I recently had the chance to enjoy a cruise in a Sky Suite on Celebrity Ascent in stateroom 10187. This was one of the ship’s first cruises out of Port Everglades, and it was the first time I had ever stayed in this cabin category with the cruise line.
It didn’t take long to see why these suites are so popular.
Sky Suites are on all Celebrity Edge-class ships including Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Ascent, and Celebrity Xcel (coming in 2025).
Each of these ships has 146 Sky Suites, although they are not all identical.
Video Tour of the Sky Suite on Celebrity Ascent
Not only did it have one of the best bathrooms I’ve ever had on a cruise ship – more on the humongous tub later–, but it also came with a bunch of perks that made me want to try this stateroom category again very soon.
Here are 6 things I loved about Celebrity’s Sky Suite.
*I was an invited guest on Celebrity Ascent and the opinions stated here are 100% my own.
1. The Space
One of the first things that struck me when I walked into this suite was the width of the space. Sure, it’s a suite, so it’s supposed to be bigger. But even for an entry point suite it was nice to not walk into a long narrow cabin.
This also meant a wider and more spacious balcony.
With about 319 sq. ft. of space in the cabin and 78 sq. ft. on the balcony, it felt more like a swanky hotel room than a tight and cramped cruise ship stateroom. The square footage of Sky Suites will vary from 254 sq. ft to 362 sq ft.
The bed also faced the ocean views of the veranda which was lovely.
By the way, S1 and S2 category Sky Suites have a bed that faces the ocean (Except the aft S1’s) while S3 Sky Suites have a bed facing the wall.
I really liked the nice long and comfy couch, ample closet space, having plenty of room to stretch my legs, and of course the immense bathroom.
2. The Location
My cabin number was 10187. As an S1 Sky Suite, it was in an ideal location for me: right in the middle of the ship.
It was also in a convenient buffer zone between the resort deck above on deck 14 and the Grand Plaza on deck 5 below.
I usually like to have a passenger deck above and below my cabin as a noise buffer.
There are Sky Suites available on decks 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 as well.
S1’s usually have some of the best locations for this cabin category, and many of the S3’s are underneath the Magic Carpet which acts like an overhang.
Read more: 8 Tips for Picking the Best Cabin on a Cruise Ship
3. The Bathroom
The upgrade from a regular balcony cabin to a Sky Suite is worth it JUST based on the bathroom alone. I know it sounds like hyperbole, but I’ve grown tired of cramped cruise ship bathrooms. You simply should not be able to touch every wall in the bathroom while sitting on the toilet.
I couldn’t believe the size of the bathtub and shower space in this suite. There were multiple shower heads, including a rain shower, and enough room to spin around and dance if I wanted to.
The extra wide oval-shaped tub was the biggest I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying on a cruise ship.
I also liked that the toilet area was separate and had its own door. It’s those little details that can be a big deal, especially on a 7-night cruise with a partner.
A very unique feature of this bathroom was above the sink area. Two faucets shared an elegant sink basin, which I guess still counts as a “double sink”. Right above that was a mirror with a divide in the middle. This allowed it to slide to each side and reveal a window looking out over the rest of the suite.
So, I could brush my teeth while enjoying ocean views or just let some natural light into the space. Pretty cool.
4. The Perks and Amenities
It was a nice touch having access to some upgrades in household type items like premium towels and bathroom amenities. There are also those little things you don’t think about until you need them like binoculars and an umbrella, which were neatly tucked away in the closet.
It doesn’t get much better than having a suite on a Celebrity cruise ship. In fact, some cruisers will book this suite just to have access to the perks. Here are just a few of the bonuses Sky Suite guests get.
- Access to The Retreat
- Premium Wi-Fi
- Retreat Butler
- Dedicated pre-cruise and onboard concierge.
- Priority Check-in, departure, and port tendering
- Reserved theater searing on Evening Chic nights
- Access to Luminae
- Complimentary in-suite dining
- Complimentary beverages
- Fresh fruit upon request
- Premium bathroom amenities and bedding
There are a lot more perks but these are some of the big ones most people ask about.
Also, the picture below shows a few of the design elements and included amenities in my Sky Suite.
5. Luminae
I know I already mentioned this in the point above, but I’m a big fan of Luminae. The first time I ate at this exclusive restaurant was on Celebrity Silhouette when I booked a suite on the resort deck.
Initially, I planned on eating at different restaurants each night, but after one experience in this restaurant I was hooked and kept coming back.
The exclusive menu at Luminae has some amazing dishes, and the service has always been personalized and attentive to every detail in my experience.
One of the best perks about booking a Sky Suite is that you can eat at Luminae as often as you would like.
Any time I book a Celebrity cruise and don’t have a suite makes me really miss this place.
6. The Retreat
Ok, we have to talk about the Retreat for a moment here. This exclusive part of the ship is accessible to every suite guest, including Sky Suite passengers.
The uber cushy loungers, inviting sundeck, and aft pool at the Retreat make for a great place to just relax for a while. And it’s actually in a location that feels away from the rest of the ship and any excess noise from the resort deck.
Having access to this area of the ship included is a nice little perk not to be overlooked.
You can see a short video of the Retreat on Celebrity Ascent in the video at the bottom of this article. The Retreat footage starts at minute marker 7:14 if you want to skip right to it.
One Negative
When you think of a suite you might think of a stateroom with at least two rooms or a divider between two living spaces. With the Sky Suite it’s more like a spacious studio without the separate rooms.
The space is bigger and the bathroom is massive for a cruise ship, but you won’t have multiple rooms that are interconnected like the name might imply.
And this issue is not unique to Celebrity. Many cruise lines have “suites” or even “mini-suites” that don’t adhere to the usual definition of the word. But as long as you know that going on, you can enjoy all the other perks and bonuses of this stateroom category.
Final Thoughts
There are only 146 Sky Suites on each Excel-class with Celebrity, so if you want to try one out you should book as early as possible. I also recommend the S1 category if you can find one available.
S1 suites are in more desirable locations on the ship and S3’s are the least expensive of the three.
If you want access to The Retreat and Luminae, want a spacious bathroom and plenty of space, the Sky Suite might be the perfect home away from home on your next Celebrity cruise.
Video Tour of Celebrity Ascent:
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