With our cruise departing in the afternoon, we knew we wouldn’t have time for any more sightseeing in Rome. Instead, we enjoyed a relaxed morning, packed our bags, and walked to a neighborhood café for one last Italian breakfast before returning to our apartment to check out.
At 11:00 a.m., our shuttle picked us up for the drive to the cruise port. Although many people think of cruises as departing from Rome, they actually leave from the Port of Civitavecchia, about 90 minutes northwest of the city.
Today we would be boarding the Celebrity Ascent, our home for the next 10 days as we cruised through the Mediterranean.
The embarkation process couldn’t have been easier. Our driver dropped us off directly in front of the terminal, where we handed over our luggage, checked in, and were on board shortly after 1:00 p.m.
Our first stop was the Oceanview Café, the ship’s expansive buffet, where we found just about every type of food imaginable. After lunch (and perhaps one too many desserts), we began exploring the ship’s 15 passenger decks, getting our bearings, and discovering many of the places we’d be returning to throughout our cruise.
One tip that paid off was packing our swimsuits in our carry-on bags. Since our checked luggage wouldn’t arrive at our cabin until later in the afternoon, we were able to change and spend a few relaxing hours by the pool, enjoying the sunshine and our first vacation cocktails of the cruise.
By late afternoon, our luggage had arrived, giving us time to unpack and get ready for our first dinner on board.
Instead of one large main dining room, the ship offers four complimentary restaurants, each with its own culinary style. For our first evening, we chose Cosmopolitan, which features contemporary cuisine. Each restaurant offers a unique selection of signature dishes while also serving a variety of appetizers and entrées that are available throughout the four restaurants.
After dinner, we headed to the theater for a comedy show that had us laughing throughout the evening. Before calling it a night, we made one final stop at one of our favorite gathering places on the ship: the Martini Bar.
Although it doesn’t feature the famous ice-covered bar from the Celebrity cruise we took four years ago, it’s still a lively spot in the center of the ship. We arrived just in time for the bartenders’ popular “chandelier show,” a choreographed performance filled with bottle flips, shaker tricks, and perfectly timed pours. The grand finale featured a bartender carefully tipping a stack of ten cocktail shakers to simultaneously fill a pyramid of martini glasses, bringing cheers from everyone gathered around.
It was the perfect way to end our first day on board the Celebrity Ascent. Tomorrow morning, we’d wake up in Messina, Sicily, ready to begin exploring our first Mediterranean port of call.
Hammond Adventures 