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Day 4 on Beyond - A day at sea So last night, as wonderful as Eden was, my lobster casserole had a piece that seemed undercooked. My tummy let me know I was right rather quickly, but recovery was just as fast. I plan to let them know. We took it very easy today. Butler delivered our cappuchinos so we could enjoy an early morning relaxation time on the balcony reading. As for the cabin, 4 days in and still no creaking or cracking noises in 9201. In 2022 we were baffled by the lack of airflow into the cabin from the balcony. I am no engineer but I suspected something with the construction. In this cabin we are experiencing the same and I think I know why. One of the balcony walls is solid steel, which breaks the wind. So it really is the construction/design. I gambled away all my slot tournament winnings (these slots are very very tight) so will be switching to tables for the rest of the cruise. We had lunch at Grand Bistro, and as with our last cruise, they did not disappoint. Excellent food, excellent service. Worth every penny. I don’t understand why more people don’t take advantage of this gem of a restaurant. Yeah its lunch and specialty so there’s a fee, but it’s just so good. We have done Le Petit Chef at dinner in 2022. Le Petit Chef is cute and different but the food is meh and a time suck. IMO they should just pull Le Petit Chef and have it as a french bistro for dinner. We will be going back again for lunch during this cruise. We did have reservation for Normandie tonight but decided to do Oceanview instead. Lots of reasons but my husband is diabetic and his glucose was skyrocketing from all the food. So we went light and careful. It was enjoyable but surprised no carving station at dinner. Also surprising was no iced tea initially. They switched over by the time we left. In a kudos to Celebrity - their unsweetened iced tea is truly unsweetened. Royal Caribbean in November - their unsweetened was actually sweetened so we couldn’t drink it. When you are watching your sugar levels, it really matters. As someone mentioned, I can confirm the cruise director is Shawna. Not bad but not really visible. apparently I am off to Cafe al Bacio now. Night all

I did try the outlet in the bathroom as well. Didn’t work there either. I will try and stop by the World Bar for you.

Day 3 on Beyond / Grand Cayman I see a few questions that I cannot readily answer but I will try and get them. 1) For the person who asked about giftcards, I really recommend calling Celebrity directly. I think there are different kinds of giftcards, each with their own terms and conditions, and possibly a cap on amount for the cabin. They most likely need to be applied to the cabin by them pre-cruise anyway. 2) For type of champagne - I will have to find out. My husband can no longer drink alcohol so I haven’t seen a list. 3) Alejandro is not the cruise director. It’s a woman and I cannot recall her name. We have only seen her one time so far and its not in the daily planner. 4) For the butler, I would prefer not to give a name because I don’t want to get someone in trouble based on below comments. On to todays comments…. we have had a rough time with butler service. The butler did finally leave his card, and some truffles, but by day 3 afternoon, we still had not seen him personally. My husband tried to call him twice and no answer. Hubby is not the type to get upset about anything ever, but he finally got so upset he stomped into the Retreat Lounge. I don’t know exactly what was said but he told me they were sending the butler to the cabin. He waited in the cabin for 90 minutes before swearing and saying they are useless and Celebrity should get rid of butlers entirely and lower the price. Note when we booked butlers were supposed to be “dedicated”. Now we can’t even get a call answered. After 90 minutes we left for dinner. The butler actually tracked us down at Eden to apologize. According to the butler, he has 21 cabins, had been in our cabin a lot and just hadn’t seen us. I have a counterargument to that but whatever. Starting tomorrow at least we will get our morning cappuchinos but the lounger is highly unlikely. Same song and dance - cruiseline policy due to safety. Eden dinner was fantastic, and service was top notch. The exec chef and sous chefs were fascinating to watch work. As for Grand Cayman, we did Stingray City. I’ve done it before but my husband hadn’t/. I was a bit surprised they didn’t allow hubby to feed a stingray, but that was a pleasant surprise. It seemed safer for everyone (I saw someone stung years ago and taken to hospital) and a bit more respectful of the sealife. When disembarking for Grand Cayman, I expected to go out via the destination lounge area like in 2022. Instead we went down I95 to the Cayman tenders. I suppose that was due to using local tenders instead of Celebrity’s own tenders but it was weird to come back through the destination lounge, with the signs of when the last tender is, after already coming back. Little too late then. I was equally surprised that the setup was even more TSA like in lines and ropes. Still it was efficient and fast. Our departure from Grand Cayman was delayed a bit due to a medical emergency but we have a day at sea and Captain Kate informed there are no delays to arriving in Cartegena. Hoping whomever was having issues is doing better now at the local hospital. No shows for us tonight. We decided to just relax quietly, though we did enjoy the cellist in Eden. I never expected to hear Creep by Radiohead done as a cellist solo, And like it! Couple of other random notes: 1) My Dyson airwrap does not work in my cabin. Obviously the plug won’t fit in the magic white box, but it wouldn’t work with an extension cord either. No problem in 2022 but it was a different extension cord. 2) Retreat pool - I guess no one comes around to take orders anymore? 3) Starlink on this ship, with the premium wifi, works very well. Even with a packed ship. 4) Ordered a bloody mary in Oceanview Cafe today. It’s on the drink menu at the tables. Was told the guy that makes them wasn’t available. I don’t even know what to say…. That’s it for now. We are relaxing and enjoying the breeze. Will try and get some answers tomorrow!

Before we set sail yesterday, all the specialty dining appeared sold out. Tonight I was able to switch around some dining reservations. I noted that Fine Cut and Eden had availability in app. There is no guarantee there will be open slots, but I did find some.

Not yet. A butler finally came by and left his card. Hubby is planning to ask tomorrow 🤞. In 2022 we didn’t have a lounger at first but our butler got us one. I am not to sure this time that we can accomplish the goal.

Day 2 on Beyond. To answer hcat’s question - everything is packed, pools, casino, restaurants. We haven’t checked out the Retreat Pool yet. Probably tomorrow. For today we tried to stay out of the sun as my husband got a little too burned in Ft Lauderdale before we left. We got a late start today so breakfast was the buffet, which we also did for lunch. Both meals were excellent and we really enjoyed the eggs benedict station and some other goodies. Dinner tonight, formal night, was at Normandie. We stood in line for 20 minutes past our reservation time before being seated. They were almost out of tables and I suspect the only reason we got a table for 2, which was actually for 4, was because we were Sky Suite. They were sending others away or having people at shared tables. Once in the service was excellent. Much better than Cyprus last night. During the day we spent time in the Persian Garden, which we loved, and then this afternoon we took part in the Slots Tournament. I came in second and won $200 in slots credit (woohoo!). I will say though that we agreed we wouldn’t do it on future cruises. Many moons ago I won the tournament on Summit. First prize then was $800 and less people entered. Top prize today was $300 with a lot more people competing. We were there for 90 minutes. For the cost and time, we won’t repeat. We attended the Bulgari ribbon cutting and got a picture we Captain Kate. She is just so gracious and sweet. There is a contest which we entered but didn’t stick around for. Guess the carats of a Bulgari viper necklace. My dear hubby googled and we think its the 8.21 carat necklace for anyone who wants to enter in the future 😉 Let me know if you win something with that info! As I wandered from the theatre towards Eden outside, I made an oops and ended up in the Fine Cut kitchen. 💩 They were surprised to see me. for entertainment, we did get to see Stage Door. In 2022, this show was cancelled on our sailing as one of the dancers had a horrible accident. The gasp from first timers in the theatre due to the background screen was loud. This theatre remains best at sea IMO. The show was good, though I am not impressed by some of the singing. We are looking forward to Elements later this week, which we loved last time. All in all a great day but so crowded. i think I neglected to mention spa services we took advantage of so far. My husband had a shave and facial, which he loved. I had a facial that is normally priced at $229 but day one was $50 off. The facial was decent but not as releaxing as I would like. Lots of noise from outside my spa room and, as always, a bit pushy on the Elemis products. Tip to anyone going to the Caribbean right now, check your destinations for Dengue Fever. Some places have been experiencing an outbreak. Bring mosquito repellent if visiting Curacao, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Honduras and others. https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/news/newsdetail.aspx?id=24623 if anyone has any questions, hit me up! I will post tomorrow night after Grand Cayman and Eden dinner!

I suspect my husband was misinformed by a crew member when he placed his drink order at the Sunset Bar. He told me that the gentleman he spoke with was difficult to understand. The app menu shows the normal bar menu. That being said, we went to the pool bar and ordered a mocktail that was on their menu and the bartender didn’t know what we were talking about. I had to explain in plainer english.

We will try again today or tomorrow. My husband went over for a virgin mojito and that is what they told him. We’ll let you know!

Bon voyage to you. We will wave as we disembark lol For Luminae, you do not need to let them know. we weren’t impressed with Luminae on our last cruise but were impressed with MDR. We don’t intend to try it this cruise. in 2022 we were allowed to dine in Blu even though not Aquaclass, which we enjoyed for both breakfast and at least one dinner. Given how packed the ship is, I would be shocked if they let us this time. But its fine. Buffet and MDR, plus a sprinkling of specialty dining is just fine. The food so far is up to expectations!

Good evening from Beyond! Its day 1 of our 11 night Southern Caribbean cruise (Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curaco, Cartegena). As this is our second time on this ship, this post particularly is about how we see things have changed since 2022. We have a Sky Suite (9201), whereas in 2022 we had the same cabin but 9178. Embarkation itself was smooth as silk and we were on the ship within minutes. Much improved from 2022, which was a mess. Note: this ship is packed. We have seen one teenager, and vast majority are >60. Bit older than last time we were on Beyond, though totally on brand. Cabin: excellent shape and so far none of the creaking and other sounds people have mentioned, though so far calm seas. We have yet to meet the butler (team 🙄). We asked the cabin steward about a lounger for the balcony, knowing 1) we were able to get one last time and 2) we know about the thread on the forum saying they removed. “We removed them last week” was the response. 🙄. More important - about 2 months ago I filed a special needs form, which was accepted and confirmed, for a sharps container for the cabin. This is for safe disposal of needles. There was none delivered to us. We asked the cabin steward and he said he would make sure one was delivered. Still no container. Called retreat host, which was redirected to guest services. Last, I noted a single very dirty glass in the bathroom when we got into the cabin. Buffet is as good as ever, however we forgot to get drinks. We watched everyone around us being asked if they wanted something to drink but not us. This has never happened before to us on Celebrity so I was a bit baffled. But the food itself was great, especially the Indian food. As we aren’t fans of Luminae’s limited menu, dinner tonight was at Cyprus. Excellent food. The grilled octopus and lamb shank were delicious. The Greek Mezze Platter was meh. I really wish they still had saganaki on the menu. As for the service, it was slow. It took about 20 minutes for someone to take our order and another 5 for drink orders. Bars: Sunset Bar appears to have changed menus. We were told by a crew member its frozen drinks only now. We will confirm tomorrow as that bar had some unique drinks. My husband no longer drinks so we have been on a hunt for mocktails, while still allowing me something tasty. Its getting a bit difficult for him though. He is at least able to get virgin mojitos at Eden and Pool Bar. Casino is totally packed, unlike last time. I will wait a few hours before I go partake. I suspect part of the crowd was there to take part in an Effy sponsored slot tournament. Entertainment - the only thing we did was the chandlier show. I am sure if the microphones were working properly we might have enjoyed it but you could barely hear the singing.hopefully they figure out their technical things. This post seems negative, but its really just recounting my mental notes. All in all, the ship remains beautiful, food is excellent and crew is friendly. Unfortunately some are clearly not up to normal standards, but all the cruiselines suffered staffing issues. I guess it will take more time to improve. We still plan to enjoy every part of the cruise, even if there weee some bumps along the way.

In 2022 we had SS 9178 on Beyond and had no issues with noise, only a complete and utter lack of airflow when the balcony was open. We are about to go on Beyond again in 9201. Hoping no noise this time around.🤞

This concept is at the heart of where Celebrity is going wrong with music and with some of the entertainment. They really do need to bring the entertainment down to the right age ranges to stay viable, but that means they need to understand what their target is looking for. The E Class pool areas are designed for a for 20 somethings going to Miami Beach for a party, but used as if it's for 80 year olds wanting to go to bed early. Although to be fair, we went on Enchantment of the Seas last November (our ship had been swapped out) and the only music at the pool that I heard was a duo playing bad renditions of The Carpenters and Simon and Garfunkel, even at sailaway. I am VERY curious about the president's comments in the webinar about how Exel will have entertainment that is more destination oriented. Tahitian Princess 20 years ago - they brought in dancers for the entertainment nightly and they leaned into destination themed events - lectures, music, food. I believe some cruiselines still do this in French Polynesia. Star Princess out of Venice, we went down the Grand Canal to Andrea Boccelli singing opera. It was incredibly memorable, and the best sailaway I ever experienced. If I'm heading to the Caribbean, I much prefer the steel drum band while lounging at the pool compared to back to back Cupid Shuffle/Wobble/Electric Slide or 70s slow ballads. If Exel is going to be more destination oriented, I really want to know what that means.

For us, we find the Edge class ships beautiful but don’t have the same luxury experience we had years ago. The pool area is gorgeous but with no evening pool parties they lose a golden opportunity. We found most of the music disappointing except at the martini bar. We loved our cruise on Beyond 2 years ago, and we are sailing her again in a little over a week. We have booked more cruises for 2025 and 2026 with Celebrity but I had to adjust my expectations. Its not the Celebrity I remember and they may be experiencing some growing pains as they try to adjust their branding a bit. Still love them though.

I wanted to throw out a warning about some issues today with shore excursions and loyalty savings on the Celebrity cruise. I keep a spreadsheet of all my bookings for all my cruises. I track % off, total order cost, price per person, gratuities when appropriate. I go to Celebrity's website weekly on Tuesdays (when all the sales hit) and on holidays. I actively am rebooking whenever a price falls for anything. I spent about 90 minutes today working on plans for two cruises. Normally this is a quick activity but with Loyalty savings now there, there were a lot of issues. I ended up a call with Celebrity and they couldn't fix it. Figured I'd list these out as a warning to others for things to look out for. Don't just click, click, click your way through it when booking. Their awful website is even more awful now. Issue 1: Slot Tournament - With new Loyalty savings, the price goes down from 27.99 to 25.99. But when you go to checkout, it kept revising the price back to 27.99. See below. Sometimes it was on this screen. Sometimes after you go to checkout. You put in your credit card info, it throws an error and changes the price. This only happened for my 2025 Ecllipse Cruise, not my Beyond one in April. Issue 2: Welsh Highland Railway and Countryside shore excursion. I had originally booked at 116.99 per person (5%) off. With Loyalty Savigs, the price changes to 104.99 per person (15% off). Great! I cancel my shore excursion and go to rebook it. When I click on 104.99 option however, it reverts to 116.99 no matter what I do. I rebooked it as only 3 spots remaining at 116.99 and call Celebrity. They cannot find a 104.99 option, cannot see my screen. They tell me to cancel my existing and try to rebook it, but I had already done that. They end up offering me $25 OBC, which I accepted (which also covers the issue in #3 below) . Issue 3: At one point I had booked Scenic Drive and Blarney Village. A Valentine's Day sale happened and I had rebooked it. Something weird happened though. I got two charges. One for 137.98 and another for $100. Same day, same guests, same shore excursion. Ok, I think, I'll cancel the more expensive of the two, confused as to how that happened. My reservation for that shore excursion went away completely. I was no longer reserved. So I cancel the $100 one since clearly that's NOT a real booking. I rebook at 145.98, which is the current price, instead of the 137.98 that was the Valentine's Day price. Disppointed but at least the $25 OBC that I got for Issue 2 above covered it. I assume I will actually get the $100 back on my credit card but it hasn't come through yet. Not issue but just a heads up to check everything: We have an 11 Day thermal spa pass for Beyond in 1 1/12 weeks. Original price a few weeks ago: 2 people for 813.60. Now today, with Loyalty savings: $731.96

Can I ask what the date will be that you are transferring? There is a rush hour there on weekdays, and if you are going during the weekend of Kings Day, a car could be problematic. Drive is 40 minutes on a weekend, weekday could be double (so says my Dutch hubby). if it were us, we would be taking the Thalys high speed train from Rotterdam Centraal direct to Paris Gare du Nord but I do understand your issue.