Celebrity Ascent: First Impressions from Our Accessible Cruise

We’re currently cruising aboard the stunning Celebrity Ascent, sailing from Athens to Barcelona — and despite a bit of suitcase drama at the start (thanks to the many of you who checked in about it!), we’re having an absolutely brilliant time. I wanted to take a moment mid-cruise to share some first impressions and highlights — especially for those curious about accessibility, food, and overall vibe on board.

🚢 Accessibility: Truly Impressive

As a family that travels with accessibility in mind, I have to say: Celebrity Ascent has done a fantastic job.

We’re staying in one of the accessible cabins, and it’s not only well-designed — it’s enormous! Getting around the ship has been smooth and stress-free, with excellent access throughout. It’s a big plus point for anyone with mobility needs or traveling with a wheelchair.

🍽 Food: A Serious Step Up

We’ve cruised a fair bit in the past — mostly with P&O and Princess — and while we enjoyed them, the food on Celebrity is next level.

We haven’t even tried the speciality restaurants yet (we’ve got lunch booked at Rooftop Garden today), but the standard dining options have already blown us away. The quality, variety, and presentation have been consistently excellent. If you’re a foodie, this cruise won’t disappoint.

👥 Staff: Friendly, Happy, Helpful

The staff on board have been incredible — warm, welcoming, and always happy to help. What stands out is not just how professional they are, but how genuinely happy they seem. That positivity really adds to the onboard experience.

🎭 Entertainment: Eden Steals the Show

Entertainment so far has been good, but the real highlights have been the performances in Eden. We’ve seen two shows there so far and both were outstanding — creative, immersive, and unlike anything we’ve seen on other cruises.

Lorraine Crosby was also fantastic last night — a real crowd-pleaser!

🤝 Fellow Passengers

A heartfelt thank you to the many fellow passengers who have come over to say hello. You’ve been so kind and thoughtful — and it’s meant the world to us.

Lauren, my daughter, can be a little shy when people approach, but she’s talked about those moments a lot afterward. They’ve really stuck with her in the best possible way.

A Few Things That Could Be Better

No cruise is perfect — and a couple of things have stood out that could be improved:

💸 Drinks Prices = Yikes!

We opted for a non-alcoholic drinks package because Lauren doesn’t drink — but were surprised to find that we couldn’t have one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic package in our cabin. That’s tricky if one of you does want the odd cocktail or glass of wine.

The onboard drinks prices are steep — definitely a contrast to P&O, where prices are more in line with what you’d expect in a UK pub. If you enjoy a drink, I’d say a package is probably worth it.

🚻 Disabled Public Bathrooms: A Design Miss

This one’s important: the accessible bathrooms are located inside either the men’s or women’s bathrooms. That’s really difficult when you’re a carer of the opposite gender — like I am for Lauren.

As a result, we’ve just gone back to our cabin when needed. Other cruise lines and public places generally offer standalone accessible bathrooms, and I really think Celebrity should consider making this change.

Wrapping Up

If you’ve read this far — thank you! And if you’re on board with us, I hope you’re having as amazing a time as we are. Please do keep coming over to say hello — even if Lauren seems quiet, it means a lot .

Wishing you smooth seas and a fantastic rest of your holiday! 🌊🌞