I’m in an otherworldly hallway of mirrors with flickering lamps and an eerie and resonant soundtrack.
Welcome to Aurora: an amazing art installation, a fabulous place to take selfies, and one of my favorite spots on the Celebrity Ascent cruise.
And when I say “one of the best,” I’m exaggerating because I love everything about this new boat.
There’s a lawn on the deck where passengers can sip a frothy bite while surrounded by natural plants, or take a dip in a pool suspended on the side of the ship.
You can cool off in the elevated hot tubs, designed to be positioned like martini glass legs, and on the terrace.
Or lounge in the sun in an adults-only solarium.
As Royal Caribbean International’s big brother, Celebrity ships exude sophistication.
But all this luxury doesn’t have to charge much.
There are crossings this summer in the Mediterranean from over £100 a night.
As soon as I’m on board (an incredibly simple procedure, they have to check in 3,260 passengers), I head straight for the magic carpet, a platform that “flies” up and down the length of the ship.
Today it is located next to the pool terrace, which makes it the bar with perspectives of the city.
At other times, it is an open-air extension of the Raw on Five fish restaurant, or a sea-level platform from which small boats can be boarded to disembark at ports that Ascent cannot access.
And speaking of magic, how about the Retreat, with its personal terrace, pool and bar, restaurant, lounge area for those staying in the luxurious suites and two-story villas guarded by butlers?
Although I didn’t book a suite, I’m satisfied in my stateroom.
It has a bed to lie on, a sofa, a giant bathroom, and a walk-in shower.
The celebrity calls it a cabin with an infinity terrace, but what it doesn’t have is Array Array Array a terrace.
At least not in the same sense of always being able to be outdoors with the wind in your hair.
Instead, I have a glass wall, the ocean, that opens up and down.
It’s loud, so if you need to make friends with the people next door, don’t open it until at least 7am. m.
This means that your balcony is part of your cabin when you lower the glass wall to waist height.
This suits me because I can step back and enjoy the prospects of the sea and the new air without being impressed and my cabin feels much more spacious.
This summer, the ship will sail the Mediterranean from Rome, calling at some of Europe’s most fascinating destinations, including Santorini and Mykonos in Greece, Kusadasi in Turkey and Naples in Italy.
Next winter she will sail in the Caribbean.
And while you’re headed to delicious foodie destinations, luckily, never go hungry at Ascent.
Cypriot, Norman, Tuscan and cosmopolitan restaurants share an important menu that is modified daily, as well as some special dishes: high-end Mediterranean, French, Italian and American cuisine.
Blu has a fitness concentrate and is only available to other people occupying the Aqua Elegant cabins.
These rooms also have access to the spa’s saunas and steam rooms, while Luminae is for the elegant retreat aspect.
For something casual, head to the Oceanview Café, a self-service shop where you can stock up on a full English breakfast and eggs to order for breakfast and Indian, Asian, Italian, and American dishes for lunch and dinner.
You can make your own salads.
So it’s another position to eat on the day of the week!
If we add to that the specialty restaurants for an additional payment, we will have to stay on board for almost fifteen days to get to know them all.
I had a table at Eden, where chefs experiment with other flavors and textures (a bit picky, but don’t let this put you off), and Le Voyage, a very good place to eat that serves Michelin-style cuisine through chef Daniel Boulud.
On top of that, there’s a steakhouse, rooftop grill, and entertainment at Le Petit Chef, where dishes are prepared on the plate in front of you through a little chef.
We have to see it before we do.
After dinner, I went to the theater to see a play called Bridges.
Singing and dancing is my thing, but the generation is fantastic, with huge LED screens on which the performers look and pretend.
Order a drink, come back, and prepare to be amazed.
Which sums it all up about Celebrity Ascent.
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