Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Ascent
- Cruises
- 39
- From
- $1,099
Ship comparison
Celebrity Ascent vs MSC Opera
MSC Cruises
MSC Opera
- Cruises
- 47
- From
- $209
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Celebrity Ascent is a large Celebrity Cruises ship carrying 3,260 passengers, in service since 2023. MSC Opera is a large MSC Cruises ship carrying 1,756 passengers, in service since 2003.
Choose Celebrity Ascent if you want more culture, a more romantic trip or better-rated dining: it outscores MSC Opera for cultural (7.0 vs 2.0), romantic (9.0 vs 5.5) and dining (9.0 vs 5.8) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Choose MSC Opera if you want a more family-friendly ship, a lower starting fare or a smaller ship: it outscores Celebrity Ascent for family friendly (7.5 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, its cruises start from $209 (vs $1,099) and it carries 1,756 passengers (vs 3,260).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Celebrity Ascent | MSC Opera | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Celebrity Cruises | MSC Cruises |
| Ship size | Large | Large |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2023 (better) | 2003 |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | — | 2015 |
| Gross tonnage | 140,597 | 58,600 |
| Passengers | 3,260 | 1,756 |
| Crew | 1,400 | 750 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 43.1 (better) | 33.4 |
| Decks | 16 | 9 |
| Length | 1,073 ft | 824 ft |
| Beam | 128 ft | 94 ft |
| Speed | 25 mph | 25 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 10 / 10 (better) | 8 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 39 | 47 |
| Upcoming sailings | 71 | 286 |
| Cruise lengths | 10–14 nights | 3–25 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $1,099 | $209 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Celebrity Ascent leads on 9 of the ten, MSC Opera on 1.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Ascent
The 3,260-passenger Celebrity Ascent, which debuted in December 2023, continues the groundbreaking design and cutting-edge spaces seen in Celebrity Cruises's Edge class.
Sailing now
39 cruises on sale, from $1,099.
MSC Cruises
MSC Opera
MSC Opera certainly lives up to its name — classic, grand, opulent. It's a cruise ship with something to sing about! A true sense of grandeur and spaciousness prevails on MSC Opera, one of the most welcoming ships in the fleet of Italy-based MSC Cruises.
Highlights
- Chic and contemporary public areas
- Some of the best staterooms at sea
- Drinks package options available
- Will be "stretched" in 2015 with the addition of new cabins and a new water park
Sailing now
47 cruises on sale, from $209.
Questions
Celebrity Ascent or MSC Opera?
Which is bigger, Celebrity Ascent or MSC Opera?
Celebrity Ascent is bigger at 140,597 gross tons, against 58,600 gross tons for MSC Opera. Celebrity Ascent carries 3,260 passengers and MSC Opera carries 1,756.
Which ship is newer, Celebrity Ascent or MSC Opera?
Celebrity Ascent is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2023 against 2003 for MSC Opera.
Which has more space per passenger?
Celebrity Ascent, with 43.1 gross tons per passenger against 33.4 on MSC Opera. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
They are level, with one crew member for every 2.3 passengers.
Which is better for families?
MSC Opera scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 7.5 out of 10, against 5.0 for Celebrity Ascent.
Still deciding?
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