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With so many outstanding dining options included in your cruise fare onboard Celebrity, you may be like me and wonder "Are the specialty dining options really worth the extra cost?"
It's a great question! In this article you will get to see what the dining experience is like at Le Grand Bistro onboard Celebrity's newest ship the Ascent. You'll learn how much it costs, what the ambiance is like, and our favorite dishes that we tried. Allons-y! :)
Le Grand BistroIf you're dreaming of visiting France but find yourself on a Celebrity cruise to the Caribbean, don't worry! The boulangerie-patisserie Le Grand Bistro on Ascent will definitely do in a pinch! ;) And PS you can find plenty of Celebrity Cruises stopping in France ;D 
Outside Le Grand Bistro at night. The doors close for Le Petite Chef dining experience.
Le Grand Bistro is located on Deck 4, midship, between its upscale French dining neighbor, Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud and the buzzing Craft Social Bar where you can enjoy beer flights and bar bites. 
Fresh Baked Breads on Display at Le Grand Bistro
Whether you sit down to dine at dinner, enjoy a casual lunch, or prefer a demi baguette and a latte at breakfast - Le Grand Bistro has something for you to try! Le Grand Bistro Menu on AscentLe Petit Chef Menu:
Le Grand Bistro Main MenuOn the other hand, if you're craving a morning croissant or an afternoon croque monsieur then the a la carte menu is for you!
Le Grand Bistro Cocktail, wine, and beverage menu
Sip in style with French cocktails and wines or a hand crafted espresso-based beverage. Prices range from $4 for a single espresso to 25 for a glass of Veuve Clicquot, Yellow Label Champagne.
Le Grand Bistro Dessert Menu
Le Grand Bistro To go Menu
Lunch Experience at Le Grand Bistro on Ascent
We decided to visit during lunch as we didn't want to miss dinner with our families in the main dining room. As the bistro was not especially crowded on the day of our visit, we chose to sit beside the window in order to enjoy the ocean views.
Dining by a huge window at Le Grand Bistro
The meal started with our choice of bread and butter. In the main dining room you always receive a basket of assorted bread/rolls/etc and admittedly it did feel fancier to have the slices hand delivered at Le Grand Bistro.
The bread was really good and I wish the basket came back around during the meal without having to ask.
French Cocktails - $12 + $17Steak Frites - $24
Lobster Bisque - $10
Lobster Bisque with Tarragon and Puff Pastry - Peeling back the cute little puff pastry beret (lol) to show you the soup inside!
By the way, have you ever wondered what the difference is between a soup and a bisque? I hadn't until just this very moment! In a nutshell, a bisque is a type of soup that has a thick, rick, creamy base and is traditionally made with some sort of shellfish. These days non-seafood creamy soups are also called bisques.
Take for example the following food math equation: tomato soup + cream = tomato bisque. Voila! The perfect companion for soup is a salad, right? We did, but didn't, end up with 2 salads. You will understand by the end. Baby Arugula Salad - $8
Wait.. Was this even the salad we ordered. Oops. No it wasn't. Quickly the correct salad arrived. Frisée Lardon Salad - $8
Featuring crispy pork belly, poached egg, pickled shallots and parmesan on curly endive, this salad was a treat. Perfectly poached, if you're team dippy-egg yoke then this picture will no doubt bring you joy.
The whimsical texture and freshness of curly endive played nicely with the salty, fatty pork belly and the bright yellow yoke of the poached egg added a pleasing pop of color and richness.
Crème Brûlée - $5
Caramelized vanilla egg custard with fresh berries.
Creme Brûlée is a quintessential French dessert much loved by cruise passengers. You may never order it out back home, but on a cruise you can usually indulge in several of these during your voyage. 
Creme Brûlée at Le Grand Bistro
We decided to try the creme brûlée at Le Grand Chef because we genuinely wanted to know if it was different than the "free" creme brûlée available in the main dining room.
To complete the experiment we ordered creme brûlée at dinner in the main dining room that night and we can confirm that YES, it is different! When you are paying extra you want to know you are getting a different product, a better quality, an advanced technique, a personal touch.. Make it at home:
While you can use your oven broiler to caramelize the sugar topping, it's way more fun to use a butane torch ;)
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Royal Caribbean Ship Seen From Celebrity Ascent Infinite Verandah
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What is the infinite veranda on Celebrity?
Infinite Verandas are a category of cruise balcony staterooms on Celebrity Cruises' Edge class ships. The aim is to blur the line between your luxury accommodations and incredible ocean views.
As you can see in the photo below, rather than a heavy sliding glass door standing in the way of you and the ocean air, infinite verandas offer floor to ceiling glass for incredible views and allow you to feel the ocean breeze in your hair at the touch of a button!
As you can see in the photo below, rather than a heavy sliding glass door standing in the way of you and the ocean air, infinite verandas offer floor to ceiling glass for incredible views and allow you to feel the ocean breeze in your hair at the touch of a button!
View of Infinite Verandah Room 8280 on Celebrity Ascent
Infinite Veranda Cabin 8280 Photos
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Let's highlight some features of infinite veranda staterooms on Celebrity Ascent and then we will share our review of this style of room on a cruise ship! These photos are from stateroom 8280 on Ascent during her inaugural year. |
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More Stateroom Tours
- Symphony of the Seas Oceanview Cabin 3198 Room tour with Photos
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Sun Princess Deluxe Balcony Stateroom 11221 Cabin Tour
"We recently had an amazing opportunity to sail around the Mediterranean on the brand new Princess Cruise ship - Sun Princess in her inaugural season. It was an incredible anniversary cruise and we will be sharing highlights from each port, as well as the food, entertainment, and ship itself."
Bathroom - Celebrity Ascent Cabin 8280
Cruise ship bathrooms are notoriously tiny and awkward to maneuver. So let me ask you this, would you believe that the photo below is a cruise ship bathroom!?
Modern Cruise Ship Bathroom on Celebrity Ascent
The shower was spacious and body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were provided. Not all lines (or hotels for that matter) provide conditioner these days...
And no more gross shower curtains. The full glass capsule shower was luxurious and the door was "slow-close" so it never slammed shut on you, which we've experienced on other ships.
Spacious Shower with Glass Door on Celebrity Ascent
The modern design left the bathroom on Ascent feeling spacious, with storage for your toiletries on the counter as well as multiple shelves on either side of the large mirror.
Thoughtful, stylish design on Celebrity Ascent
The bathroom was the first door on the right immediately after entering the stateroom. Next to the door was the digital thermostat which offered a number of room controls as well.
Bathroom Entrance - Infinite Verandah 8280 on Celebrity Ascent
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The touch screen thermostat had additional functions including the lighting of the room. Rather than turning each individual light fixture on or off, you could simply tap a preset including bright, dim, or lights out as well as morning, movie, evening, and sleep!
It is important to note that the air conditioning will not run while the window is open.
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Storage - CELEBRITY ASCENT CABIN 8280
Ascent had so many nooks and crannies that made it one of the most well thought out cruise cabins as far as storage was concerned.
The adorable coral display held the stateroom attendants card (shout out to Kevin!) and felt like a little museum piece on display - an elegant touch!
The adorable coral display held the stateroom attendants card (shout out to Kevin!) and felt like a little museum piece on display - an elegant touch!
The doors above, below, and to the right of the coral opened to reveal shelves for storage and even an umbrella for those port days when you need to dodge the droplets!
Now lets open the doors to the left of the coral display:
Now lets open the doors to the left of the coral display:
The main closet provided ample wooden hangers with clips, a set of drawers, a safe, and robes!
Not to be missed on the door to the left is a full length mirror. :)
Living Space - CELEBRITY ASCENT CABIN 8280
The main living area in the infinite veranda aboard Celebrity Ascent included a couch for relaxing and across the way a set of drawers, mini fridge, and lighted vanity with chair which could certainly function as a small desk space as well.
The drawers were spacious while a central divider helped to keep things tidy. The min fridge was stocked with some Coca-cola, Sprite, Heineken, small liquor bottles and some wine. These are all available for purchase as well as the bottles of water on top.
Inside the white box were some international outlets - 220v, 110v, and 2 USB plugs. It's nice that the international adapter was built in so cruisers from all over would be set even if they forgot theirs! The lid closes to keep cords in order and they can be fed out of the grooves on the front of the box. All in all, this was a nice concept but irl it felt a bit clunky imo and at times we did wish we could move the box out of the way.
Inside the white box were some international outlets - 220v, 110v, and 2 USB plugs. It's nice that the international adapter was built in so cruisers from all over would be set even if they forgot theirs! The lid closes to keep cords in order and they can be fed out of the grooves on the front of the box. All in all, this was a nice concept but irl it felt a bit clunky imo and at times we did wish we could move the box out of the way.
Bed Area - CELEBRITY ASCENT CABIN 8280
We opted for the beds to be together and we chose a cabin where the bed was closest to the veranda. The bed was very comfortable and well appointed with pillows both functional and decorative. The TV was right across from the bed and we did enjoy a few movies (for free) on this cruise.
Veranda - Celebrity Ascent Cabin 8280
The infinite veranda is currently one of the most controversial cabin types on a cruise ship (see also boardwalk balcony) because it has people asking the question "Is this really a balcony/verandah?"
As you can see there is effectively a floor to ceiling window instead of a balcony you can step out onto. In front of the window you have two chairs and a small table.
As you can see there is effectively a floor to ceiling window instead of a balcony you can step out onto. In front of the window you have two chairs and a small table.
Stunning views sailing away from Ft Lauderdale in an Infinite Verandah on Celebrity Ascent
As shown below you can leave the entire room open to the beautiful outdoor views, or you can close the shoji-reminiscent dividers for filtered light and privacy. This is a nice feature when one person is resting but the other would like to enjoy the "balcony" area.
Is the Infinite Veranda on Celebrity Ascent the Best Stateroom at Sea?
After sailing in an infinite veranda for 7 nights (Labadee & Cayman Cruise) we can definitely see the pros and cons of this cabin style.
The stateroom definitely feels more spacious! This style also offers more privacy from the cabins beside you than a traditional balcony. Oceanview balcony doors can be heavy and may be difficult for some passengers to open and close, so the ability to enjoy the fresh air at the touch of a button is going to be a game-changer for some.
The ability to enjoy natural light and stunning views and fresh air from anywhere in your cabin (except maybe the bathroom) without physically going outside on your balcony was awesome!
Eating Around The World:
As mentioned earlier, the air conditioning will automatically shut off when you open the window, so depending on what time of year you are sailing and in what region of the world, this may be really impactful. You may rarely open the window because of the amount of hot air or humidity it quickly lets in and that may leave you wishing you had a more traditional balcony that you could step out on and close the door behind you so the room temperature stays to your preference.
Sailing the Caribbean in December we did not find this to be a major issue, but it is something to bear in mind.
So is the Celebrity Ascent Infinite Veranda the best stateroom at sea?
Well.. I have a few more staterooms to try before I can answer that ;) But I will say that I absolutely loved the Infinite Verandah on Celebrity Ascent. It's definitely not for everyone, but for me - I would not hesitate to book this cabin category at any time in the future!
In fact, I hope to sail on Ascent again soon as it's one of my personal favorite ships!
More Celebrity Ascent Reviews:
Tap a Celebrity Ascent Review Below:
- Infinite Veranda Review with Pictures
- Le Grand Bistro Specialty Dining Review
- Raw on 5 Menu with Prices
- Day 1 - Embarkation Day on Celebrity Ascent - you are here!
- Day 2 - One Day in Nassau on a Cruise
- Day 3 - Captains Club Welcome Toast on a Sea Day
- Day 4 - Sea Day on a Celebrity Cruise
- Day 5 - Falmouth Jamaica Cruise Port
- Day 6 - Georgetown Grand Cayman Cruise Port
- Day 7 - Sea Day on Celebrity Ascent
See all of our Celebrity Ascent Reviews here
Celebrity Xcel Review:
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