board, you'd like to meet. I did this 2 cruises ago, and met up with a old college friend and his wife for drinks.
We’re presently on the Celebrity Eclipse returning from Antarctica and it’s our third Celebrity cruise. The ship seems fully staffed and crew has been excellent. The food does seem to be a bit below our prior experiences. It’s not bad but just seems a bit tired. It’s a busy cruise so the buffet has been consistently jammed with a lot of entitled passengers so we have been using the different dining rooms.
All of the Celebrity's Edge class of ships are stunning! While we enjoy cruising with Celebrity and have cruised with Celebrity on 20 cruises, with 4 being on the Edge Class of ships, we have mixed feelings about the Edge class of ships. We have four main concerns: 1). Not having an assigned table or not being able to make advance reservations in the four main dinning rooms. Paying thousands of dollars for a cruise and having to stand in line to get a table is not our definition of a fun cruise. To help with this issue on our last cruise, we purchased a five-night speciality dinning package to eliminate having to stand in line in the main dining room. I will say that the food and service in Fine Cuts, Roof Top Grill, and Eden were outstanding. We also enjoyed lunches in the Eden Cafe and in the main dinning room on sea days (the walnut cookies in the Eden Cafe are amazing). 2) While not limited to the Edge class of ships, the inability to make speciality dinning reservations (dinning packages) before getting on the ship requires having to stand in line (30 minutes - last cruise) once you get on the ship. This is not how you want to start your cruise. 3) Infinite veranda - while we really like the concept, we have found that on most cruises in the Caribbean, due to the heat, you have to keep the shade down most of the time to get your room cool which reduces the infinite effects 4). The limited number of chairs on the pool deck due to the majority of the area on the starboard side of the pool being taken up by the pool cabanas. For us, when the aggravation, exceeds the enjoyment, it's time to look for other options...
You can make a reservation for any main dining room on the app for the time that is right for you.. And you can also make a reservation on the app for any specialty restaurant that is open for dinner. Keep checking your app when that opens up to reserve so you can get the time you want
Hi gatorguy, you are able to book ahead for the four main dining rooms, it seems they only take so many in advance and then it is full. For your 1) what we have done in the past is book all nights in the same restaurant so that we may have the table reservation we want and the same servers, which we love to get to know them and they get to know us. If you would like something off of one of the other dining menus, just ask, no problem.
We were on the Apex last week and reservations could not be made on the App for dinner in the main dinning room. I checked with Guest Services and the Captain Club Rep and was told by both that reservations could not be made for the main dinning rooms, In the past on the Apex, we have made reservations for the main dinning room on the App, we were told that this is no longer available. I checked the App frequently and reservations were not an option for any restaurants. Relative to speciality restaurants, the App option was also not available, unless you want to purchase a new reservation. We have learned by experience, when you have a dinning package, you want to book your reservations as soon as you get on the ship (a tip from many cruise blogs) to get the times you desire. Thanks for the feedback... @@lucyn9279
I could not agree with you more, but our experience last week on the Apex was very different as we were told that reservations could not be made for the main sinning room as we have done in the past. No one could never give me an answer. We did have several large groups on the cruise, maybe this was the issue, I do not know, All I know is whenever we went by any of the four main dinning rooms there was always a long line waiting to get into dinner. @@birdsnest26
I didn't make one reservation for the MDR on the Apex and the longest I waited was 5 minutes. And I didn't want to be tied down to a time so it worked just fine. The pool lounge issue I do after with. The Cabana space to me is is wasted. Oh and the food was fantastic. Choices were not bad and I am like Ilana I love Normandie
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We are on the Beyond as I write this. The ship is beautiful and the service fantastic. We are in a suite so we get extra special service. The Steakhouse is great and going to the Rooftop Grill Friday.
We love Celebrity and this cruise has met all out expectations.
Happy cruising Ilana.
Awesome!! Enjoy every minute - the campfire cookie at rooftop is amazing
Cruising is what YOU make of it! We are always grateful to be able to cruise, and enjoy it all! On the beyond for our anniversary in April. Happy sailing!
@rikkk6600.
We are also currently on the Beyond. It’s been a wonderful cruise.
we’ll be in the Retreat on the Beyond in 8 weeks ourselves. Looking forward to Luminae (and Blu?), plus all the other restaurants open to all. Plus Eden. I figure that Ascent and Beyond must be nearly identical other than artwork and statues.
My wife and I took many cruises from the mid 1980's to around 2005 and now have scheduled our first cruise since on the Summit March 4th (first time on Celebrity). I've watched many of your videos and have really enjoyed them, they're very helpful regarding what to bring (or not bring), things we should make a point of buying to add to the experience and all the super helpful tips. Really excited to get cruising again. Thanks for the tips!
I sailed to Bermuda on the Summit and loved it.
We sailed to Bermuda on the Summit last June and also did a 3 day Key West/Bahamas cruise in April of ‘22. My family and I LOVE this ship. Smaller size so no big crowds anywhere. Service is top notch. Try the Tuscan Grille for a great steak dinner-usually can get for $30 each on 1st night of Sailing. 😊
We love port days on the ship. It's so much more quiet and relaxing. Especially during our Mediterranean cruise on the Beyond, we've been to most of the ports via land holidays before, so out of the 9 port days (only had 2 sea days in an 11 days cruise) we only got off the ship once. When on a gorgeous ship like that, the last thing I would want to do is get in a bus to go somewhere or stand in queues in the heat (Santorini). It was great 🙂
Thanks for the great in depth review! We should be sailing on the Celebrity Ascent on the 2nd of September out of Barcelona. The cruise will be sailing to Italy and France as well. We might be staying on the ship during the stop over at Rome Civitavecchia as we have been to Rome so many times. I guess it would be a good time to roam around the ship whilst most of the passengers are on their excursions! Thanks again for a great review.
We are sailing the Ascent in August 2024. Embarking in Rome, disembarking in Barcelona. Celebrity is our favorite cruise line!
My husband and I are so excited ! After watching many of your videos we are sailing on our first cruise together at the end of march on the Ascent. As newcomers it’s a bit overwhelming but my husband is a 3 time cancer survivor so I’m pretty sure we can handle it! Lol. and we were married on my birthday so it’s a triple celebration for us. It’s all in how you choose to enjoy it! Life is so precious I think we are in for a real treat! Praise God!
And Thankyou so much for your videos! Such a blessing! 😊🥰
You always do such a fantastic job of covering everything! I really enjoyed this concise format. Thanks for all you do!!❤️
So glad you enjoyed the video 😊
We are sailing on Ascent in November for Thanksgiving - I am so much more excited about this cruise after watching this video, as well as your infinity veranda video! We will also have our 11 year old and 9 year old cruising with us. I’m hoping there are enough kid-friendly activities for them as well.
Thank you for the review. When we were on the Beyond, the food at Eden was the best we've ever had in any restaurant, not just on a cruise ship ! We were lucky to get loads of onboard credit with our cruise, so used part of that to eat at Eden 3 nights out of the 11 night cruise.
How do you get onboard credit for Celebrity?
@@NicoleE12388 there are many ways, some I’m sure I don’t even know about. The two ways I do know about are (1) book your next cruise onboard your current cruise, if you negotiate you can even get more than what they initially offer you (2) book through a travel agent, they usually have deals that include OBC and in our case the travel agent had an extra chunk of OBC she received from Celebrity as a promotion, so she got that added onto the base OBC that came as part of the booking (3) just remembered this one, if you make a valid complaint you get OBC a lot of the time as a goodwill gesture. I think there’s OBC deals associated with the casino as well, but we don’t gamble, so don’t know the details
Wonderful video and I agree with your suggestions for Celebrity. It’s a nice cruise line.
Love your videos they are so informative. Do you have any information on the obstructed view infinite veranda on the port side on deck 8. I have this booked on Ascent for next April. I can't find any information on it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks! We've been on Edge and are booked on Ascent's first TA in April. This showed us we made a good decision.
...... Also , there is something surreal-magical about staying onboard, especially at a popular port where EVERYBODY gets off. If you've visited the port before it's worth staying on.
So listening to your breakdown, I see how much I miss the excitement of an RCCL brand cruises, but do not miss the nickel-and-diming for every other thing. We leapfrogged over to Oceania and are very much enjoying cruising on O. We find it to be equally affordable when you add in specialty coffees, waters, room service is included, as are the specialty restaurants, excursions, etc! (except the Booze pg, which is a scant $30/day, and it does not need to be for both ppl in the room). the activities and wow factor are not as great as on RCCL lines, for sure. Like everything else in life, there are trade-offs ...
We also LOVE Cozumel! try Poncho's Backyard next time!
We skipped Costa Maya last time, and will skip again in a couple weeks
After your vid, we may consider it again. thanks, Elana!
Your videos have been so helpful in preparation for our transatlantic cruise on Celebrity Ascent. My question is: should we do the Move UP to get something in the Retreat? Currently we are Aqua Class, which is new to us. This is for our 45th anniversary, so we just want it to be great. Just not sure that an additional $4,000 is worth it for the Retreat. Any thoughts? Also, did you hear or expereince anything about Dining on the Edge (the Magic Carpet)? Thanks!
The fact that they are charging solo passengers (way) over double occupancy has put me off Celebrity for the foreseeable future.
Understandable. Hopefully they’ll rectify this
My wife and I just did a 7 night Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Apex. We agree with most of your comments and overall love Celebrity cruise line. The only real disappointed for us was the martini bar. As you mentioned, it was always crowded and very, VERY loud! With the band playing,the sunken layout, and the crowed atmosphere , the noise level was almost unbearable. We definitely prefer the Martini bar layout on the Solstice and Millennium class ships.
I’m on Ascent next month aft cabin leaving 24th. Very timely review! 😊
Will be on b2b on Ascent, March 3 and March 10. Been on Beyond and Edge.
We are booked on the Ascent for November 2025 on deck 7. I’m going to check the floor plan😊. We are looking forward to it and will see if we like the infinite veranda.
I really do not like those infinite verandas. If I want a balcony type cabin then I want it totally separated from the main room so one of us can go outside while the other remains inside.
Celebrity Ascent sunset veranda March 2025!
At paradise beach club, you can upgrade to all ultra premium liquors for an additional fee above the standard all you can drink package , all parties your with have to get it, do you think that fee is worth what you get or do you stay with cheap liquors, I do not like cheap liquors and got the upgrade?
Are you travel agents?
I am looking for one.
I will be sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse in September. Is there a video for that ship?
Not here unfortunately
They cancelled our May cruise - so upsetting!!!
Oh no! Why?
Sailing on the Ascent in the Med in June.
Where di you find that deck plan? I have searched Eclipse deck plans and they do not show that much detail in the cabin walls.
Celebrity website
Nice
I have no issues with Celebrity’s ships and their crews. But I do have issues with Celebrity’s land based staff. It is very clear to me that $ is the most important consideration now….making their customers happy is moving down the list quickly. One more cruise booked with Celebrity and then I will seek another cruise line or go back to land based vacations.
Sometimes we land on experience that isn’t the best. Hopefully your cruise will go wonderfully.
All cruises lost their shine. Dress code lost, respect lost , shareholders need more $ , cuts everywhere…not only Celebrity but all cruise lines lost the pizazz of cruising.
All travel has changed since Covid. Get used to it or don’t travel.
@nkdgolf haha ! hey i know that no worries . and i won't stop traveling. can i have my opinion on the question ? new ships are stunning... in some areas the cruising industry lost a bit of its "shine" ...
@@papaghys You can have any opinion you want. Restaurants have changed. Hotels have changed. Flying has changed. It’s not just about shareholders and money. In many cases it’s about a business keeping their doors open. ALL travel has changed and in my opinion not for the better.
I’m glad I had never cruised before COVID. Not having that “good old days” yardstick, I have loved all aspects of our now three cruises. Good food and drinks that I don’t prepare, someone tidying my room and doing my laundry, breakfast and coffee delivered to my room each morning etc. feels absolutely luxurious. On our second cruise we were seated next to two women who turned their noses up at ALL the food. We thought it was pretty good. Not gourmet, but very good. Neither of them looked like they missed a lot of meals so I don’t know what they must be eating when not on a cruise. Four star only I suppose. It’s all subjective at the end of the day and everyone is entitled to their opinions.
@@nkdgolfif you are paying for a luxury escape then you should receive it. Don't travel? Then those who do will pay more and continue to get less.
I went on the Celebrity 14 day transatlantic. Celebrity has gotten to be very expensive.
True it can be expensive. We did enjoy it though. Did you?
@@LifeWellCruised Not really. It was a much older crowd. Leaving the ship was like leaving a nursing home. I can go back to Celebrity in another 20 to 25 years and I may fit right in.
Hi Ilana! We sailed on Ascent on Feb 4th to 11th ourselves, and found the food outstanding- with high standards as fellow Montrealers. ❤ I would agree with you that Normandie was the best restaurant, including the quality of service, in particular, there. Cyprus was our next favourite, followed by Cosmopolitan. Dinner at Tuscan was essentially American shopping mall Italian food and the service in the dining room there verged on flat out unprofessional. On our cruise we found the crowd swung much older- the average age looked to be about 60-65, I was surprised to hear the age was so much younger when you went!
We found the ship to be beautiful, with expansive open spaces, luxurious finishes and fixtures everywhere. One thing we noted and loved was how music was always very ambient in public spaces and never overbearing- from the coffee bar to the pool bar, whomever was in charge of designing the playlists did an excellent job creating the right balance of atmosphere. Same with the lighting on board in the restaurants and public areas. They really hired the best of the best in the business to put together a dazzling sailing experience. We would highly recommend and will definitely sail again with Celebrity. I’ve previously sailed with Cunard on the QM2, so my expectations were high… delighted to say that Celebrity met them!
Thanks for sharing your review! Always great to hear from fellow Montrealers. I agree we tend to be a little bit critical on food as we have such great dining here.
Hi Ilana!! Finishing up the Amazing Ascent cruise as I write !❤ The ship is beautifully designed and magical. The entire cruise ship 18:49 is kept spotless ( even the common bathrooms!) and they are constantly cleaning the tables for the next guest! The entertainment is spectacular offering two shows( get there early as they are very popular)! The service is excellent and the storage is excellent while suitcases under the bed!
I would recommend bringing surge protector power extender with multiple plugs. It really helped! ❤
It’s been a fabulous week!! 🎉
As a solo cruiser not happy with the pricing of Celebrity Cruises.
I love staying on the cruise ship when in port. It’s so peaceful and quiet and you have the pool deck to yourself
Went on the Equinox in January. Great cruise, but the ship was tired in many places. In particular the cabins. Celebrity is focusing on their newer ships at the expense of the older ships.
We sailed on Celebrity Apex last month. We loved everything about it! Celebrity Cruise Line is the only one we can sail on because there is no smoking inside the ship, not even in the casinos. I wish other cruise lines would follow suit. We booked Celebrity Reflection for next year.
Virgin Voyages has a separate room of the casino that allows smoking. It supposedly has a separate ventilation system. I don't know how they do it, but the rest of the ship doesn't smell at all, not even in the casino. There is a small smoking area on the pool deck as well. Of course there are people on all lines who don't understand that "no smoking on balcony" means just exactly that.
We have been on the Apex twice and a dozen Celebrity cruises. On our Apex cruise last month, the service in the dining rooms was the worst we ever experienced on Celebrity.
Just went on my first cruise and you were so helpful. We followed your suggestion about thank you cards with thank you in their native language. Our main dining servers really made each dinner special so we made sure to learn where they are from and figured out their dialect. We left an extra tip within the thank you card. We did the same for our cabin Stewart and a specific bartender. It was the staff that really made the cruise. Thanks for all the help!
I sailed on Summit for my first time with Celebrity (many cruises with other lines). It was nice, but I was expecting a more upscale experience. I didn't get that, and did find some rather snobby passengers.
We had the same experience with Summit on our first cruise with Celebrity in October. Nice but - not feeling like it was totally worth it in the end.
That’s too bad. Thanks for sharing
Was it the ship, food or service? I am sailing on this ship the end of the year.
Love the cold towels after being out from the ship!
For us the ship and service were good. Food was going through some changes and things were either delicious or meh. @@daveduffy2823
I've been on twice in the last year, and I love it. I was on the silhouette and the reflection I have nothing but high accolades for the food and service that was perfect.
That's good to know! I'm sailing on the Reflection in May and the Silhouette next January
We sailed on the Ascent mid-August ‘24. We stayed in the RETREAT Aqua Sky suite. It was more expensive, but value for the dollar. The MDR’s were awful compared with Luminae and Blu.. We made a big mistake going to the Tuscan which we thought was like the specialty restaurant Tuscan we knew from the Solstice class ship, however it was nothing even close (bad service, pepper mill empty, food average). We walked out after 15 minutes and ate at Luminae. As elite plus cruisers, we will never book anything but the RETREAT. As a matter of fact our upcoming cruise is again on the Ascent May ‘25 to Italy, Greece & Turkey, in a Celebrity 2 rm suite. The RETREAT is like a “ship on a ship”, never lines or crowded, includes premium drink package and premium WiFi but the best was the entire front of the ship on 4 decks were RETREAT only plus a concierge lounge manned by 2 concierges all day, so they will book you and solve problems without going to customer relations. Luminae is worth the price.
We're on the Ascent on March 10.. we'll be dining at Le Petit Chef, Le Voyage and Eden! We loved Le Petit Chef and Eden on the Apex in 2022... and we love love love Cafe Al Bacio! Eden is also open for breakfast and it is simple, healthy and yummy!
I may have missed the entire point of this video, but the officers play water volleyball IN uniform?? Sign me up!
Two time Disney ship cruiser. We love it and want to cruise more. We want to try another line. Less kid-centric. What do you recommend? Also where is your video talking about infinity verandah/balcony?
I was on the Ascent B2B the first two weeks of January. My favorite restaurant was the Normandie. The scallop casserole appetizer was excellent. The entertainment was great just be sure to get to Eden and the Club early as they are smaller venues and get quite crowded.
Hello Llana ,
My wife and I will be sailing on Celebrity Ascent ( our first time sailing on a edge class )
October 20th 2025 out of Rome Italy for 11 nights in a prime Aqua Class cabin on deck 9 and yes we checked the cabin configuration. Lol. as we don't want the bed close to the floor to ceiling Infinite balcony .
Also we will be sailing on Ascent again for 11 nights March 16th 2026 in a Aqua Class Sky suite to the Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean as well.
Any suggestions for our October 20th 2025 trip to Europe? The cruise starts on a Monday and we plan to fly to Rome Italy on Friday so we have a couple days to explore before the cruise starts.
We need to find a upscale and safe hotel to stay in that's walking distance to attractions/ sites to visit etc.
Thanks for ALL you do!
Peace & Kind regards.
The decor in the atrium and restaurants onboard is not my personal taste -- I certainly won't decorate my home in the styles I saw in your video... but that's not enough to stop me cursing with Celebrity. The food looked divine!!! and the cabins clean and modern.
Your review was informative and helpful, as always... and if the right itinerary turns up at the right price, I'd certainly jump aboard :)
ALL cruise lines need more bar staff -- as you say, at the bar itself, waiters going around asking for orders and bringing them back, and also bus persons to clear empty glasses... but post-covid, unfortunately staffing is one area all cruise lines seem to cutting back on... I know it can save the cruises millions a year, but that extra service was something we always appreciated onboard in the past
I love your helpful videos! I'm thinking about taking a cruise with just me and my husband in March or possibly this October. We have taken our five kids on our previous cruises. We have taken Carnival to Catalina and Ensenada, Royal Caribbean to the Bahamas, and Royal Caribbean to Eastern Mediterranean. We've enjoyed every cruise, but found Royal to be a little nicer than Carnival even though service and food were great on both. I'm not super picky and I just want to see cool places and enjoy the ship. My question for you is, what is your absolute favorite cruise destination and ship? I'm a little overwhelmed looking for a cruise for two when we could go anywhere, lol! I'd love to hear from Ilana if you're not too busy, or any other fans of the page. 🙂
I think the new infant balconies are a HUGE miss step! People are not happy with them. Caribbean cruise where it's like 90f outside, and you open the balcony window and your cabin's AC shuts down. With cabin AC, it will take hours to get it cool again! What a waste of energy.
The infinite veranda is near worthless, as when you have it open, the air conditioning shuts off.
I love staying on the ship on a port day. Thank you for your video! I’ll be on Beyond in two weeks.
Yay!! Exciting
I think in general Celebrity, especially the Edge class, is great and if money wasn't a factor I would go on them whenever I had the chance. Unfortunately with all the changes over the last few years, cutbacks, changes in how they sell cruises (gratuities no longer included) and increases of cruise fares and items onboard, I think they're falling out of the value for money category. To the point where this year we're having land holidays, while Celebrity and the cruise industry as whole readjust and stabilise. I would hate to book a cruise and then when I got onboard realise it was no longer exactly as advertised, which is what's been happening.
Thanks for sharing - we will be on her sister Edge (old in cruise ship lexicon) in New Zealand, Australia, South Pacific next spring. Spent 21 days on Apex in Northern Europe in the larger interior - lovely cabin and we are looking forward to our return to the E class.
Luigi is the ABSOLUTE BEST cruise director! We love Celebrity!
Good Video. Until Grand Cayman gets a real cruise port, I will avoid that port. Staying on the ship is a good idea. The worst tendering mess I have ever seen was at Grand Cayman the two times I have been there. I purposely avoid cruises that go there.
Is that indentation for bed placement across all brands or just Celebrity?
We love Celebrity. Have been on 21 cruises with four different lines and we always come back to Celebrity. We have four booked now, can’t wait 😅
Went on Equinox last May. Food was regularly served cold at dinner. Food was fair. Entertainment was quite poor. Found lack of activity at night. Service was good.
We are sailing on Celebrity Beyond March 1-11 and plan on staying on the ship on Port days just to enjoy the ship itself.
Do u have to wait to get on ship to book specialty dining and shows? Never been on celebrity so I don’t know how it’s done on their ships.
So you pay to go from a sea resort to a land resort. And that's called excursion?
I will be on my first Celebrity cruise on March 24th. I will be sailing on Celebrity Ascend to the Caribbean. Soooo exciting!! 🛳
We are debating to get the VIP and not sure is worth it? We are going on MEditterean cruise to Greece and thought be good to get VIP to get priority for the tender boat at the Santorini port.
I'm not considering Celebrity at this time as they are adding surcharges over and above the single supplement for solo cruisers.
While I like the line, I'm not going back until they rescind this.
We were on the Solstice in April 23 and the cruse and service were fabulous.
We sailed on the Solstice last Sept. service was excellent but food was disappointing. Both husband and I caught covid at end of our cruise. Made getting g home from Vancouver challenging
We always enjoy staying on the ship on one of the port days. It is nice to have a day when most passengers are off exploring.
Sounds like they are making improvements which they needed to do. The last Celebrity cruise I went on summer of 2023 the food in the dining room was horrible. Thank you so much for your videos.
Did you sail on Solstice ?
I went with Solstice last month and now I think I don't want to cruise with Celebrity again.
Same! We ate at the buffet every night because the dining room was so bad
We went on the Eclipse last October and there was no resemblance to previous Celebrity cruises. Dining room food tasteless and cold. Disinterested dining staff. It appears that all emphasis is on new ships.
NCL has lost its shine. Celebrity is still great for me 🎉
Honestly you messed up by not ordering the burger at Rooftop Garden Grill.
it's one of the best burgers I've ever eaten and I've had numerous steakhouse burgers around the country.
Wow, really? Great to know
How much are there drink packages
I was disappointed with our Navigator of the seas cruise. Drinks were weak, pool side only about 4 mixed choices. Formal night in the main dining room the table next to us had 8 people in beach wear and ball caps.
We are going on the same cruise in March. I wish Celebrity would come up with something for us folks that don’t drink a lot of alcohol. We’ve done the math and it does not compute…barely drink 2 drinks a day on vacation. 1 or 2 days nothing but water, feel like they are pushing cocktails 🍸 🍹 Been on the Edge twice, looking forward to seeing the Ascent.
Wow the food looks amazing it was on the solstice’s as well when we went 6 years ago we went on 2 Princess cruise last year May and December the food in the dining room was probably 3 or 4 out of ten 🇦🇺🇦🇺
I have never stayed on the ship at port, but I would consider it at a few locations.
Have you been on a Solstice class ship?
We’ve sailed on the M class and edge class
I'm really enjoying your videos! Husband and I have our very first cruise scheduled for Nov. 2024 on the Ascent and are looking forward to the experience. All the information you provide will have us well prepared - thank you!
Thanks for watching! I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic cruise
Our last cruise on the Eclipse last June was just OK not memorable. The food in Blu was not as good as what we had experienced in the past. The fancy coffees (the ones with alcohol) at Cafe al Bacio were weak and not as tasty as previous ships. The shows were terribly scaled down with just a handful of performers rotating night to night.
Now they have taken the prepaid tips out of the All-inclusive package. Eliminated On Board Spending perks when booking.
It just seems that they are looking to optimize profits while reducing services and perks.
Oh no. We will be on the Eclipse in Sept.
We loved the Ascent, we did the Inaugural on December 3rd. We didn’t have a single complaint, food was excellent everywhere we ate, and on the last sea day, the Lunch Extravaganza was incredible.
We were on the Maiden also but we were in Aqua, so we had Blu and also dined in Eden, Rooftop Garden Grill, and Raw on 5. NO complaints with these choices. Just about perfect. If I had one minor complaint, it would definitely be the lack of quality wine. I definitely think they need to up their game there.
@@pamelabrauer9450 we have done Aqua in previous cruises, and Blu is excellent, have eaten in Eden and love it, the best crab cake is from Eden. Yes, wines could get better!
We love the Edge class ships & have been on the Apex twice, the Beyond & just last month we were on the Ascent. We love all the restaurants on board but we're changing things up & taking a 10 night Spain cruise on the Equinox. We were on the Equinox back in 2014 & will celebrate our 20 yr anniversary on her! How exciting!
So my wife and I will be on the Ascent on March 17th doing the exact same itinerary you did. We’re so excited. We were on the Edge in Nov. ‘22 and loved it. Thank you for your pointing out in a previous video about the different set-ups of the infinity balcony cabins with the bed either towards the balcony or closer to the closet. We agree with you that we prefer the bed closer to the closet. I checked our cabin on the Ascent and determined as you did in this video that there is a bump-out in the floor plan where the bed goes, so our bed is towards the inside (yay). We usually are in Aqua class so we eat at Blu but we’re in just a regular balcony cabin in March, so we were happy to hear that you thought the food was great in all four dining rooms. We will likely stay on the ship in at least one port, as we’ve been to all ports before. Also, we’re doing a side-to-side cruise. The day we get off the Ascent in Ft. Lauderdale, we’ll be getting on the Celebrity Reflection (and interestingly staying in the exact same cabin as we were in on the Reflection in December). We love your vlogs, Ilana. Keep up the great work.
Have a fantastic cruise and thank you so much for your lovely comments
Hi Larry, my husband & I are going the same cruise as you. We are first time-ers!!! (my big birthday celebration). We will be in Aqua Class so will be dining at Blu most nights (tried to book at the other restaurants but only bookings now available are 9pm). The Blu restaurant looks nice though so happy with that. We might bump into you onboard! Claire & Steve :)
Impressive Cruise Experience! Thanks for sharing your detailed review and insights. Celebrity Ascent sounds like a must-try!
We did a 13 night cruise and NEVER got off the ship. It was so classy and comfortable, we never felt like we wanted to leave. We are going on the Accent in April.
Thank you for the great review! I was on the Ascent in December. I have been on all the edge class ships and the Ascent is the winner! Luigi the cruise director is one of the best entertaining directors of any cruise ship! We loved the food and shows. Trying to get a seat u. Eden or the club for the special shows was challenging. Also Celebrity has increased their bar drinks too much. Other than that we are booked on Beyond in December for the Panama Canal cruise!🚢
I have no intention of EVER going on a cruise because I get severe motion sickness, but your videos are so, so entertaining I can’t stop watching them! I actually can’t believe I’ve watched so many videos about cruising, but that is a testament to your ability to present information.
I’m the same way but if you stay mid ship I promise you’ll be fine. Try a weekend cruise first. Hope that helps. I love the videos too
Are there singles on this ship.
Question, I live a keto lifestyle which has a very specific and strict meaning. Do any of the cruise lines offer a keto meal package?
While I haven’t seen this, specifically, they tend to be very accommodating. I would call and inquire with customer service.
It's all about personal perspective. That's the big thing. Some folks will say lacking, not up to standards etc and other will say I didn't have that experience. Don't let others opinions make your decision and judge for yourself.
Absolutely, for this reason, I like to include a lot of cruise ship footage, both with the ship is busy with passengers and quiet. These videos should only serve as a resource, but people should, of course make up their own mind.
Hi Elana, I’m going on Ascent in April. Did you visit p Persian Garden? How much it was? Do they have a dry sauna at the spa change room like it was on Eclipse?
Sorry I didn’t
I have heard that Celebrity is now charging solo travelers an extra fee on top of having to pay for two as a single. As a Widow, I won't be sailing on them as long as that holds true. Other lines are working to make solo travelers welcome. Other than that, it looks like a lovely ship.
I know it’s difficult as solo cruisers, I would suggest checking the pricing per ship and sailing as it can vary
My husband and I just finished a seven day cruise aboard Beyond. It's our first cruise so we have nothing to compare it to. The ship was beautiful but there were SO many people, too crowded for us (maybe that's how they all are?). The food at the restaurants was really good, but the buffet was only good the first night. The service was excellent everywhere except the Mast Bar; it seemed like we were being intentionally overlooked, so we ended up having to go to another bar to get served. 90% of the passengers were at least 65 and older, and it seemed the entertainment selection mainly centered around that age group. My husband and I are in our 40s, so we didn't find many activities that peaked our interest. We did one snorkeling excursion in Bonaire (through Celebrity). The crew of the sailboat that took us was great, but they were late picking us up and returned early so we snorkeled for a very short time. Again, I have nothing to compare it to but I'm not going to be booking another cruise anytime soon...
Thanks for sharing your experience. I think it depends on the sail date, along with other factors. It sounds like the cruise ship & line may not have been the right match for the vacation you were hoping for
Never sailed but nice ship!!! Thanks for sharing 🛳️🛳️
I have heard that the line lacks consistency. Newer ships get the focus, and the older ships lack the same food quality and selection.
Hmmm, interesting
Travel Tourist Videos did some videos comparing the Celebrity Apex with the Millennium and showed the similarities and differences between the ship classes. I saw no issues with the quality of the food on the older ships. I would say that since the ships are smaller, there are fewer options. However, the cruise fare was also so much smaller.
I think that there were only two things on Celebrity's oldest ship were sub-par. The light and sound system in the main theater was primitive and there the ship has limited indoor space during inclement weather.
I'm dying to try this class of ship - we've got one of the EDGE class ships coming to the UK this year, so I'm going to try and get on (even just for a short cruise) - they look stunning!
I was on its first (pre maiden) voyage in November. The ship was amazing and we had a great time. Zero complaints. I prefer the solstice class though. It felt more like a resort than a ship. I like the classic “ship/cruise” feeling of the older ships. I’m excited for our upcoming 9 night cruise on the Constellation next week!
It's not older vs. newer. It's the style and intimacy and presentation that's different. It's trendy vs. evolutionary. The Edge ships are trendy. The Solstice built on what the Horizon, Century, and Millennium class ships where the Edge tries to depart from that in significant ways. Ship lounges, presentation, intimacy, those things were removed from the Edge ships and more emphasis is put on multi-purpose, multi-level spaces, brightness, exclusive suite spaces. Yes, the restaurants were retained but the only real Celebrity style I see in the Edge ships is the Normandie restaurant. It's a modern take on a classic style. That used to be most of Celebrity style and that's lacking in the Edge ships.
My twin sister and I were on your cruise and we did our best to find you to say hello but did not see you, A little known secret is the Edge class ships have what is called an Deluxe Porthole view with Verandah cabin. These are only on a few decks and there are not many of them and usually at the front of the ship and a few towards the aft of the ship. If you look at the ship from the outside, these are the cabins with the round pothole window. There is a small balcony but it's a balcony for those who like to sit outside The cabin is slightly smaller than the infinite verandah cabins but has the same storage, etc . We celebrated our birthday at Eden and they spoiled us so I would highly recommend anyone with a birthday to book there and let them know it's your birthday. I like eating in the buffet and the food selection is always great. I really enjoy that every meal has cut up fresh fruit and a huge variety of fruit. . We also ate at Rooftop Garden and had the filet and it was one of the best steaks I have had in a long time. We like Cypress and I like that you can order something from another dining menu such as the yellow corn soup from Cosmopolitan. I am glad Cafe al Bacio finally has some savories and what we tried were all very good. Those were easy to take to the cabin and put in a zip lock bag and put in the refrigerator to eat on a morning when we had an early start . We did a back to back and that process was seamless and we were back on the ship in no time and were treated to lunch at Tuscan which was a nice touch. There are a few oddities about the ship but all in all it is a beautiful ship and the staff that we encountered were amazing and the service was amazing and the foot was amazing !
Fantastic summary! Thank you.🥰
You can leave a note with the Guest Services, if you know someone is on board, you'd like to meet. I did this 2 cruises ago, and met up with a old college friend and his wife for drinks.
I’m so sorry we didn’t meet on the cruise but I’m glad to hear about your experience. I’ll have to try that type of cabin sometime. Happy birthday!
Thanks for replying! And thank you for the birthday wishes. Maybe one day we will be on the same cruise again and get to meet
9:58 Kyndal Fire 🔥 is the Best! Jubilee via Galveston Aggie alumi
The ship looks absoutely beautiful!
We’re presently on the Celebrity Eclipse returning from Antarctica and it’s our third Celebrity cruise. The ship seems fully staffed and crew has been excellent.
The food does seem to be a bit below our prior experiences. It’s not bad but just seems a bit tired. It’s a busy cruise so the buffet has been consistently jammed with a lot of entitled passengers so we have been using the different dining rooms.
Thanks for sharing. Have a good rest of your cruise.
All of the Celebrity's Edge class of ships are stunning! While we enjoy cruising with Celebrity and have cruised with Celebrity on 20 cruises, with 4 being on the Edge Class of ships, we have mixed feelings about the Edge class of ships. We have four main concerns: 1). Not having an assigned table or not being able to make advance reservations in the four main dinning rooms. Paying thousands of dollars for a cruise and having to stand in line to get a table is not our definition of a fun cruise. To help with this issue on our last cruise, we purchased a five-night speciality dinning package to eliminate having to stand in line in the main dining room. I will say that the food and service in Fine Cuts, Roof Top Grill, and Eden were outstanding. We also enjoyed lunches in the Eden Cafe and in the main dinning room on sea days (the walnut cookies in the Eden Cafe are amazing). 2) While not limited to the Edge class of ships, the inability to make speciality dinning reservations (dinning packages) before getting on the ship requires having to stand in line (30 minutes - last cruise) once you get on the ship. This is not how you want to start your cruise. 3) Infinite veranda - while we really like the concept, we have found that on most cruises in the Caribbean, due to the heat, you have to keep the shade down most of the time to get your room cool which reduces the infinite effects 4). The limited number of chairs on the pool deck due to the majority of the area on the starboard side of the pool being taken up by the pool cabanas. For us, when the aggravation, exceeds the enjoyment, it's time to look for other options...
You can make a reservation for any main dining room on the app for the time that is right for you.. And you can also make a reservation on the app for any specialty restaurant that is open for dinner. Keep checking your app when that opens up to reserve so you can get the time you want
Hi gatorguy, you are able to book ahead for the four main dining rooms, it seems they only take so many in advance and then it is full. For your 1) what we have done in the past is book all nights in the same restaurant so that we may have the table reservation we want and the same servers, which we love to get to know them and they get to know us. If you would like something off of one of the other dining menus, just ask, no problem.
We were on the Apex last week and reservations could not be made on the App for dinner in the main dinning room. I checked with Guest Services and the Captain Club Rep and was told by both that reservations could not be made for the main dinning rooms, In the past on the Apex, we have made reservations for the main dinning room on the App, we were told that this is no longer available. I checked the App frequently and reservations were not an option for any restaurants. Relative to speciality restaurants, the App option was also not available, unless you want to purchase a new reservation. We have learned by experience, when you have a dinning package, you want to book your reservations as soon as you get on the ship (a tip from many cruise blogs) to get the times you desire. Thanks for the feedback...
@@lucyn9279
I could not agree with you more, but our experience last week on the Apex was very different as we were told that reservations could not be made for the main sinning room as we have done in the past. No one could never give me an answer. We did have several large groups on the cruise, maybe this was the issue, I do not know, All I know is whenever we went by any of the four main dinning rooms there was always a long line waiting to get into dinner. @@birdsnest26
I didn't make one reservation for the MDR on the Apex and the longest I waited was 5 minutes. And I didn't want to be tied down to a time so it worked just fine.
The pool lounge issue I do after with. The Cabana space to me is is wasted.
Oh and the food was fantastic. Choices were not bad and I am like Ilana I love Normandie
The Beyond Signature was my wife's favourite cocktail as well 🙂