Lastdance

One of the times we were in Valletta, this stature of three vertical cows provided us with lots of laughs! Did you or any family member happen to see this?

Okay... we are on Nova and Ray! We like to eat early...😛 Thanks!

What time does dinner start in the restaurants, or are they all at 7:00 PM? ~~~~Thanking you in advance!

Love, love and love all of your photos, as those really share the beauty, but not the heat! Thanks for sharing yet another review full of hikes!

Exactly; it will be a lot different. Millie is very seasoned, so you will enjoy Apex and her Magic Carpet too! Sorry, I should have combined these two, but did not see it....My friends are doing another M class to Greece soon, but I did let them know it was very seasoned. This is their first cruise and they received a fantastic price, having nothing to compare.

I know the feeling about Spain, even though I love Mallorca and all the coastal cities, I went to Silver Sea because of their TA to Lisbon in 2027. We had to cancel our Spring TA on Oceania this year that debarked in Lisbon due to the price and suite on the aft, hoping that our second one will work. My 2025 and 26 cruises are on Apex, so time to jump ship again for variety. Hope you enjoy your cruise, but am sure that you will! Thank you for sharing your choice and rationale! If you decide to rent a car and have time, drive south to Algarve and the beautiful cliffs!

I agree, as no one can control Mother Nature. Even eating outside, the doors can be close on the new ships, still allowing an outside experience. Then, the gym is open, along with many other things to do. We booked for March 23, 2027, all the way aft for the wake. Crling up in a blanket with a towel or blanket sounds heavenly too.

However, when you insure the cruise, put the oldest passenger second and save a little there. This was also alluded to above. People argue that it doesn’t matter, but it actually does when it counts. We had to use ours, so we know first-hand. My DH is 4 1/2 years older. You cannot just do 50%/50%, at least I knew that before booking and using Itravelinsured.

So...which one did you choose? Apex or Ascent and why?

I miss the excitement of my very first cruise, not knowing what to expect and having to discover all the nooks and crannies...so much fun!

We have been on both ships. Ascent was a gorgeous ship, but we had an awful experience with their medical center that runied our trip, so will not cruise on it in the future. We are doing Apex in October for a b2b, so hoping, due to itineraries, it will be much nicer than being deported off a ship due to a night nurse’s over the phone evaluation. Long story, but hopefully, it will not happen to anyone else in the future. Go with your gut feeling and do not look back...life happens no matter how well we plan! Let us know your decision!!!

Wow...we want smaller, not larger.

The only constant is...change(you got it!) I am a fan of the olden days, but for me, having a great medical department is very important IF you need help, along with a captain who has it together too. Learned that the hard way about medical. The rest is just fluff for me.

I totally understand. We booked the day the cruise was released and the suites were pricey, but I love the big balconies and it was for 14 nights. Yes, once you find what you want it is so hard to go back. If we ever do Princess, in the future, I will look at those Vista Suites...thanks!

Thanks for sharing your written review and photos, as we are doing 14 days next June. We have a Sunset Suite, so am hoping to get some fantastic views onboard too. All of the ports are new to us except for Bruges, so that’s exciting. We have been on Apex before doing a b2b a year before the war in Israel began a few years ago. Thanks so much for sharing your port’ experiences with some tips. Unfortunately, Mother Nature defines the weather, so I hope she is kind when we cruise. What a wonderful family experience for all of you...making memories is always exciting! We hiked the Milford Track in South Island, NZ, so are both intersted in the comparison with Norway. If you ever get the chance to do it, you will have such a great time. We have also done AK a few times too, but this will be our first time in Noway, but have done the other Baltic countries.

I can understand your frustration and hope things work out in your favor. Just be glad it is not a “medical situation,” as ours was absolute awful!

Yes they are cheaper! Athens is very expensive and has been unless you find a great deal, or book early. Biz class is rediculous. A friend of ours who cruises so many different line just finished a b2b in the Med/Adriatic and said it was hands-down their favorite line due to all categories! He also said that their crew is hired from some of the top hotels.

I always keep my credit locked. Just one thing I do not have to worry about, as it is easy to open up if necessary. For some reason Celebrity has lost that customer service quality after Lisa left and Laura took over. Great idea, @Luvcrusn!!!

I agree that(keeping a low stress profile) is what is important when traveling nowadays; I do not mind the back of the bus either, but my DH had to smell those bus fumes for years as a school principal, not to mention his funky stomach from the age of 12. Yes, I wish neither one of us had back-of-the-bus-issues! However, we have been on some wonderful private tours too, so not all bad!l Your photos are excellent, so keep ‘em coming!

@Ken the cruiser You are so brave to take a tour bus..kuddos! My DH can only do that if he sits in the front and it is very short, like just a drop-off at a destination. So glad those two people stopped yapping and you could enjoy the commentary. Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with all of us!

I have done Beyond three times; two(b2b)in Europe that were wonderful, along with one in early December with many challenged and older seniors for the Caribbean. The European cruises were in October and absolutely wonderful with a great mix of ages, but very few kids. The Caribbean cruise only had three children that I saw and were very well behaved, but never again for us in the Caribbean, as we like a mix of ages, nationalities, not cruising in the summer, or during the holidays. You should be okay in September if your only issue is with too many kids. Of course, there can be special groups, kids, other issues on virtually any cruise. I agree with the two posters above! The world is a different place after covid, IMHO. The Retreat can be an excellent choice, but of course not necessary to have a great cruise experience.

You scared when I saw your post and thought I had made a mistake with my booking, but I have all those wonderful ports on my June 6, 2026 cruise...Flam too! 🥰

Well, I chose the June 6, 2026 date for 14 days in a Sunset Suite, so I hope that will work. I have been all over South Island, NZ and even hiked the Milford Track. Yes, the weather does make a huge difference, but Mother Nature is in charge of that. Norway is my most expensive cruise to date, and I really enjoyed my other two cruises on Apex. I am going with it and not going to over-think this at all. This will be my last Celebrity cruise, as I am looking forward to Explora Journeys and SilverSea for their smaller ships and more intimate inclusive atmosphere.

I see that you live in “Happy Valley.” What a lovely name. I was able to get another drop in price for SS, so now 15,840, so much better than 17,550. I really want to do Explora too!

@Jim_Iain Hi Jim, I am conversing with a friend who is on a b2b Explora 1 ship and absolutely loving it. He has been on so many cruise lines(Celebrity too)yet is having his best cruise, also a b2b, but in Greece andTurkey-it was a huge deal. All his posts/photos are just excellent! He did SS, but it was around Africa and a year or two ago. Unfortunately, he experienced a huge negative; I believe due to ship/itinerary. However, I did want to mention that on Explora, he said everything is exceptional from food to service and does not feel crowded. He is very reputable poster just like you and cruises many times a year. This is his first Explora cruise, but it will not be his last. He added that many of the crew are hired from the top 5* hotels. Thought I would add this to your thread. Explorer waas doing 14 and 21 day itineraries, but have noticed that the 21 day itineraries have been dropped going into ’26 & 27’. I guess those were not selling quite as well due to pricing etc. I still have my cruise on SS Nova, but now $1,000 cheaper and $1,400 from my TA in a check on return, along with $400 OBC. The following cruise, beginning on October. 1, was actually $1,000 cheaper, so I switched and got the same suite. I really like the cancellation policy, but hope I do not have to cancel! Yes, I am always looking for that sweet spot; hopefully, R/T air to Athens will improve, but I have other plans if it does not.