We’ve sailed on the Celebrity Cruises Ascent three times (so far) and here is our honest review of the ship. Note that these were NOT influencer familiarization cruises. We paid for all three cruises ourselves.
The Ascent is Celebrity Cruises’ newest addition to its Edge-class fleet. We’ve been lucky enough to explore plenty of ships—like the Celebrity Reflection and Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam—and we couldn’t wait to see how the Ascent stacked up. From incredible dining options and a fantastic theater to a luxurious Retreat, here’s our take. Spoiler – we like her so much that we are taking her on our upcoming Postcard Jar Friends Cruise to the Mediterranean in October 2026 – and there’s still room to join us. Just fill out THIS FORM and we’ll be touch.
About the Celebrity Ascent
Launched in late 2023, the Celebrity Ascent is a premium cruise ship. It’s 1,073 feet long (think three and a half American football fields) with room for 3,260 guests across her 17 decks. She’s part of Celebrity’s Edge series, known for sleek design and innovative features like the Magic Carpet, a movable platform that shifts from deck to deck.
We stepped aboard expecting modern elegance, and the Ascent delivered. The decor blends even more soft, neutral tones than her Edge-class sisters.
With contemporary furnishings that are far different than older vessels, she gives a vibe that’s both upscale and inviting.
Honest Review of Dining on the Celebrity Ascent
If you’ve read our blog for any amount of time, you know we are foodies. Dining on the Ascent was exceptional and offered a diverse array of dishes (check out the puff pastry covered lobster bisque below). With 12 restaurants, four casual dining spots, and 14 cafés, bars, and lounges, there’s something for every craving.
Our first cruise aboard the Ascent was in a Concierge Class cabin, so our dinners were in the main dining rooms. We like that instead of one huge main dining room, the Edge-class ships all have four separate dining rooms offering some special menu items unique to each theme. Each has its own personality: Cosmopolitan offers new American dishes with global flair—perfect for our adventurous palates. Cyprus focuses on Mediterranean-themed dishes. Normandie brings French sophistication with a modern twist, while Tuscan serves up rustic Italian classics like carbonara and chicken parmesan.
The restaurants all share some menu items but each offers exclusive dishes tied to their themes, plus nightly specials. You’re assigned a “home” restaurant, but we loved that we could switch it up when seats were available. Also, if you want to dine in Normandy but would prefer the pasta served in Tuscan, you can order from any of the four dining room menus. We typically peruse the menus in the Celebrity Cruises app before dinner so we know what each place is serving.
Celebrity offers three options for dining times: early seating at 6 P.M., late at 8:30 P.M., or “anytime” dining for flexibility. We went with “anytime” as we like to mix up our dining times throughout the week. Dining times are selected when booking your cruise and are space-available. Contact your travel advisor for help.
Review of the Oceanview Cafe on Celebrity Ascent
Beyond the dining rooms, the Oceanview Café buffet is excellent—think salad bar, stir-fries, Indian curries, made-to-order pasta dishes, and grilled favorites. We especially like the buffet for lunch and appreciate the hand washing stations at the entrances. We love the variety of food and all of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Check out the roasted vegetable station pictured below!
To us, Celebrity has the best salad bar at sea. They also have extravagant cakes and desserts that test our willpower every time we walk by. Even if we don’t indulge in them, we always stop in the Oceanview Cafe to see the exquisite creations.
The Mast Grill kept us fueled poolside with burgers, while Eden Café and the Spa Café and Juice Bar offered lighter fare like salads and smoothies. Ann absolutely loves the chicken salad and the quinoa salad at the Spa Café. You’ll find it in the Solarium where it provides the perfect snack while lounging by the adults-only indoor pool.
Oh, and Café al Bacio? Complimentary pastries with our fancy iced tea were a daily must. You can stand at the counter to oder take-away snacks and drinks, or just sit in one of the comfortable chairs in the café and a server will take your order and bring them to you.
Specialty Dining Is Worth the Extra Cost on the Ascent
We couldn’t resist splurging on the specialty restaurants, and they were worth every penny. Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud is a standout—French-inspired dishes in an intimate setting felt like a Michelin-star treat. We’ve eaten at Le Voyage many times and here are our recommendations:
Ann – Start with the White Cosmo cocktail that is only served in Le Voyage. For appetizers (yes, I get two) I order the Alaskan King Crab Salad or the Tamarind and Peanut-Crusted Prawns. For my entrée, I recommend the Brazilian Moqueca. If you eat there twice, definitely also try the Poulet Aux Morelles–herb marinated and steam-roasted chicken breast, served with potato croquettes with porcini powder, grilled asparagus and morel-madeira sauce. It’s absolutely phenomenal and is probably the best chicken dish we’ve ever had.
Steve – Sip an Old Fashioned with the mouth-watering bread that is served before the meal. The Vidalia Onion Tart is my go-to appetizer along with the Vadouvan Roasted Cauliflower. If you each are just ordering one appetizer, I recommend also sharing the the cauliflower dish. In my opinion, the Prime Black Angus Filet Mignon is the best steak on the ship. I typically prefer a ribeye, but this filet with the Saint-Nectaire Potatoes is outstanding.
We won’t spoil the ending to the meal, but will just advise – save room for dessert.
Other Specialty Restaurants on the Edge-Class Ships
Fine Cut Steakhouse is the ship’s steakhouse with juicy cuts and truffle mashed potatoes served family style.
PRO TIP: If you like a quieter dinner, ask to be seated near the windows and away from the open tables that are right above the Grand Plaza on Deck 3 where there is often live music or a DJ playing.
Rooftop Garden Grill gave us casual grilled favorites with ocean views, while Eden Restaurant pampered us with creative dishes and plant-based options in a lush, garden-like space. Raw on 5 offered sushi and oysters, while Le Grand Bistro brought French classics—mussels and frites—plus a fun Le Petit Chef show with tiny animated chefs “cooking” our meal on our place setting. The Magic Carpet is the only specialty restaurant we haven’t tried yet. Most of these venues require reservations, so we planned ahead—and you should too! If you can’t get a reservation online before the cruise, be sure to stop by the host stand one night one and see if you can get in.
Bars on the Celebrity Ascent Shine
Our Review of Activities and Entertainment on the Celebrity Ascent
The Ascent leans into relaxation over high-octane thrills, which suited us just fine. The lido deck’s main pool is a stunner, flanked by two hot tubs shaped like giant champagne glasses—such a cool touch! Deck 15 has two plunge pools with glass walls right on the ship’s edge, giving us breathtaking views. For a quieter escape, we loved the adults-only Solarium with its indoor pool and hot tubs (16+ only). No waterslides or go-karts here, but the ship offers solid kids’ and teens’ programs—we’ve heard great things from families onboard.
As for entertainment, you’ll find shows nightly in the main theater typically at 7:30 and 9:30. These rotate between single performers, comedians, and magicians. The ship also has a resident a cast providing a Broadway-stye experience with a touch of Cirque d Soleil thrown in. There’s also, an entire second cast that performs a bit later in the large Eden lounge area. Add to that a number of musicians playing and singing at various venues around the ship, and you’ll find there’s always something to do.
The Spa on the Celebrity Cruises Ascent
We also spent time in the spa, salon, and fitness center—perfect for unwinding or staying active. The fitness center seemed to be busiest in the mornings, but the afternoons were a great time to work out without the crowds. Then, there’s the SEA Thermal Suite, complete with swinging chairs, heated relaxation loungers, a steam room, sauna and more.
We both enjoyed spa services on the Ascent. Ann always likes a pedicure at sea. Nothing like watching the waves roll by while having your legs rubbed. Steve often schedules a men’s shave at the spa. On the Ascent, you can recline in a real barber chair while a barber gives you a full shave experience complete with extra moisturizers and soothing hot towels.
PRO TIP: Be sure to check your Celebrity Today for daily spa specials.
Our cabins on the Celebrity Ascent
We’ve stayed in a three different cabins on the Ascent, and each had its charm. First up were the Infinite Veranda cabins—Concierge Class (12128) and AquaClass (9315). The Concierge cabin was on Deck 12, right under the Solarium; we were pleasantly surprised by how quiet it was. The aft location of 9315 meant a bit of a walk to the elevators, but it was worth it. These cabins have floor-to-ceiling windows that open halfway for fresh air or close to create an enclosed veranda—spacious and versatile, they quickly became our favorite feature.
The infinite veranda area was the perfect spot for reading our Kindles and sipping a glass of wine.
The Retreat on the Celebrity Ascent Was Beautiful
We also tried Magic Carpet Sky Suite (7206), midship with a large veranda and no view obstruction from the Magic Carpet itself.
In fact, not only was there no obstruction, the veranda was even bigger than many of the other suites. Suite guests on all Celebrity Edge-Class ships have access to The Retreat Lounge and the Retreat Sundeck, as well as dining at Luminae (an upscale restaurant just for suite guests). We love the ship within a ship concept and the exceptional service that butlers and the Retreat Concierges bring. CLICK HERE to read our blog post about Is The Retreat is Worth It?
Final Thoughts On Our Celebrity Ascent Review
The Celebrity Ascent won us over with its elegant design, fantastic food, and thoughtful touches like the Infinite Verandas and Magic Carpet. The crew’s genuine warmth and the ship’s relaxed vibe made each trip one to remember.
Thinking about cruising the Ascent yourself? Join us in October of 2026 on our Postcard Jar Friends Cruise to the Mediterranean and/or transatlantic cruise aboard this gorgeous ship! If those dates don’t work for you, no worries. As travel advisors with Dream Vacations, we’d love to help you plan and book your next cruise vacation for no additional fees! Reach out to us at a.teget@dreamvacations.com or call 402-575-9624. We can’t wait to help you make your own memories on this incredible ship!
