Onboard Review: Celebrity Ascent Offers Elevated Experience for Travelers

LOUNGE DECKCelebrity Ascent—Elevated Experience for TravelersBy Laurel HermanSailing on the 1,646-stateroom Celebrity Ascent this past November—the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Class—we found it offers new and stellar entertainment, more spaces to escape to and continued culinary excellence. All of which goes to say that it undoubtedly will appeal to your clients looking for elegant design, choice and an overall elevated premium experience. “We want to provide travelers with the very best vacation experience in the premium market,” says Katina Athanasiou, sr. v.p., sales & services, The Americas for Celebrity Cruises. “And our travel advisor partners are telling us that Celebrity Cruises delivers better in all the areas that are important to their customers,” she adds. Athanasiou elaborates by telling Recommend that they focus on continuing to deliver better on their five passion points: customer service to make the service more personalized; high-quality food and drink; more comfortable accommodations and spaces; bringing the destination to life; and better experiences for activities on board. “And for an even more elevated experience, travel advisors can offer The Retreat. Passengers will enjoy having the ease of booking at their fingertips via the butler service that is part of the ship-within-a-ship experience; the butler will take care of their shore excursions, dining reservations and other bookings. The Retreat is for the client that is not price-conscious and wants that added layer of service and amenities,” explains Athanasiou.The RetreatThe Retreat, which we experienced firsthand during our time on board, offers a boutique resort feeling across its 186 suites and exclusive common areas. Located on decks 14 and 15, here one finds posh accommodations, ranging from the Sky Suite, starting at 319 sf, to the 1,892-sf Iconic Suite. We reveled in our 401-sf Celebrity Suite with an expansive verandah that is visible via the floor-to-ceiling windows and spreads across the entire expanse of the living room. Amenities include a well-stocked minibar with alcoholic beverages, two flat-screen TVs with a great entertainment system (one in the living room area and the other in the bedroom), cashmere bedding and butler service. Clients staying in The Retreat have access to private spaces such as the Luminae restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner), The Retreat Lounge and The Retreat Sundeck featuring an outdoor pool and Retreat attendants. With its floor-to-ceiling views of the ocean on either side, The Retreat Lounge, open 24/7, is an ideal spot to gather with friends over specialty coffees or during the afternoon cocktail hour that features tea sandwiches and other delights. Luminae, too, is a real treat, with stellar service and excellent cuisine in a sophisticated yet relaxed environment. Travel advisors should note that The Retreat guests have a special boarding lounge when sailing out of Fort Lauderdale with concierge-style check-in as well as pre-boarding drinks and snacks and preferential first-off rights while at port.DUMPLINGSCulinary Experiences AboundAscent offers your clients eight specialty restaurants with a variety of cuisines. We dined at a few venues and can say that the experiences will prove memorable for your clients. Take Le Voyage, which is celebrity Michelin-star chef Daniel Boulud’s first dining venue at sea (Boulud is also the brand’s global culinary ambassador). Here clients will appreciate the fine dining experience as well as such menu items as Alaska king crab salad, tamarind- and peanut-crusted prawns (my fave) and prime black angus filet mignon with black truffle sauce. We also thoroughly enjoyed Raw on 5, a dining experience focused on seafood and Asian cuisine with an extensive menu that includes top recommendations such as a ginger-tini cocktail, made with Pure Snow sake, ginger vodka and muddled cranberry and ginger; a fresh seafood tower; and homemade lobster & shrimp wontons. GARDEN DECKPlay & ChillThe ship’s multi-level Sunset Bar, one of 32 F&B choices on the ship, offers fantastic views and plenty of seating for relaxing. We also loved the beautifully designed Rooftop Garden, where we enjoyed a morning yoga class. Here guests can also enjoy films and other programming on a big screen. Unique to the Celebrity Edge Class is the Magic Carpet, where clients can enjoy food and drinks off the side of the ship with stunning views of the ocean. But my personal favorite is the Martini Bar, located in the heart of ship. Recommend clients pass by before dinner to listen to music and sample a variety of martinis. What’s New on AscentTravel advisors should note a few changes from the previous Edge Class ship Celebrity Beyond. While the size and number of staterooms are the same, there is a new entertainment space called the Annex where your clients can enjoy experiences like karaoke; it features a golf simulator and an area to watch sports events. There are a few changes in F&B options as well. Le Voyage, the aforementioned specialty dining venue, has been redesigned, and Blu, the exclusive restaurant for Aqua Class stateroom guests, now offers alfresco dining with a new outdoor terrace. Over at the specialty interactive dining experience Le Petit Chef, there’s a new animated storyline. Celebrity has also amped up its entertainment offerings, not just on Ascent but across the brand. The Shine the Night deck party, for example, is a new nighttime experience on the resort deck. The ship’s three new production shows are simply amazing, and I do not say that lightly. Two of the productions, which take place in the theater, are performed by a group of extremely talented singers, dancers and aerialists that perform with passion while the background imagery splashed across high-tech, floor-to-ceiling screens explodes with colors and designs that change depending on the show. Both the Awaken and Bridges productions are must-sees. The Eden Lounge troupe also performs in the ship’s nightclub, The Club, and the new production called Smoke and Ivories is yet another well done entertainment offering. The casino, Cosmopolitan (one of the main dining rooms) and the Art Gallery were also redesigned. SHOW ON STAGEAdvisors, Take Note Athanasiou shares with travel advisors that Celebrity Cruises is suited for clients who are looking for top-notch service, exemplary cuisine and inspiring destination experiences. She also points out that the Celebrity brand is ideal for travelers with families and explains that the ship is a perfect product for multi-generational groups with teenagers in tow, who would relate to many of the shipboard activities, including the specialty restaurants. Ascent delivers all of the amenities and activities of a larger ship but in a more intimate way so families can really connect. And when it comes to dining, advisors should point out to their clients that choosing Celebrity gives them an element of choice with over 20 dining venues, so they can experience a new dining venue every night and make lasting memories. Contact InformationCelebrity Cruises: celebritycruises.com

COVERHAL GATE 1HAL GATE 2 & 3HAL GATE 4Table of ContentsSANDALSSANDALS SPREADEditor's NotesAMERICAN CRUISE LINESAdvisor Speak: Passion for Cruises Led Her Here— A $3 Million Travel AgencyIndustry Insights: Tour Operators are ‘Highly Confident’ About 2024Cruise: Swanky SailingsCruise: Multimillion-dollar Revamp for Windstar Sailing YachtsATLAS OCEAN VOYAGES SCATLAS OCEAN VOYAGESPRINCESS CRUISES SCPRINCESS CRUISESSCENIC SCSCENIC LUXURY CRUISES & TOURSSEABOURN SCSEABOURNDISNEY SCAlaska Cruise Season—Booking Options for 2024 & 2025DISNEY CRUISE LINEHOLLAND AMERICA LINE SCRECOMMEND EDU HOUSE ADALASKA RAILROAD SC ADOnboard Review: Discovery Princess—10 Reasons to Book for an Alaska VoyageOnboard Review: Celebrity Ascent Offers Elevated Experience for TravelersOnboard Review: Norwegian Viva—Cruising in Comfort and StyleMexico/Caribbean: Elevating Romance Through LuxuryPALLADIUM HOTEL GROUP SPREADATLANTIS SCATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND BAHAMASINCLUSIVE COLLECTION SCINCLUSIVE COLLECTIONSANDALS SCOnsite Review: Impression Isla Mujeres by SecretsOnsite Review: Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & SpaOnsite Review: Sandals Dunn’s River—Sandals 2.0 Looks Mighty FineOnsite Review: 3 Melia Hotels & a Theme ParkPALLADIUM HOTEL GROUPCUNARD