Norovirus Nightmare on Celebrity Ascent — Deeply Disappointing Experience and Insulting Compensation
I joined the Celebrity Ascent in July 2025 from Barcelona for what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip as an Asian traveler—flying 14 hours just to board the ship. It was even more special because I was celebrating my mother’s 70th birthday, a memory we hoped would last a lifetime. However, our dream cruise turned into a nightmare due to a norovirus outbreak onboard.
After eating raw oysters at Raw on 5, I became severely ill with incessant vomiting and diarrhea. The worst moment was having to vomit on the tender boat in front of dozens of other passengers—an intensely humiliating experience.
We both shared the same food and cabin, yet only I was forcibly quarantined in our tiny cabin for 24 hours. During this time:
My mother, despite being a direct contact and eating the same oysters, was allowed to roam the ship, use the buffet, and swim in the pool. How does this make sense as a public health measure?
Quarantine care was minimal: food delivery was delayed, and there was barely any communication from staff.
I was forced to wash my own soiled clothes, with my mother—who was supposed to be celebrating—helping me clean after the ordeal.
After disembarking in Greece, I reached out to Celebrity Cruises asking for fair compensation. Not only did they dismiss my detailed account and timeline, but the compensation offered was shockingly low—an amount that completely ignores the severity of what we went through. It doesn’t even begin to cover the ruined experience for both myself and especially my mother, whose special birthday was overshadowed by these events.
Celebrity Cruises blamed outside food sources, despite all my symptoms starting right after the onboard meal. The company’s response felt like a complete disregard for our situation and the basic responsibility they owe to their guests.
I’d love to hear from anyone with similar experiences, whether with norovirus outbreaks or appalling compensation responses—especially on this ship or with this brand.
Has anyone successfully escalated cases like this through travel insurance or consumer protection?
Any tips on getting heard, or did you face the same indifference?
How did you deal with ruined milestone trips or personal events?
Thank you for listening to my story. I hope Celebrity Cruises takes real responsibility, not just for me, but for all guests who deserve fair treatment—especially when a special trip turns into a disaster through no fault of their own.
If you’d like suggestions for specific platforms or additional language for escalation letters, let me know!
Everything about my trip was amazing…
Everything about my trip was amazing from start to finish, incredible company with great staff
Leider neuer Vertriebsweg
Bin seit über 10 Jahren hoch zufriedener Kunde von Celebrity Cruises. War immer mit den Leistungen zufrieden. Gelegentlich gab es kleinere Probleme mit der Buchung. Aber die konnte ich immer problemlos telefonisch mit dem freundlichen und kompetenten Team aus Hamburg zur vollen Zufriedenheit klären.
Jetzt hat Celebrity Cruises sein backoffice nach München verlegt. Seither gibt einen ganz schrecklichen neuen Internetauftritt. Die Mitarbeiter sind auch sehr freundlich aber leider von keiner Sachkenntnis getrübt. Die kennen nicht einmal die Schiffe von Celebrity. Vom Produkt selber ganz zu schweigen.
Hab das Gespräch abgebrochen und bei einer anderen Gesellschaft gebucht.
WAY BELOW OUR EXPECTATIONS
Aqua Class Cabin very small, dated and worn
Very small wardrobe & hanging space
A single one-person seater couch
Cabin attendant useless and intrusive with our personal belongs
No refrigerator just a cold box
The air conditioning is erratic & difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature
The glass on our balcony was damaged & scratched and the railing was mostly rusted
Our cabin had a very noisy motor inside a door opposite our cabin which appears to be some sort of pumping station and below the swimming pool with continuous banging & thumping noise transferring into our cabin.
Blu Restaurant, for Aqua class guests, there was up to 30 minutes wait for a table, a buzzer was handed to us and told to come back when it buzzed
Tables are extremely close together, which results in no romance and no privacy.
Blu Restaurant is sold as an “Adults Only” there were children dining in the restaurant
The food in the “Blu” Restaurant was OK, nothing like the promotional advertising and mostly service near cold
The food in the Buffet restaurant was ok, a good range of choices but cheap quality food, over cooked a but again never hot enough. On sea days the buffet restaurant at lunch time was like a feeding frenzy at the zoo, near impossible to get a table as this was the only restaurant open.
The breakfast that can be ordered in the cabin was disgusting everything hard dry & cold.
The “Adults Only” solarium is a farce, because it is a major thorough fare on the ship, there are noisy children running around whilst transiting through the solarium to other areas, difficult to get a sun lounge in the solarium
The Persian Garden was just a few saunas and a barely warm bench seat
The Theatre shows are sooo loud, each night we had to leave after around 20 minutes because we cannot stand the level of the “ear bashing” sound.
In the Martini Bar where we enjoy the entertainment, there is a large group of young teenagers, increasing as the days go by to around 20, gathering each evening with unacceptable noisy behaviour, unpleasant for mature many cruise guests and staff make no attempt to quell this disturbing intrusive noise.
The majority of Celebrity staff are belligerent and unhelpful when we ask simple questions.
The shore excursions were very expensive. The guide on the ones we went on did not speak good English. On three excursions there was torrential rain most of the day. Departing the ship to the coach was a long walk, none of it undercover. We were drenched when boarding the coach therefore in wet cloths & shoes for the length of the tour. The weather restricted the visibility at the attractions and some not accessible due to area being too wet to access. Due to the weather there should have been alternatives arranged.
Never again with Celebrity
