MIAMI (July 25, 2023) – We first cruised with Celebrity Cruises in December on board the Apex, and it was both love at first sight and taste. Previously we had mostly cruised on another cruise line and decided to explore Celebrity on a whim. The Apex was a beautiful ship, with impeccable service and some of the best food we’ve ever enjoyed at sea.
Yesterday, Celebrity Cruises, the award-winning premium cruise line pioneering resort travel at sea, revealed details of the culinary and beverage program planned for its highly-anticipated new ship, Celebrity Ascent.
Ascent is the fourth vessel in the line’s revolutionary Edge Series, with the Edge, Apex and Beyond already sailing.
Celebrity promises their newest ship will delight travelers with redesigned restaurants, a new immersive dinner experience, expanded food and cocktail menus, a new whiskey tasting experience, and a plant-based multi-course dinner. Um, they had me at whiskey tasting experience. I am super excited about their new exclusive partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey.
Laura Hodges Bethge, Celebrity Cruises’ President said, “The memories we make with family and friends while sharing food and drink has long-been one of the most memorable parts of travel, and with Celebrity Ascent we sought every opportunity to make these experiences richer and even more exciting for our guests.”
And, the line recognizes that every cruiser has different needs and expectations, something we are reminded of every time we cruise with our tweens.
“Onboard Ascent there is something to delight every guest, whether it is the fine dining connoisseur with a palate for the world’s best wines, the couple looking for an intimate and romantic night out, the family that desires to bond with their kids over a fun and high-energy experience, or the wellness-minded traveler desiring more plant-based, healthy options, Laura Hodges Bethge concluded ”
A New Le Voyage: Chef Daniel Boulud’s Exclusive Restaurants at Sea
World renowned chef, Daniel Boulud, Celebrity’s Global Culinary Ambassador, will bring his highly acclaimed restaurant concept at sea to Celebrity Ascent. The second installment of the highly rated fine dining venue, Le VoyageSM will feature an all-new design that creates a stunning scene and ambiance, featuring a new chandelier, captivating neutrals, plush banquet seating, and gold tones throughout. Guests will experience a global menu crafted by Chef Boulud himself that offers dishes from his personal travels and favorite places around the world.
For the ultimate culinary experience, groups can reserve the Chef’s Table – a private, 6-seat dining room that treats diners to a multi-course tasting dinner complete with exceptional wine pairings. In true Boulud fashion, diners are treated to his signature homemade madeleines at the end of each meal.
Plant-Based Flavors and Options Pop
One of the most captivating venues onboard Edge Series ships, Eden, is a window to the world, featuring three levels of sensory experiences completely wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows. We dined at Eden during our cruise on the Apex and were blown away by the service, ambiance and our meal.
The multi-use venue offers a casual lunch café, a cocktail bar, an entertainment space, an outdoor terrace and a signature restaurant – all of which come alive at night with a fusion of music, libations, and performances unlike anything else at sea. One of the highlights of Eden is its signature restaurant, offering a culinary journey rooted in untouched, fresh and seasonal ingredients.
With the arrival of Ascent, travelers will have the opportunity to experience global cuisine in its most pristine and untouched form through a new seven-course plant-based tasting menu. Each dish features ingredients that have been sourced from their original place of origin and presented in the most natural state. Menu highlights include dishes like the Golden Beet-Tomato Ceviche, Ajoblanco Panna Cotta, Roasted and Glazed Celeriac Steak, and Dry Rose Petals Masala Curry. Enjoyed as a tasting menu, or a la carte, diners can also opt for organic and vegan wine pairings.
Expanded Offerings at Main Dining Rooms and Redesigned Cosmopolitan Restaurant
With the Edge Series ships, Celebrity presented a new dining room concept, expanding offerings from one main dining room to four main dining restaurants –each offering a different style of cuisine and signature dishes. Onboard Ascent, travelers will continue to enjoy the option for New American cuisine at Cosmopolitan restaurant; Mediterranean at Cyprus; French contemporary at Normandie; and Italian at Tuscan. Combined, the four main dining restaurants offer travelers more than 84 different dishes to choose from. Guests of Cosmopolitan will be delighted by its new design inspired by the culture of champagne, featuring a new layout and seating throughout.
Specialty Dining Revamps at Le Petit Chef, Fine Cut and Blu
Celebrity continues to be the only cruise line to feature the immersive and high-tech Le Petit Chef dinner experience that has become a worldwide favorite. Each dinner features a multi-course menu that is brought to life by colorful and fun animations of a tiny chef who tells the story behind each dish. Each course’s animation ends with a digital version of the dish, followed by the real-life dish placed seamlessly in front of the diner for a wow-worthy experience. Exclusively available on Ascent, guests will experience an all-new four-course dining show told in the style of a fairytale as the tiny chef comes across a mysterious magical cookbook with whimsical recipes full of surprises.
The crowd-favorite Fine Cut Steakhouse, recognized for its impressive selection of prime meats, from dry-aged filets to larger-than-life Tomahawk steaks, will now offer a new dish – the Lemon Poached Lobster Tail with melted leeks, shiitake mushrooms, lobster ravioli and a house made beurre Blanc sauce. Meanwhile, guests of the wellness-minded Aqua Class will enjoy the opportunity to dine al fresco for breakfast or dinner in Blu’s new outdoor terrace space.
Raising a Glass and Raising the Bar with New Drink Offerings
Celebrity Cruises is renowned for its extensive spirits tasting program, which currently includes partnerships with Jack Daniel’s and Macallan. For Ascent the brand will be going even further to delight the most experienced beverage connoisseur through a new exclusive partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey. Brought to life in close collaboration with Chief Blender, Meghan Ireland, Ascent will feature two hand-selected barrels made exclusively for Celebrity Cruises. Available at Craft Social, guests can enjoy a Special Bespoke Barrel Aged 12 Years and Special Single Barrel Aged 10 Years, either as a la carte options or as part of a tasting flight that also features WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon (Aged 6 Years), WhistlePig 10, and WhistlePig 12.
With more than 100 Wine Spectator awards in over a decade, and still the only cruise line to ever receive the coveted “Best Of” Award of Excellence, no other cruise line delights wine lovers more. Three of Celebrity Ascent’s venues were recognized at the 2023 Wine Spectator Awards, with Le Voyage and Tuscan being recipients of the “Best Of” Award of Excellence, and Fine Cut becoming an Award of Excellence winner. Wine aficionados will enjoy each of the venue’s extensive wine lists, as well as Ascent’s expert certified sommeliers, and signature wine tasting seminars and world tour experiences.
At the heart of each Edge Series ship is The Grand Plaza with the signature wrap-around Martini Bar as the main focal point. We love sitting in the Grand Plaza and listening to the live music while people watching and enjoying a before or after dinner cocktail.
Our tweens enjoyed watching the talented staff mix martinis during the Flair Bartender Shows while on board the Edge in May. Here, a group of expert mixologists put on a high-energy show where they create a tower of martinis while dancing to choreography and showcasing their skills. The Martini Bar on Ascent will feature an expanded new menu, offering classic martinis, fruit-infused creations, and tantalizing dessert martinis. On land I rarely order a martini, but on a Celebrity cruise martinis are a MUST!
The Ascent Begins this Fall – How to Set Sail
Celebrity Ascent will make its grand debut this November, as it sets sail from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades for its inaugural Caribbean season. Travelers can be one of the first to experience the new ship during the Taste of Luxury preview sailings, including a 4-Night Western Caribbean voyage on November 22, 2023, or a 3-Night Bahamas getaway on November 26, 2023, or by joining the 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Maiden Voyage on December 3, 2023.
For more information on Celebrity Cruises, or to book a Celebrity cruise, visit www.celebrity.com, call 1-800-CELEBRITY, or contact your trusted travel advisor.
