January 2024: An Exciting Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Ascent
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Caribbean itineraries are the perfect way to test out cruising, and seven days is just the right length of time for one. After almost a dozen Caribbean cruises, we’re pros at them now, but the chance to do a Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Ascent was too enticing to pass up.
This cruise was round-trip Fort Lauderdale with three port days alternating with three days at sea. Perfect! Here is the itinerary:
- Day 1: Fort Lauderdale
- Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas
- Day 3: At Sea
- Day 4: Cozumel, Mexico
- Day 5: At Sea
- Day 6: George Town, Grand Cayman
- Day 7: At Sea
- Day 8: Fort Lauderdale
Day 1: Embarkation Day
We booked in the Retreat, Celebrity’s exclusive suite experience, which afforded us priority embarkation. It took us less than fifteen minutes from the time our taxi dropped us off at Port Everglades to when we boarded the ship. In that time, we’d checked our bags with a porter, walked into the building and found the Retreat area, then gone through the quick check-in process.
The first stop onboard was our cabin, where we picked up our seapass cards waiting for us at the door. I took pictures and video of the cabin for you to see, then dropped off our carry-on and other small bags. A small sign was on our bed, asking us to come back later, as the cabin attendant hadn’t quite finished our cabin yet.
On this trip, we had a lovely sky suite. It was spacious and well-appointed, just what you would expect from Celebrity, and our bed was oh-so-comfortable. A bottle of red wine was waiting for us on the coffee table, always a nice touch.
Our cabin attendant, Muje, made sure we had everything we needed. He kept our cabin spotless throughout the week, popping in like a fairy when we were gone and working his magic.
The first order of business was the muster drill. We had already watched the safety video in our hotel that morning, so we made our way to our appointed station at the Fine Cut Steakhouse. Two minutes later, we were done, and we headed to Luminae, the Retreat restaurant, for lunch.
After lunch, we explored a little, excited that we were on a new ship, but also happy that we were familiar with the Edge-class layout.
As usual for embarkation day, I headed to the spa and indulged in a haircut and a mani/pedi. While waiting for my first appointment in the relaxation room, I enjoyed a fabulous view of Fort Lauderdale during our sailaway.
By the time I was done at the spa, our luggage had arrived, so we unpacked and set up our cabin.
That evening, we dined at Luminae and had a lovely meal, the first of many wonderful dinners there throughout the week.
Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas
On day three, we stopped at Nassau, where we’d scheduled the Jeep Adventure and Saunders Beach Break, a three-and-a-half-hour excursion ($159.98 for two) that was mainly a Jeep tour of the city. Myron was the driver of our four-person Jeep, which we shared with two ladies on the excursion, and off we went.
Our caravan of five vehicles struggled to keep together in heavy city traffic, following our fearless guide, who zipped around like Mario Andretti. The buildings in Nassau are very colorful, and we were surprised to learn there is actually a color scheme to denote different types of public buildings there.
At one point, we stopped at a street full of food vendors just setting up for the day. Our group of four found an open bar and enjoyed Bahama Mamas while the others shopped. It was a little early in the day, but we didn’t care. So much fun.
Nassau is very attractive, especially the shoreline. The turquoise water is so inviting!
We stopped at a bat cave, which only the bravest of our group ventured into since the entrance was a bit slippery. Afterward, we made a quick stop at Saunders Beach where we all took pictures, but no one ventured into the water.
That evening, after our sailaway, we enjoyed the most beautiful sunset.
I had a bit of luck that night in the casino, my biggest win yet, and met up with a friend I’d made on a previous cruise. She introduced me to a couple of other casino regulars, and we had a great time together all week.
Day 3: Sea Day
On our second sea day, I got up early and took pictures all over the ship, which I shared in my photo tour of the Ascent. It’s so deserted and quiet in the early mornings, and you can enjoy the solitude. It’s wonderful to be one of the first to enjoy Cafe al Bacio in the morning, with a latte and a Danish or two.
Note the cute bear face in the foam of my latte. The baristas are so talented.
Day 4: Cozumel, Mexico
In Cozumel, we were taken to the lovely Dolphinaris resort, where we had booked the excursion Mexologist For The Day, a mixology course specializing in Mexican cocktails that lasted three and a half hours ($99.98 for two). It was a small class, only five couples, and each couple had their own workstation.
I got a wee bit tipsy after making and drinking five cocktails, despite the fact that we had a nice snack and lunch. We got a bit distracted watching the dolphins in the pools below us, though.
The instructor was fun and the music lively. Between the fun, the food, and the cocktails, we definitely got our money’s worth.
Day 5: Sea Day
On our second sea day, I took more photos of the ship and spent the day visiting the bars and ordering various cocktails. For research, of course. My friend introduced me to the French Caribbean at the Retreat Bar, which is absolutely yummy, and later I ordered a Tito’s Punch from the Craft Social Bar while chatting with a pair of octogenarian sisters and one’s daughter, who were a lot of fun.
After all the times we’ve been on Celebrity’s Edge-class ships, this was the first time I’d actually ventured onto the Magic Carpet, the orange extension from the side of the ship. It holds a multipurpose space that is used as a restaurant and as a bar and lounge.
We had a great view of it from our cabin. Here it was descending incredibly slowly to another deck.
Day 6: George Town, Grand Cayman
Although we’d been to a stingray experience before in Antigua, it was fun to do it again in Grand Cayman on the Stingray City Sandbar Adventure, which lasted three hours ($153.98 for two).
After getting a chance to enjoy the rays and the gorgeous water, we were taken to a restaurant for an included lunch, but a cocktail advertised for “$12 bucks” ended up costing $20 US. You have to be careful when ordering in foreign restaurants for that very reason.
Day 7: Sea Day
On our third and last sea day, I finished up the last photos I needed of the ship—a cruise blogger’s job is never done.
That evening in the casino, we participated in a slots tournament. Neither of us won, but it was still fun.
Day 8: Disembarkation Day
Disembarkation day was sad, as usual, because we hate for the cruise to come to an end. But we won’t be sad long, for our next cruise is coming up in a few weeks with a ten-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Equinox, yet another new ship for us.
Final Thoughts On Our Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Ascent
A Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Ascent was the perfect choice, a nice getaway from the January snow here in northern Idaho. We enjoyed the warmth, the turquoise water at the ports, the great food onboard, and the spoiling we always get in the Retreat. Overall, this cruise was a great success.
Happy cruising!
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