MEDITERRANEAN MAGIC

As complete newbies to cruising, we took a seven-night trip around the Med on the luxurious 17-deck ship Celebrity Ascent, one of Celebrity Cruises' newest ships - and now we're total cruise converts.

- 

While exploring new places and waking up in different destinations was surreal - opening our blinds to see the beautiful walled city of Valletta one morning was unforgettable - days at sea were just as enjoyable, with so much to eat, drink and do, including 32 restaurants, bars and lounges, incredible entertainment, spa, fitness centre and pools.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

We stayed in an Edge Stateroom with Infinite Veranda, which, like all of the accommodation on the ship, has been curated by Kelly Hoppen, the interior design queen who's a regular on TV shows such as This Morning. The veranda has a fully retractable door so you can take a seat, open the window and have your own private sanctuary to fully take the view in.

Space is utilised well, with plenty of storage and a generous-sized bathroom, and we slept soundly thanks to the gentle lull of the waves. Holiday mode felt truly activated after discovering we could control the room lights, air conditioning temperature and window blinds via the ship's app on our phone - we didn’t even have to get out of bed in order to see our new destination in the mornings!

SPOILT FOR CHOICE

Our Celebrity Anytime Dining package allowed us to eat at any of the four main restaurants, while the Premium Beverage Package meant a refreshing cocktail or a crisp glass of Whispering Angel rosé was just a swipe of our SeaPass away.