Bimmer09

A good first dinner. We have to put the clocks back one hour tonight as we head NW. We decide not to go to the Welcome Show if that's what it is. The theater is "all the way forward" and we are all the way aft. There is no moving walkway and although these boots are made for walking' the feet inside them need a rest. Bed by 11 pm. North Sea swell makes falling asleep easy. Goodnight y'all! Norris

Our first "MDR" dinner-one of the 4 smaller rooms that set the E Class apart . This is the Mediterranean influenced one. We were seated right near the back. Nice room as are all 4. Not busy this late. Sommelier- good and didn't have to wait long to meet him. I got a glass of a Kendall Jackson cabernet sauvignon @$13 per glass. A generous pour once I have done my tasting technique learned in a recent visit to a stellar vineyard in San Gimignano, Italy. I of course held it up to the light-nice color. Then a swish to breathe air into the grapes but I swished too vigorously and some of the wine splashed on the ceiling.I told them to have it cleaned and send me the bill. It had a good nose. A small sampling, rinsed back and forth behind the front teeth to gauge the tannins. I would have drank it straight from the bottle of course but was trying to appear like a sophisticated world traveler. A good drop and I would (and did) order it again. And again. Classy menu cover Enough tempting choices. Carol loves a wedge salad! She also loves Butternut squash soup My mezze plate was crippled by cold (fridge cold) pita bread, some inauthentic dips but was rescued by a few white anchovies (which I crave) and a nice grape leaf. Swing and a miss. Carol's braised lamb shank hit the spot for flavor. Good dish! My Cypriot short ribs with olive oil potatoes was a tasty plate Strawberry angel food cake for Carol. A nice finish to a good meal. A yummy tiramisu for me, Bowl licked clean. Our assistant waiter began a theme for the week of asking for camera advice when he saw the Canon on the table and I was as helpful as I could be. I don't use that camera for food photos-that's what the iPhone is for. Norris Celebrity Apex Cyprus restaurant entrees.mp4

Thank you and I am glad you are enjoying the read. I've written about 20 long reviews in this vein on CC since 2011, so none of our cruises pass into the mists of time or are forgotten (by us). We don't cruise a lot and likely never will as we love land vacations too much but when we do Carol takes the notes and I take the pics and the cruises don't become mental mush as a result. I'm trying to sell my CC reviews to the Smithsonian but they are telling me money's a "bit tight" right now... I can wait. Norris

We enjoyed our long sailaway but felt we needed to push our 7.30 dinner reservation at Cyprus back an hour. 3 months before I had gone through our planner on line and it asked me to select my dinners and I did for 11 of the nights. They all had disappeared when I went in to change one a week later. What was the point? I did make a reservation in Eden for two people (us!) and by gum they immediately charged it to our Visa. Who else charges for a meal you won't eat for 3 months? How much in debt is RCI/X? Maybe Chicago is different but here we reserve a table. A week later we go to the restaurant. They cook us some food then after we have eaten it they bring a piece of paper with the number of dollars we owe them written on it. We get out the Visa then add on 20% because the restaurant wants us to beef up the waiter's low wages. Pay for the food then eat it 3 months later?? Anyway I went down to Cyrus to change the reservation, being a good citizen, and the hostess said "Just come whenever you want". Norris

Chefs tend to get carried away with their ingredients -"what I have for you tonight is truffles 3 ways" to which my response would be "and what I have for you, if it tastes crap, is a punch in the face three ways". They might re-think. There are many fine flavors of ice cream although vanilla, chocolate and strawberry still top the polls. I can't imagine truffle ice cream joining them. I'm sure liver ice cream is on a menu somewhere. We just have to find the chef making it and pummel him mercilessly... Norris

There are 6 of them on the bed, plus 4 pillows that belong on the bed. Multiply by the number of beds- say 1500. That's 9,000 pillows without a purpose and each one flammable if the ship catches fire. I'd say a controlled burn now (s'mores opportunity!) would kill two birds with one stone. Norris

Carol's notes say 2 hours before we cleared Rotterdam and were in the North Sea where the cold wind waited on us and the Sunset Bar lost its customers. The Rooftop Garden Grill wasn't even listed as an option for a week or more. We were heading North West (ish) towards an island whose name makes grown men shiver at the thought...ICEland. Ice in my drink is fine. For this cruise I packed things I normally don't-neck to toe thermal underwear and hiking boots plus a Polar jacket for the Chicago winter/Iceland summer. I even had a pair of camera gloves which have fingertips on hinges for twiddling the dials. The Apex is not a cold weather ship unless you get all the Kelly Hoppen pillows together and make a bonfire on deck 15. The wind howls down its open decks. The glass wind barriers have 4 inch gaps between the panels so the wind just cruises on through only with greater force as it's pushed through a narrower aperture and concentrated. It finds that top button of your shirt that you left undone to look cool and goes straight down into your shirt. It goes up your pants leg and stays there. And were not even in Iceland yet! I thought of Captain Oates and his fate in Antarctica.... Norris aka "Mr Toasty"

Sail away video. 4 minutes and 14 seconds of your life...poof! up in smoke. Ship nerds/crane geeks only.

Thank you for the kind words. I take my hat off to Mammoet for their heavy lifting fame and expertise. I didn't realize that was the Bollard I was admiring as we sailed by. Thanks for the link! Norris

Jim, I am aware of Senses since you ate there but got the impression it's a tasting menu place where the chef decides what you'll eat that night. I would never order like that as I know what I like to eat and unless he's the Amazing Kreskin he wouldn't have a clue. If he knew I was from Northern Ireland he could guess potatoes and I'd be happy with a big plate of boiled potatoes and lots of butter but that stops way short of Haute Cuisine (except for me) The restaurant we did eat at was the 5 Flies. They had a tasting menu-not for us. The people at the next table had it and the waiter would tell them what was coming next. I saw raised eyebrows when he left. We eat at a range of restaurants from Popeye's Chicken to Foie Gras in a Michelin Star joint. I've eaten venison in a restaurant with Alain Ducasse at the helm (sublime) and in the vaunted 11 Madison, NYC (amazing) I also love fish and chips from a pub in London. Pretty easy to please but I make the choice. I would also never do a wine pairing for the same reason. No sommelier knows my tastes and if one gave me a sweet Riesling I would just pour it into the nearest potted plant and those are never far away in Fine Dining thankfully. Cheers Jim! Norris

Hi I worked (as a musician) in Copenhagen for a month in winter (March 1978). Nice city. Dour people in general back then. Heavy drinkers and quick to quarrel. Great food but pricey. A 7 day Greek cruise is not my ideal but I'd do it if a longer trip and the ship sailed from Rome which is a favorite city. After 3 visits I'm still wanting more. I haven't been on an M Class -only S and E and now since Apex would find it hard to step away and sail an old M which hasn't had the upgrades. Rumor has it Infinity not long for the fleet. We put down a deposit on a Future Cruise before leaving Apex and are more likely to sail Beyond or Ascent for our next X. Thanks for the comment! Norris

Hi, we're the zoom shots Norris told you about. Hope you like us! Entering the North Sea and the wind picks up Looking back Video coming soon

Next some of the zoom shots from camera 2

More...

Some of our favorite sail aways.. Venice New York Civitavecchia Miami Bergen Stavanger Havana now add Rotterdam We are turning a 180... More...

It's 5 o'clock somewhere-Rotterdam for instance... That can only mean one thing- time to sail away and start this cruise! iPhone pics Lines get tossed into the Maas river (clumsy/disrespectful dock crew) and the side thrusters push us away from the dock. We're going to reverse for about a mile before there's a safe basin to turn around in. We are on our balcony. I have a camcorder and two DSLR cameras at the ready, one with a long zoom (320mm) and one for wide angles (24-70mm) to save time changing lenses. Cruise ship Rotterdam, now a floating hotel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Rotterdam going backwards with ship smoke We love industrial ports and this is the biggest port in Europe More...

Welcome Sandra! I'll have a lot to say on both topics. We just watched one of my Iceland videos. Norris

Jim, we could have used a week there, minimum, as we had a list of things to do and didn't get around to half of them in the end as it was so nice to just spend pleasant hours eating and drinking by the water just watching the boats go by. We loved the quiet of the canals, the easy relaxed pace and the "no worries" attitude of the people we met-usually service people of course and they are expected to be friendly and obliging. I'd say we'll revisit without a cruise involved-maybe at the start of a driving tour through Germany and a revisit to Munich , our favorite relaxed city. Like Munich, Amsterdam was very green, walkable and safe and you could hear the birds sing and English was readily spoken. I'll devote more time to it when we are done with the cruise and return there. Thanks for the comment! Norris

First order of business- hit the buffet for a bite to eat. Le Grande Bistro was open for a fee but we'll get to that later in the cruise. All we need is a plate of food and a drink and we'll eat it outside in the shade. (Carol's notes tell me I had; Butter chicken, papadum, vegetable paella, lamb curry, Indian cauliflower, fried fish and grilled zucchini . Yikes! She had the paella, goulash, spicy oriental chicken, fried fish, cauliflower gratin, fruit and a pistachio financier. What a variety!!) The typical buffet plate, a mix of this and that from various stations, hot and tasty, slopped onto a plate while trying to avoid other people moving this way and that- it's an unscripted choreography. NOW WE ARE CRUISING! THE SUNSET BAR is just one flight of steps above and that's where I usually hang out once aboard for liquid refreshment and an ashtray (starboard side only smoking) Lots of low furniture with under-knee tables, familiar to me from Azamara. Impractical. It's pretty packed out here as it's sunny and not windy but I see a couple of spaces around one table featuring 2 cigar smokers. I need those seats and decided an on an ice-breaker... I walked in among them and shook my finger-"My name is Karen and you need to put out those nasty cigars or I'm going to the Captain! (waving away smoke and coughing theatrically). A moment of silence and amazement then big laughter! Mission accomplished and two new friends made. "take a seat!" LOL. They then told us that one of the smokers -Andy- his wife was on the way up and her name was ....Karen. Who knew!! She got the joke when she arrived. I spent a couple of hours merrily chatting with Andy who was a camera geek too. Carol had retired to the room to nap. The sun beat down and I got a tan as there is no shade away from the bar-not ideal for sunny climes. After Andy left I ordered another CAN of Guinness and the waiter brought me a bottle (ugh) I ordered a can of Guinness! We're out of the cans, sir. I checked my watch- 4.30 on the first day of the cruise- you're out and we haven't set sail yet on a 12 days cruise??!! He said they'd get more up to the bar tomorrow....we'll see (they didn't) Norris, wondering if this is the "Modern Luxury" they sold me.

APEX We checked in at 12.30 and were onboard by 1 p.m. Cabins were ready by 1.30 and we found our way to 8310 all the way back at the stern a couple floors above Eden. We booked an SV (Sunset Verandah) which has a door to a short corridor shared with 8308 a Sunset Sky Suite. Quiet but you can hear people in the cabin next door (8312) talking when in the 8310 bathroom. Designed by British designer Kelly Hoppen whose favorite color is beige/blah and who has a fetish regarding toss pillows in profusion. I tossed most of them. The room is well designed when it comes to storage except half the wardrobe is too short to hang pants (mine) by their bottoms using the crocodile clips provided so they have to hang folded in half. First world problem and no biggie. Our clothes including Polar jackets for Iceland (there's a clue to the climate in the name) were stuffed in. Lots of drawer space and desk-top space. There's a white box on the desk to charge things designed by someone who never charged things in a ship's cabin (close but no cigar) but luckily another charging place by the starboard side of the bed where my Canon battery chargers fit. USB sockets in the white box got plenty of use. No major complaints about the cabin. Nice job. Top marks for the bathroom! Superb spacious shower with its clamshell door which stays closed. No water gets spilled. Great pressure, temperature controls. Decent towels. No plumbing issues for 12 days. No bar soap (bring from home) just pumps with bath gel, shampoo and conditioner of unknown origin. Space, space and more space. Sink long enough to bath a baby in or for passengers with giant hands and hot dog fingers. The balcony didn't get a lot of use in Iceland but fab in the UK and for the sunny sailaway from Rotterdam. A small home that served us well for 12 days. As is her custom Carol uses Clorox wipes to clean the surfaces one touches- handles, faucets, phones etc before unpacking. I get out of her way for a short while. Norris

Mike and Mary, thanks for your kind comment-"entertaining and informative" is what I strive for. I hope you are sitting down when I tell you the price (I've seen much cheaper)...it was E 270 for each leg and we thought the efficiency, communication and the service was worth the splurge. You could get an Uber for less. Train is cheap cheap but we can't schlepp luggage off and on trains then wait for taxis and such. We got what we paid for-professionalism, Mercedes E, on time, car and driver ID with the link to the driver's phone number on the day to advise delays etc-youvcan also request an extra stop, such as the Markt in Rotterdam. The E Class sedan cost more than the minibus price but we like sedans. Hope this helps! Norris

This is our 4th X cruise since our first on the Silly back in 2016 and all 4 embarkations have been smooth and efficient and that makes such a good first impression. Carol's notes say that 30 minutes after Sharif left we were walking onto the ship. So far it's sunshine and lollipops but back in the USA I saw a darker side of X.... They ran a Memorial Day Sale and I did look at the Ultimate/Premier whatever drinks package. It showed the regular price of the Package as $109 pp per day but on sale for $53.99 pp per day. I did consider it and did some math. Carol doesn't drink alcohol so she'd consume 2 coffees per day ($12) and maybe 2 soft drinks ($8)...$20 a day leaving me to spend $88 a day and that was unlikely as I don't go for cocktails and mixed drinks. Beer and some wine with dinner. So I passed. When the sale ended they extended it for another day or two but now the regular price was listed as $149 pp per day and with 50% off it would only cost $74 pp per day...an extra $20 pp per day multiplied by 2 multiplied by 12 days....an extra $480 over the day before. I mentioned this on our Roll Call as a sign of Xs shady money-grab. Just yesterday I was looking at Beyond, Italy Turkey Greece for Oct 2024 and did a trial booking to see what SVs were available. At one of the stages there was the option to book a "Fully Refundable Fare @ $2,000 extra for two" Huh?? Is it an airline? Norris-demanding to "speak to the manager"!

We are cradled in luxury and calm as Sharif navigates the narrow canal streets which have some construction going on currently before fining our way onto the highway to Rotterdam. Smooth well tended roads on the highway. Sharif is a good talker and we are happy to talk to him given what waits us 90 minutes away. I comment on his excellent back seats with their cooling pores on a warm day like today or heat in the winter. "Would you like a massage?" he asked. Sure. He says "Mercedes-Massage) and the back seats start giving us a thorough Shiatsu. When we get to Rotterdam, Sharif decided to avoid some known traffic jam areas and takes to the side streets with leafy lanes and nice houses. We are in good time and will reach the spiffy spacious modern Cruise Terminal exactly when planned. Our luggage is out of the trunk and we bid farewell to our excellent driver There's a short 5 minute line to drop off luggage with the dock porters so I have time to get this exciting pic I give the luggage man 10 Euro which is insurance against the luggage falling into the harbor and we go inside the spacious terminal, passports and Celebrity App at the ready

Nobody's gonna rain on my Parade! I woke up this morning (that's every blues song ever-not part of the contest) after a blissful sleep on a comfy bed. Nice day! It's 7 something a.m by the time I get down to the canal for my morning puff and what do I see? Workmen have coned the entrance to our street and are shooing cars away. A short while later I look into the street and there's the reason-a gigantic crane is parked in the middle of the narrow street, side legs extended for balance. A man at the end of the jib is in a bucket headed for the roof. Oh lord-really? Today? We have a car coming at 11!! Ooh-now the crane is pulling in the legs and getting ready to leave. Yay! But what's this? At the far end of the street away from the canal there awaits a MASSIVE crane. Yup he moves into the vacant spot and sets up shop. He's there while we eat breakfast in the buffet which we pay E 28.50 for. Not the spread we could get in the Oceanview Cafe on Apex but we don't have time to go out for breakfast. I cobbled together a Full English breakfast (sort of) While Carol ordered an omelette from the a la carte side choices (omelette variations) Ham and cheese, fresh OJ, cappuccino from one of those excellent coffee stations made by a company called Franke (accept no substitute-they rock!) I am packed and Carol will take care of the luggage tags. I go back onto Rusland Straat for my smoke. The hotel manager is there and introduces himself-Roy Kamphuis. I don't mention anything about our welcome on Sunday-now's not the time. The crane is loading equipment onto his roof and he's concerned about getting the street open again so guests can easily check in and out-me being one of them. The Police are also working in the area-looking for a miscreant was the scuttlebutt. The massive crane had left enough room for a car to pass through so all we had to do was wait for the cone men to open the street. Meantime the clock ticked on and 11 was approaching so we brought all our luggage (5 pieces) to the lobby and Carol sat inside, reading and waiting. When I told Roy the Hotel Manager we were coming back in 12 days he gave me his card and asked me to remind him with an email before we docked- "if there's anything you need"... I would take advantage of that offer... Our driver would be Sharif (from Suriname, N.E coast of South America as a lot of Amsterdamers are FYI) He would be driving an E Class Mercedes as I requested- most transfers offered will use a Mercedes mini-van but we love the comfy sedans. From the model described to me in that morning's email from Amsterdam Transfer Services it would be a Mercedes EQS- an electric car. Oh boy! I see our car at the end of the street and tell Roy. He goes down there, speaks to the cone men and they allow it in. Hurrah! Roy comes in to help with our bags as does Sharif. Carol climbs into this German spaceship of a car. Thanks Roy and off we go!!! Rotterdam and Apex-here we come!

A Night at the Opera When we go to Europe we always hope to find an opera to make for a special night. We found such when we went to Venice to sail on the Ocean Princess in 2014. We found one for the night before our cruise. In Amsterdam, 9 minutes walk from our hotel. A new experience. In Europe opera isn't something weird and obscure. Opera has been around since the early 1600s and it's attended by all ages. The music is written by the names everyone has heard of and played hundreds of years after they died- Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, R. Strauss etc. A popular one with acclaimed singers will sell out quickly and people (like us) will book airline tickets and hotels to be there when the 100 piece orchestra strikes up, lights, costumes-action! It's like a movie but happening right before you. No expense spared. Giant stages, giant sets, hand-made costumes, special effects with smoke, fire, water, wind and projections. Mind-blowing organization! Hundreds of people involved yet no chaos. Here's a couple of pics- there's no taking pics while the show is happening-you're thinking of pop concerts. There's no talking! No eating popcorn or nachos, no one gallon sodas. It's 2 to 3,000 adults and kids absorbed in what they are hearing and seeing. It's in a newish modern opera house without the glamour or visual pizzaz of the art deco. Compare to our local opera house in Chicago (3800 seater) Amsterdam We were in the tenth row-Carol scored primo tickets! There is a vast lobby area with seating and tables and bars serving before the show and during the intermission. All very civilized. We will hear 3 hours of storytelling to music. Intermissions are for toilets-drinks-chat about what we just saw. I spent my 20 minute intermission here, in the sun with a cigarette.. There are subtitles above the stage which was handy as I was hearing Rusalka for the first time and it's sung in Czech. At the end, tumultuous applause and yelling as the performers take their bows. These pics will give you some idea of the cast... The conductor (in black) and the principal singers. You don't see the stagehands, carpenters, electricians, costume makers, wig makers, vocal coaches, orchestra players-300 or more people on the payroll to make it happen. You get your money's worth. There are no microphones and amps and speakers. trained voices don't need them. The happy people go home, to their hotels, to restaurants and bars. It's 10.30 and still not dark. We stroll home, walking on air for a late night dinner at the hotel bar . We got that table by the fireplace I had my eye on. Fish and chips and a beer kept the hunger at bay. In the morning we will have breakfast-pack-add our Apex luggage tags-get in a car and go to Rotterdam. Our car will be here at 11...which coincidentally is where our amps go up to. Norris