Great Ship ... but be prepared

Celebrity Ascent Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 56

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5
Verified Review
Celebrity Ascent

7 Night San Juan Tortola & St. Kitts (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 17, 2023

Ship: Celebrity Ascent

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 12238

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 8 months ago

Review summary

Good cruise that could have been SO much better ... the boat was great but the service and petty charges marred an otherwise outstanding experience.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Although there were "designated" boarding times, we were able to board earlier without a problem

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Outstanding food ... service could have been better

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Nice activities, but were crowded ... ship could have done a better job with consistency in scheduling events rather than changing locations day to day

Entertainment

3 out of 5
VERY loud and catering more to the younger crowd

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Our room steward was exceptional ... he made a family birthday extra special and was most attentive throughout the cruise. Dining staff could use a little more work ... I grew up in the resort business and may be more critical than others, but not being able to get a waiter's attention for over 16 minutes is inexcusable. Be prepared ... Celebrity raised its per glass prices to many formerly included drinks on the Choice package are NOT included ... we were disappointed not be be able to have a glass of Riesling with dinner because it now costs $12/glass for a wine that costs $7.67 per bottle ... and Smoothies were not included even at $7.50/each. Got charged for internet inspire of the "package" so watch for the petty charges that will nickel and dime you to death !!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
With the weather, we were glad to have booked a veranda cabin ... although under normal circumstances, I would probably book a balcony instead.

Ship tip

Book the specialty restaurants as soon as you are able to get on the APP ... they fill up fast

Ports of call

San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 out of 5
Did NOT have adequate time in this port, especially with the arrival being just a couple of hours before it turned dark ... perhaps reversing the ports would have been a better option, but there's got to be a better arrival time than 3:30pm with a 10pm departure on the shortest day of the year !!

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

4 out of 5

Basseterre, St. Kitts

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Would have been nice to know ahead of time that passports were not required ... facial recognition was all they used.
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