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Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady vs Celebrity Ascent
The Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady is a fairly new ship, being built in 2023. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. The Celebrity Ascent was built in 2023. The Celebrity Ascent features many of the new additions seen on the Celebrity Beyond including more outdoor space, a more grand central atrium, and an improved Rooftop Garden.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Resilient Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Ascent, the Resilient Lady is 22% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady holds 17% fewer passengers than the Ascent based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Resilient Lady has less space per person compared to the Ascent.
| Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Lady | Edge |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 140,600 |
| Length | 912 | 1,073 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,700 | 3,260 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,416 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 43 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Resilient Lady has twelve different dining options like Lick Me Til Ice Cream, The Galley, and Social Club Diner. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.
The Ascent has seven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Voyage, Tuscan Restaurant, and Blu. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other eleven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Ascent might be a better choice. It has 58% more dining options than the Resilient Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Resilient Lady might be a better choice then the Ascent. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 0 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 100% | 42% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady has 5 more bars than the Celebrity Ascent. The Resilient Lady has 18 bars like Sip Lounge, The Athletic Club Bar and The Dock House Bar. On Resilient Lady, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Eden Bar, Il Secondo Bacio and Magic Carpet Bar.
| Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | Celebrity Ascent |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • Draught Haus • Grounds Club • Gym & Tonic • Mezcal Bar • On The Rocks • Red Bar • Richard's Rooftop Bar • Sip Lounge • Sun Club Bar • The Aquatic Club Bar • The Athletic Club Bar • The Dock Bar • The Dock House Bar • The Grounds Club Too • The Loose Cannon • The Manor • The Social Club | •Cafe al Bacio • Craft Social • Eden Bar • Il Secondo Bacio • Magic Carpet Bar • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Oceanview Bar • Pool Bar • Sunset bar • The Club • The Retreat Pool Bar • World Class Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Resilient Lady and the Ascent below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Celebrity Ascent has more pools than the Resilient Lady and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Ascent. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Resilient Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Ascent, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eden Entertainment Space | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Virgin Voyages and Celebrity are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | Celebrity Ascent | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | Included | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | Included | 20% |
| Soda Price | Included | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $55 - $99 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day. | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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