Celebrity Ascent in Kuşadası: choosing quad, buggy or horse
Eight calls, one timetable. Celebrity Ascent's Kuşadası days on the port schedule as of early October 2026 all run from 08:00 to 18:00. Five fall on a Thursday and three on a Saturday, but the hours never change. For our safaris that means one clear answer on every date: the 11:00 ride fits with room to spare, and the 16:00 ride does not.
With the timing out of the way, the question left for a Celebrity Ascent day is a different one: quad, buggy or horse? This post covers the day briefly and then spends more time on that choice. Dates and live hours are on the Celebrity Ascent calls page.
Celebrity Ascent belongs to Celebrity Cruises' Edge class and entered service in 2023. She carries about 3,260 guests at double occupancy.
The dates on the schedule
There is one call left this year, on Thursday 22 October 2026, still within our riding season, which pauses on 1 December, stays shut through 31 March and picks up again on 1 April, well before her first May date. The 2027 calls are:
- Saturday 8 May and Thursday 27 May
- Saturday 19 June
- Thursday 8 July
- Thursday 19 August
- Saturday 11 September and Thursday 30 September
Seven calls spread from May to the end of September, never more than two in a month.
An 08:00 to 18:00 day at a glance
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | Celebrity Ascent arrives |
| 10:10 | Meet us at Kervansaray (The Big Ottoman Palace) |
| after 10:10 | A drive of roughly 15 minutes to the trails |
| 11:00 | Safari starts: about two hours, with a 30-minute stop at Pamucak beach |
| 13:45 to 14:15 | Back at the port |
| 18:00 | Ship departs |
Kervansaray is about 50 m past the cruise port exit, and you can find it on this map. The two hours and ten minutes between docking and the meeting time leave time for breakfast and for getting off the ship without rushing.
The margin at the end is the comfortable part. Back by 14:15 at the latest and sailing at 18:00, you have at least 3 hours 45 minutes. We require 60 minutes between your return and departure, so there is plenty in hand. The one thing to double-check is the all-aboard time in your daily programme. It is usually earlier than 18:00.
As for the 16:00 ride: it returns between 18:45 and 19:15, which is after she sails. It would only work if Celebrity Ascent stayed until 20:15 or later.
Choosing a ride
All three safaris last about two hours, run through the pine forest behind Pamucak beach and include the same 30-minute beach break. So the decision comes down to who is coming and how you want to travel.
Quad: drive it yourself
The quad safari is for people who want to steer. No driving licence is needed, but the driver must be 16 or older. You can take a single quad, or a double one that carries a passenger as well.
Buggy: same rules, different vehicle
The buggy safari follows the same rules: no licence, drivers 16 and over, single or double vehicles. If you prefer a buggy to a quad, the day, the trail and the beach stop stay exactly the same.
For both quad and buggy, you get a helmet, goggles and a safety briefing, and the group rides in convoy behind a guide. Children younger than about 2 years cannot join.
Horse: no engine, small group
The horse safari is the one for people who would rather not drive. It suits beginners and takes riders from age 8 on their own, while younger children can ride with an experienced adult companion. The group is small, a riding guide leads it, and helmets are provided. On horseback, a swim at the beach stop depends on the season.
A rule of thumb
Under-16s cannot drive a quad or buggy, but they can ride as a passenger on a double vehicle (from about age 2), and the horse safari takes them from age 8, or younger with an experienced adult companion. If everyone is 16 or older, it comes down to taste: engine or saddle.
Booking and a last check
Open the cruise day planner, select Celebrity Ascent and your date, and it confirms the 11:00 session and fills in the booking form. Any call on the current list will show the same result.
Times can still move. If Celebrity Cruises brings a departure forward to before 15:15, the morning ride would no longer leave enough margin. Before you finalise, look again at the full list of Celebrity Ascent calls, where any change shows up.