Celebrity Ascent

Ascent’s Resort Deck is built to be used from early morning until late at night. One of the largest pools in the industry runs down the middle, with a big pool bar behind it and two champagne-glass hot tubs above. Loungers face both the sea and the pool, and cabanas line the poolside for a Las Vegas beach-club feel. Each Edge Series ship has its own signature sculpture, and on Ascent it’s a giant chrome octopus.

The Magic Carpet is the orange platform cantilevered off the side of the ship, and it moves between decks. On Deck 14 or 16 it’s a bar and lounge with tables for two and four, high-top bar seats and sweeping views straight out to sea. On Deck 5 it becomes Dinner on the Edge, an upgraded specialty experience with dishes from Raw on 5. On tender days it drops to Deck 2 and becomes the boarding platform for Destination Gateway.

The Rooftop Garden is filled with live plants and cozy nooks, with yoga in the morning, pickleball and games by day, and movies on a big screen at night. Two float pools reach out over the side of the ship. Rooftop Garden Grill serves barbecue from an open kitchen (extra cost). All the way aft, the Moroccan-themed Sunset Bar by Nate Berkus steps down in tiers toward the wake, with a bandstand for live music.

The Retreat is Celebrity’s ship-within-a-ship for suite guests. The two-story Retreat Sundeck has a large pool, hot tubs cantilevered off the side, daybeds and loungers, its own bar, and a lunch restaurant known for the Luminae Burger. The expanded Retreat Lounge is home base for the concierge team, so you can skip the guest relations desk. Luminae sits at the very top front of the ship and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Eden is a three-story space at the back of the ship, wrapped in glass with near 180-degree views. By day it’s a calm, light-filled spot with lounge seating, and at night the dance floor hosts production-style shows and lounge acts. The bar is known for creative cocktails, some served in a little treasure chest. Eden Café serves complimentary soups and salads, and Eden Restaurant offers inventive dinners from an open kitchen.

AquaClass is Celebrity’s spa-inspired stateroom category, and Danny sees it as a great upgrade for guests not quite ready for a suite. AquaClass guests get access to the SEA Thermal Suite for the whole cruise, with heated stone loungers, a salt room, steam rooms and an infrared sauna. They also dine at Blu for breakfast and dinner every day at no extra cost. Aqua Sky Suite guests can choose Blu, Luminae or both.

The Grand Plaza is the beating heart of Ascent, and it’s bigger than on the earlier Edge Series ships. The Martini Bar moved to the middle, with flair bartending under the LED chandelier, live music and silent discos. Around it are Cafe al Bacio, Le Grand Bistro, Craft Social and the World Class Bar. One level up are Fine Cut Steakhouse and Raw on 5, which serves sushi, sashimi and seafood towers.

Instead of one big dining room, Ascent has four complimentary main restaurants: Cyprus, a nod to Celebrity’s Greek heritage; Cosmopolitan, with New York City vibes; Tuscan, which Danny calls the most beautiful of the four; and Normandie, a tribute to the SS Normandie. They share a rotating daily menu and the classics, and each one adds its own signature dishes, so it’s worth trying all four.