EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: I had the opportunity to go on a pre- inaugural sailing of Celebrity’s newest ship, Celebrity Ascent, and I brought my reluctant husband along. He has always been against cruising because he envisioned crowded pools and tiny staterooms.

Celebrity Ascent is the newest of four ships in Celebrity’s Edge Series which includes Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Beyond. In 2025 Celebrity will introduce one more in the Edge Series, Celebrity Xcel, bringing the series total to five.

As we walked up to the ship in Port Everglades, Florida, I marveled at its sheer size — it’s definitely different seeing a mega ship in person as compared to the photos in our magazine. We then navigated to our stateroom. It took a while to get used to the layout of the massive ship, but we found the signage outside the elevators helpful when we didn’t know which way was forward or aft.

PHOTO: © TRACEY CULLEN

GUEST QUARTERS: We stayed in a Sky Suite, a 319-square-foot room boasting a private veranda with two chairs and a table. In addition to the king-sized bed, the room held a small desk and chair, a couch and coffee table. The large bathroom had a nice, long sink with dual faucets flanking either end, providing plenty of room for two guests to get ready at the same time. The shower was spacious, and the toilet had its own private space with a door. This was not at all what my husband had envisioned in a cruise ship bathroom! To Jim’s surprise, this stateroom was as large as any nice hotel room we have stayed in.

SERVICES/AMENITIES: There’s always something to do on Celebrity Ascent, from Broadway-quality shows to interactive golf, a fun game show and a speakeasy-style jazz club. Relax in one of the float pools cantilevered over the open ocean — the highlights of the Rooftop Garden, which extends right over the ship’s side.

For dinner we had reservations at one of the eight specialty dining restaurants, Le Petit Chef at Le Grand Bistro. This isn’t just a meal, it’s an immersive dining experience. With the use of visual projections directly on he table, Le Petit Chef comes to life. The white tablecloth becomes a blank canvas for the colorful creations of world-renowned artists of Skullmapping. The tiny chef hops around the table, showing how each course is made, from soup to fish to beef Wellington. After he showed how a dish was prepared, the waiters came by and presented the real-life dish. It was a fun little story, and I kept thinking how exciting it would be for children. (But you don’t need to be a child to enjoy the fun show!)

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  

• Don’t miss watching the talented bartenders at night during their exciting Flash Flair Fusion performance at the Grand Plaza.
• One unique feature of ships in Celebrity’s Edge series is the Magic Carpet, the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform reaching heights of 13 stories above sea level. This bright- orange platform, about the size of a tennis court, hangs off the outside of the ship, offering amazing views. Throughout the day, the platform is stationed on different decks and performs different functions.