peanut head

We have received pajamas (sometimes monogramed) for the past few years in the RS and PS.  The latest was in Feb. 2024 on Constellation.  Previously it was Millennium and  Solstice class ships.

Fantastic review--pictures and prose!  I was wondering about your raingear.  Specifically, the pants and jacket--are they a set?  Where did you get them?  Did you feel overheated in them as you hiked?  Do they go over your jeans?

1 hour ago, VP757 said:

 

I could go on forever and start a whole thread on CoCo Cay and the Over Water Cabana, it was truly the highlight of our trip.

What’s included- The over the water cabana includes entry for up to 8 guests (can add 2 more for an additional charge) to the CoCo Beach Club, which sounds like a perk, but we never left the cabana never needed too.  As well as lunch, floating mats, and snorkel gear. Bluetooth sound system, but if you don’t want to pair your own device several preset stations.  There is a mini bar in the cabana which is an additional change if you do not have the drink package, if you have the drink package it is included.  The cabana also comes with all you can drink water.  You have a cabana attendant that takes care of all your needs, your food, and your drinks, extra snorkel gear, extra mats, basically whatever you need they take care of.  Our attendant Charles was fantastic about anything and everything we wanted he took care of with no issue. 

 

Food- You are given a menu in the cabana to the restaurant for the beach club, the menu is great, and there is a ton of choices, you can order as much as you on apps, entries, and desserts.  Also, if you want something from the snack shack all you do is just ask and the attendant will get that for you too.  The restaurant opens at 11-3 if I recall correctly.  I saw on YouTube someone recommended you pre order and space everything out, so you do overly stuff yourself and that’s what we did and it work perfectly.  We ordered all our food by 9:30 Am.  We requested our apps to come out right at 11, entries at 12:30 and desserts at 2.  Everything arrived exactly when we wanted, and the spacing allowed us to continue playing in the water and relaxing and we didn’t get over stuff trying to eat everything at once.  I would highly recommend this process.

 

Water Access- We were cabana #5 in the morning I would say we were roughly in 7-8 feet of water, by the afternoon when low tide came in, we were roughly 5 and a half feet, I’m 6’ tall and could tip toe.  If you’re not a strong swimmer they provide life jackets for you if requested, and also come with two float mats but if you want more just ask your attendant.  Same with snorkel gear comes with two want more just ask (but you need to sign a waiver to snorkel) There is a ladder to the side of the cabana to get out or into the water, or of course you can just jump off the side or use the water slide.  The water temp was great, very little waves, always plenty of lifeguards around.  Just be aware of your surroundings and the ocean floor, lot of sea life, sting rays, nurse sharks, sea urchins, none bothered us at all just be aware of what you’re jumping into that’s all.

 

Restrooms Privacy- No restroom on the cabana itself, there is a freshwater shower and changing room but no restroom.  There was once a short walk away, maybe a minute or so walk, not terrible at all.  Privacy, you can see other cabanas especially while in the water, there are curtains you can use for privacy, but no one seemed to use them including us.  The noise level wasn’t bad, and you could hear the occasional laughter of another cabana but besides that there was no real noise or music issue.  So, they are not super private, but you were not on top of each other and had your own space.  The weather was great never got to hot, the cabana has a celling fan with really helps, plus a nice breeze off the ocean, and plenty of shade and umbrellas.

I would do the over the water cabana again in a heartbeat depending on the price.  The original price of this cabana was 3,500 and on top of that is the 18% gratuity.  At that price I don’t see the value.  But they were not sailing at all at that price (I been keeping my eye on them on the cruise planner for 8 months) about 2 weeks before our sail date they lowered them to 1,050 plus 18%.  It was still a splurge, that’s for sure, but when you break it down to 6 people it’s about 207 a person for an all-day completely included shore excursions with fantastic food, I would pay that price every time.  So, it is a splurge and pricey but for me the value was there, and I would hesitate to book again at that price or even up to 1,500. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing experience!  Thank you for sharing in detail.

Thank you for the detailed review--the good, the bad and the ugly🙃

I was wondering if you could go into more detail regarding the Over-the-Water Cabanas on Coco Cay?  Specifically, what was offered?  Restroom facilities?  Could the other cabanas see/hear you or was it very private?  How was the food service? Was it comfortable--too hot, windy?  How was it to get in and out of the water?  Were any water gear provided (snorkel/mask/other)?  And, anything you can think of that I didn't ask?

23 minutes ago, SDWCruise said:

Thanks for the replies. What about entrees? We’re sailing on an Edge class (Ascent and Beyond) so just trying to get an idea on what to expect! So, can you order from the Blu menu too whilst dining in Luminae?  Thanks!

No.  I wasn't aware that you were on an Edge series ship.  No cross ordering (majority of the time).

On 6/2/2024 at 12:53 AM, SerraG said:

We slept in and had a lazy morning, which was a nice change from the early glacier viewing and train rides in previous days.  We hung out in the Retreat Lounge and had a latte for breakfast.  This is such a nice quiet space. 

 

 

We decided we wanted to try The Bistro for lunch so I tried to make reservations on the Celebrity App.   It was almost noon, and the only time left was for 1:30pm, so that's what I reserved.  

 

When we showed up to the host's stand a little before 1:30pm, the host told us that they were already closed.  I said, "Oh, we have a reservation!"  The host did not seem pleased.  He looked at his screen for a while and then said, "Oh...I see.  Well, I can seat you, but it's going to be a bit."   I thanked him for seating us, but it was strange.  I had a reservation (!), and even if I hadn't, their posted hours were from 12pm-1:30pm. 

 

Here is a view of the inside of the restaurant.  In the evening they transform this space into the Le Petite Restaurant show.

 

Menus:

 

 

 

 

The waitress brought around bread.  The focaccia was especially tasty, but Ross requested an almond croissant from the display case. 

 

 

Holy Moly! That was a good croissant.  Better even than the ones in Luminae.

 

I tried to order a Lemonade Provencal, but of course they didn't have all the ingredients.  Floral flavors seem to be in short supply on this cruise. 🤷‍♀️  

 

Ross ordered a French Martini. 

 

 

We liked this pretty well and it had a mild raspberry flavor.  Ross said he'd order it again.  [Cocktail Rating: 7/10]  

 

For my starter, I ordered the Moules-Frites - Mussels steamed with garlic, white wine, thyme, braised tomatoes and served with french fries.

 

 

The mussels themselves were great.  Tender meat and all the shells were open.  The sauce had a lovely white wine and tomato flavor, but I found it a little too thick for the mussels.  I like it when muscles come with more of a broth, I think.  I know mussels and fries are common pairing in France, but the fries were a rather robust addition to a "starter" menu item.  

 

Ross ordered the Escargot (snails) with Basil, Garlic, Lemon, Butter and Sea Salt.

 

 

As you can see, the (very few) Escargot were served on a puff pastry with arugula and tomato.  This was tasty, but a strange presentation that really overwhelmed the escargot.  I think you could have eaten the whole thing without noticing it actually had any escargot on it. 

 

I ordered Soupe à l'oignon (French Onion Soup).

 

French onion soup is one of my favorite soups.  This was was good, but there were no actual onions in it... just an onion broth.   The cheese was especially good, appropriately melty and stringy and not too strongly flavored.  There is an amazing French restaurant called Café Provence in a suburb of Kansas City which does it better, but I realize that is a very high bar.

 

Ross got the Frisée Lardon Salad with bacon and a poached egg.

 

 

The poached egg was overcooked.  Maybe they are intentionally cooking them to a food safe temperature, but a frisée salad should have a runny yolked egg on it.  Otherwise, the salad was fine. 

 

For my main course, I got the Wild Mushroom Tart.

 

 

Excellent!  You can't really see the mushroom filling, but it was luscious.  The tart shell was shatteringly crisp.  I think they must blind bake it, then sauté the filling and pour it in before serving.  By far, one of my favorite things I've eaten on the Edge.  I may have to go back and get another one next week.  🙂

 

Ross ordered the special of the day, Bouillabaisse, which is a seafood stew in a saffron broth.

 

 

Also Excellent!  All of the seafood was cooked well and the broth was amazing.  The saffron flavor was subtle but perfect.  

 

Of course we had to order dessert!

 

 

 

I ordered the Crème Brûlée.

 

 

I generally love crème brûlée, but this was not great.  The custard was too firmly set and rubbery.  The flavor was okay, but nothing special.  The sugar topping melted correctly and crispy, though.

 

Ross ordered the Profiteroles, which are little pastry puffs.  These were stuffed with chocolate ice cream.

 

 

They were okay.  The puffs seemed a little stale, maybe?  The chocolate ice cream was great though.

 

I loved this wall of copper pans that separates a section of the restaurant. 

 

 

 

Your post is excellent.  Thank you for sharing with us.

I did not know that The Bistro was a reservation only venue.  Are you not able to just walk up and ask to be seated, if available?  How far in advance can you make reservations?

6 minutes ago, 39august said:

Cesar salad, shrimp cocktail and escargot are always available. On S and M class ships you can also order from the MDR menus. 

...as well as Blu.

1 hour ago, Shiba_Lover said:

I don't think many people out for glamping.  It's fairly humid, and after being outdoors in the heat/ humidity so day, most people want to sleep indoors in the A/C.  When we were on Flora in October, we would stargaze a bit in the evening, but were ready for indoors to sleep. As were most other passengers.  You can also have dinner outdoors, which some people did ( no charge)

That's what I was wondering, but I still would like to hear from anyone who actually participated in the Glamping experience.

33 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

After virtually no live threads or reviews on any Galapagos cruise for a long time, quite a few of them have been published since November.

Yes.  I had read most of them but very few dealt with the actual Glamping experience.

Some questions about the glamping.  Were you bothered by insects?  Noise level when trying to sleep?

I had seen that post when it was first put out but forgot about it.  Thanks for sharing the link.

Thank you for taking us along!  Looking forward to your commentary and pictures.  Have a wonderful time.

I was wondering if anyone had experienced the glamping on Flora?  If so, could you please give your opinion of what it was like, what you liked best, what you didn't like?  Was it "private"?  What about restrooms?

Curious to know about it as it was referenced in this month's webinar.

Thanks😊

Thank you for both reviews.  Descriptive, detailed and refreshingly honest.  

I was wondering what kind of currency did you use in each country?  Credit card/local currency/US $ ?

So sorry about your mishap.  Giving advice (when it wasn't asked for 😋) but perhaps you can ask medical if they have a 2-handed walker?  It is much easier to use than crutches and also there is no chance you can damage the nerves in your armpits from leaning.

Thank you for posting your review(s).  We, too, prefer to travel in the PH (Constellation, Equinox, Solstice) or a RS (Constellation, Equinox), for the same reasons you cited.  When on board, we prefer the privacy and quiet of a larger room and balcony.  We enjoy meeting other passengers at the bars, restaurants and activities, but then know that we can retreat back to our sea-faring cave.

We were wondering about the Reflection Suite and your review is wonderful and informative.  Perhaps, we will stay with the PH.

Thank you for posting.  Can you give more details regarding restaurants?  Are excursions also included?

Thank you for taking us along.  Happy cruising.

Thank you for the detailed trip report and so sorry about being unwell.  Out of curiosity, why did you pick this itinerary and time of the year?  Not being familiar with the Galapagos, was there something special about the itinerary and was the weather more favorable for you doing it when you did?

Thank you (again) for taking us along with you and the Queen.  Enjoy every day...and night!

There are definitely more children on board in the summer months and a shorter cruise may have even more than usual--a quick family getaway.  If I am not mistaken, if Reflection will be stopping at Coco Cay then chances are that children will be part of the passenger manifest.  However, as you pointed out, Celebrity is not a children oriented cruise line and, therefore, children will not be in the majority.

What wonderful commentary and stunning photos.  Thank you for sharing with us.  So sorry you were not feeling A+.

On another note, I was wondering how cold/warm the water was when your wife was snorkeling?

We had done the Farmhouse Experience and would not do it again.  The drive, each way, was more than an hour (maybe 90 minutes) from the port along highways and then the return was the same route.  You did get to see the countryside and Pisa from a distance (including the Leaning Tower).  The time spent at the Farmhouse was about 90 minutes.  It was just too much time in a bus for us.😊

Once at the Farmhouse entrance, you got on a 2 horse drawn open carriage for 7 minutes to the vineyard/farmhouse/gift shop/outdoor patio.  The meal was unlimited red and white wine, an antipasto and a medley of different pastas.  The food was okay and filling.  The tables accommodated about 8 people.

You had time to walk around the vineyard after eating or browse the gift shop.  There were restrooms available.

In our opinion, we just felt that it was mediocre.  Unfortunately, the port is pretty far from main tourist attractions so a long drive is necessary wherever you choose to go.

For our cruise, we came in 4 days early.  We flew into Rome and hired a private car and guide and drove to Florence.  On the way we stopped at Orvieto for a walking tour of the town, cistern and caverns and lunch.  We spent 3 days touring Florence (on our own) with a day trip to Pisa.  We then took the same car service to Civitavecchia the morning of the cruise.  We were very happy to have had the opportunity to have a "land based" intensive time before the cruise knowing that the shore excursions could not give us the experiences we wanted in Florence/Tuscany. 

Thank you for taking us along!  Have a wonderful journey.

26 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

In the link posted 

4. I am sailing with my family and some friends. Can they redeem the benefit too?

SHOW LESS

The benefit is only available for the stateroom in which the shareholder (with a minimum of 100 shares) is sailing. Onboard credit is applied on a per stateroom basis, double occupancy. Only one shareholder credit per stateroom on any one sailing. If shares are held jointly, 100 shares are required for each onboard credit request on any one sailing.

I appreciate the answer.  Thank you.