LIVE with Georgia Peaches on the Brand NEW Ascent...B2B November 22-29 Pre-Pre-Maiden Voyage!

[Georgia_Peaches]

Woke this morning and used the app to open our curtains so that we could sit up in bed and watch our sail in to Nassau. Wish I had remembered to preorder a coffee delivery. 
 

Met briefly with our cabin steward…and I mean briefly…don’t recall his name. He explained that the 2 waters were complimentary. Asked if we had any special requests and then left. In and out in 3 minutes, at most. The only request I had was for an ice bucket at turn down. It was there as requested. I’m sure he was trying to get to all the rooms on his load. The stress on his face was real. 
 

In contrast, Mila (cabin steward during first leg) spent a good amount of time with us on the first day. She went over the highlights of our room. Showed us all the storage spaces, told us to watch our step in and out of the bathroom. Talked about the water controls in the shower…. She was meticulous and determined to make us feel welcome. And her cabin load was 20 rooms. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[Georgia_Peaches]

45 minutes ago, twins_to_alaska said:

@Georgia_Peaches I'm so sorry. Got a little excited yesterday. Ceasing and desisting to post more on your thread.

Quite alright, twins!  The excitement is infectious. 😊 

[Georgia_Peaches]

@twins_to_alaska seems to have had a different interaction with her cabin steward and Retreat Butler….whom we’ve not yet met…and we were literally first on the ship. 
 

Not really sure how I feel about the Retreat atm. Last night we were listening to music in Eden when DH suggested we go to the retreat lounge to see what was going on. 
 

The lounge was partially occupied by a few parties dotted about the space. Snacks were nicely laid out on the buffet and a different bartender from the afternoon was shaking up some drinks. 
 

The concierge stand was busy but with 3 members of the concierge team, things seemed to be pretty fluid. One of the concierge team members asked if we needed help with anything. I had just banged my head for the second time…ice, maybe?  Just kidding, it didn’t hurt that bad. 
 

We asked about getting a reservation at the Rooftop Garden Grill bc the app showed none were available. We snagged a 7 pm with relative ease. 
 

No entertainment in the Retreat Lounge so off we went. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

We joined the breakfast rush in Luminae, where 8:30 seems to be peak time with the venue closing at 9am. 
 

We were initially being escorted to a bench table along the back wall. But only one of us would have a view so I requested one of the  three available 2 tops by the window. Not a problem. 
 

Breakfast service was slow…again, peak time as the restaurant was 3/4 full. I ordered scrambled eggs with corn beef hash and DH had eggs Benny and cheese grits. The grits looked great but were cooked Al dente and no respectable southern gal eats their grits that way!  DH is from Pitt so he ate them without knowing better 🤦‍♀️. My eggs were fine….hash, not so much. No complaints about service as everyone was all smiles despite what must have been an exhausting day just a few hours before. 
 

Afterward, we strolled the upper Retreat deck in search of more pics and some shade. I’m impressed with the availability of shaded areas, which have been almost nonexistent on our previous MSC yacht club experiences. 

[DaKahuna]

8 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

 

Breakfast service was slow…again, peak time as the restaurant was 3/4 full. I ordered scrambled eggs with corn beef hash and DH had eggs Benny and cheese grits. The grits looked great but were cooked Al dente and no respectable southern gal eats their grits that way!  DH is from Pitt so he ate them without knowing better 🤦‍♀️. My eggs were fine….hash, not so much. 
 

 

 One of my biggest complaints concerning food onboard cruises, not just with Celebrity, has been the inability to get a good bowl of grits.  On our last cruise the first breakfast I ordered grits they came out almost perfect - best I had had on a cruise ship,  I could almost stand my fork up in them.  The next time they were a little thinner but still okay.  The third time they were too watery.  I also ask them to hold the cheese.  I prefer my grits thick and with eggs over easy so I can mix the yoke into them.  

 

As for the corn beef hash, I had similar issues.  Usually it is too greasy so I just skim what i can from the top and add to my main plate. 

 

 

[SandyKnits]

I’m thoroughly enjoying your comprehensive review!  We will be on the Ascent for back to back cruises in February, and I was very happy to hear that there is shade on the Retreat sundeck.  It was very difficult to find a shady spot on the Edge last year.

 

Keep enjoying your trip!

Edited November 27, 2023 by SandyKnits

[Georgia_Peaches]

Options for self-serve fridge in Retreat lounge:

 

 

[DaKahuna]

1 minute ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Options for self-serve fridge in Retreat lounge:

 

 

No Vitamin Zero water?  

[Georgia_Peaches]

11 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

No Vitamin Zero water?  

No, but will see if they keep some behind the bar. 

[Cap_D]

20 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

No, but will see if they keep some behind the bar. 

I am interested in this one, too.  We often had to ask on Apex last March/April.  Occasionally we would come across a single bottle that may have been an extra from when someone else asked. 

 

It appears the soda selection was stocked with European  versions, e.g., Coke Light.  Will be interesting to see how long those supplies last until they restock at FLL.  (I think some of the frozen fries last until the end of the Caribbean season given the labeling on the bags.).

 

On the Retreat sundeck are there grab and go canned and bottled drinks in carts or on the bar?   One of the YT videos I saw showed a cart near the bar during the first sailing - but only for a second and it may have been for restocking.  Grab and go could help avoid lines for the basics at the sundeck bar, which on Edge and Apex spill over into the pathway.  Most everyone has some type of drink package that would cover the items. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Cap_D

[Georgia_Peaches]

36 minutes ago, Cap_D said:

On the Retreat sundeck are there grab and go canned and bottled drinks in carts or on the bar?

Yes, I have seen this cart. Didn’t realize it was grab-n-go though. 
 

update…
Just confirmed that the drink cart is not grab/go but zero vitamin water is available at the bar upon request. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

DH and I attended the Captain’s Club wine tasting event this morning located in the Normandy dining room on deck three. The event started at 10:30 but I would have sworn it was 10:45. We made it just in time. Eddie, the head sommelier officer conducted a very informative tasting event. 
 

[TheHawk1]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

We joined the breakfast rush in Luminae, where 8:30 seems to be peak time with the venue closing at 9am. 
 

We were initially being escorted to a bench table along the back wall. But only one of us would have a view so I requested one of the  three available 2 tops by the window. Not a problem. 
 

Breakfast service was slow…again, peak time as the restaurant was 3/4 full. I ordered scrambled eggs with corn beef hash and DH had eggs Benny and cheese grits. The grits looked great but were cooked Al dente and no respectable southern gal eats their grits that way!  DH is from Pitt so he ate them without knowing better 🤦‍♀️. My eggs were fine….hash, not so much. No complaints about service as everyone was all smiles despite what must have been an exhausting day just a few hours before. 
 

Afterward, we strolled the upper Retreat deck in search of more pics and some shade. I’m impressed with the availability of shaded areas, which have been almost nonexistent on our previous MSC yacht club experiences. 

Those swinging chairs at the back of the Retreat pool are pointless. I wish they could have come up with a better design for poolside seating after four iterations of this ship.

[Georgia_Peaches]

12 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

Those swinging chairs at the back of the Retreat pool are pointless. I wish they could have come up with a better design for poolside seating after four iterations of this ship.

On my trek to the bar I actually saw a lady topple out of one as she was trying to sit down. She didn’t seem to be injured but…it could have been ugly. 😵‍💫

[Georgia_Peaches]

These glasses were tucked in the corner outside our stateroom door. I asked DH who put their glasses outside our door but then realized they were our glasses from last night. So I guess the procedure must be for the room attendant to place dishes outside the door upon servicing for another crew member to pick up?  Noticed dishes outside doors along the corridor. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this process before. 

[hcat]

13 hours ago, abbydancer said:

Here's the point.  Princess used to have 3 ships, the Grand, the Golden and the Star.  Their bar in the back (Skywalkers) was raised up, making the ship look like a giant shopping cart.  When we we on the Edge, DH noted the Magic Carpet and said "great - the Princess shopping cart ships are finally getting a shopping bag to put in them".  

 

(If you want to see a picture - google Diamond Princess. Grand had the handle removed for structural reasons, and the name Star is being reused - the Diamond is now with P&O, but AFAIK, the shopping cart handle is still there.

we do not sail Princess so not getting this...but I believe Princess cruisers will

[hcat]

48 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

Those swinging chairs at the back of the Retreat pool are pointless. I wish they could have come up with a better design for poolside seating after four iterations of this ship.

on BEYOND, we actually had  " hanging chair" hogs who would race in early and keep the seats all day.. I.saw no value but it mostly kept them out of the  pool!

[JDPCruisers]

On 11/26/2023 at 11:14 AM, depplep said:

I'm late to this discussion but we were in Cozumel 3 weeks ago and the street is tore up and you can't get down to Pancho's Backyard. We did find a place called Wet Wendy's and had fantastic margaritas. Off the square also.

Hope the street is repaired as we go in a couple of weeks, and typically always stop at Pancho's. 

[twins_to_alaska]

I met @Georgia_Peaches and she said I could add more to her trip report. Thought we were going to pull in next to Oasis of the Seas but instead the captain backed her in.

 

 

Great parallel parking! (screenshot from a short video)

 

 

Had a bit of a view before Carnival Vista arrived 2 hours later.

 

[twins_to_alaska]

I also went to breakfast about 8:30 and brought upstairs to eat. Tasty omelette and potatoes but the bacon could be crispier. It was still quiet up top. Tried half glass of strawberry smoothie and didn't like at all.

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

This might be hard to believe but by 1 pm I was feeling a little hungry. 🤣 Decided to order the signature burger from the outdoor deck menu. The retreat area is quite filled up today and the wait for drinks and food (chair side) has been rather slow. 
 

Along with my burger I ordered a round of drinks… Bloody Mary for me and Peña colada for DH. Took about 40 minutes for the burger. Drinks never arrived. 
 

Another passenger who was angered by the wait of the food stormed off the pool deck angrily proclaiming to the concierge that she had waited 45 minutes for food that never came and was going to the OVC to get her own lunch. She was “tired of the terrible service!”  I had never witnessed a passenger being so rude to a member of the crew. It was shameful. 

 

Anyway, I shared my lunch with DH and then we set off to the Sunset bar for a round of drinks. On our way out the door, DH pointed to a nearby table and asked me, “Are those our drinks?”  Sure enough, they were… the poor guy set them down at the wrong table. 
 

Growing pains…

 

 

 

 

[twins_to_alaska]

I went ashore for an hour and looked around the shops but didn't purchase anything. For lunch The Grand Bistro (upcharge) had appetizers calling my name. I wasn't hungry enough for an entree. They kindly packed to go. The Retreat Sundeck Bar area was much busier as serving lunch but I was able to get an empty table, thankfully with cutlery as The Grand Bistro hadn't supplied. The mussels in tomato sauce, garlic bread, toasted bread, pate and even the fries were all delicious!

 

I was hoping to fill in the spaces with Eden Cafe's maple bacon bites, but alas, no bacon bites. They have free and paid food. The desserts are free and rival Cafe Al Bacio! And there's always room for dessert. Brownie on the undercooked moist chewy side and the cookie fat packed and bendy. I'll need to go walk around more.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by twins_to_alaska

[twins_to_alaska]

Sorry lunch was slow for you and the drinks were mis-delivered. Did they put them down at an empty table?! You'd think if someone was sitting there they'd have said they weren't theirs. On my way up with dessert I stopped at the Retreat Lounge which was empty. The bartender wasn't sure about my dessert wine but Laura was there and she went in the back with him and they found it and he put in a bar refrigerator. Well worth another $2. Sipping on it slowly this afternoon.

 

Laura also fixed my account. The app didn't show my spa appointment for tomorrow morning or my folio. Apparently I wasn't linked as passenger to the cruise that I'm on solo.

Edited November 27, 2023 by twins_to_alaska

[KKB]

23 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Lunch in Luminae was nice. The space is large and not as intimate as I remember on S class ships. Our server and sommelier were both very attentive and the food was tasty. I had the fish and DH had the signature burger. We toasted this second leg with a bourbon and peaches signature cocktail.
I’ve whiled away the afternoon with a book on one of the Freddy Kruger loungers on the retreat sun deck. It’s overcast and slightly cool in FLL. Just another embarkation day… different faces. 

 

 

 

Ok the Freddy lounger pattern is creepy...

OMG, LOVE that Bourbon & Peaches...can I get one made in steerage??!!

[KKB]

4 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Options for self-serve fridge in Retreat lounge:

 

 

Interesting...on Beyond in April there were a couple beer choices as well. DH liked that.