Live From the Summit Flower Power Cruise 2/24-3/3/18

[SweetPease]

Great review! Thanks for sharing! We are on the 70’s Cruise this weekend. Really appreciate your insights. We are in concierge class, but opted for the 3 night specialty dining package. Have you by chance heard anything about the specialty restaurants? We have to make our reservations once we board and trying to decide how to use the 3 nights. We have sailed Royal many times, but this is our first time on Celebrity. Looking forward to it. One more question... what time did you start boarding? Driving from Ponce Inlet, FL (about 3.5 hours) so trying to decide on timing. :). Thanks so much, enjoy the rest of your cruise and I look forward to reading more about it!! Cheers!

[disfan13]

To start at the beginning:

We flew from 39 degrees in VT to 79 in Ft Lauderdale and spent 2 lovely days there before the cruise. We stayed at the Bahia Mar, which is across from the ocean. The beach was lovely and it wasn’t crowded when we went. They have great pool, the water taxi is nearby as well as some great restaurants.

 

We haven’t been to the Bahia for a few years and found some changes due to Irma (I believe). Our favorite little restaurant across the waterway from the hotel was destroyed in the hurricane. Such a loss - we did enjoy 25th St Fisheries for lunch (short ride on the water taxi) and liked Coconuts though it was certainly a lively place.[emoji2]

 

The water taxi price has gone up over the last few years - now $28 for the day - I think it was $5 or $10 ten years back. Still worth doing.

The walkway at the hotel that led to the beach over the highway was damaged by the hurricane so no longer usable. They had a stop light with crosswalk so it was still easy to get to the beach.

 

They have a nice market onsite where you can get made to order breakfast (burritos, croissants, etc) or pancakes or eggs. It is a fraction of the hotel breakfast cost and there are tables inside and out. They also have great premade salads, sandwiches, etc for lunch or light dinner. It is well-stocked with good beers, wines, etc.

We plan to book there again in the fall.

 

It is a 10 minute ride to the port from there. We arrived at 10:45 and checked in and waited until the ship was ready. We were in AQ so asked if the Elite or AQ line would be quicker going onboard. They said AQ so we waited with the AQ people. I think we boarded right after the suite people but hard to tell. It went pretty smoothly.

 

Once onboard the music was 60’s style - it has been wonderful to have that as background music this week!

 

The muster was not the spy video we had last fall, but was a very serious affair. The leader asked for our attention and made sure we took it seriously. It was a long muster, but I will not complain about them taking the time to keep us safe.

 

We have 1141, which is one of the 5 aft AQ cabins. The balcony is amazing - had the twin 1138 on another cruise and loved it. It is on the smoking side of the Sunset Bar below, but hasn’t been an issue. The issue has been the Rooftop Terrace - likely because it is a charter they are playing movies all day and into the night. We can’t hear it in the cabin but it is loud on our veranda. Since there is rarely anyone up there - we’ve checked - we have asked if they could turn it down. They said they would call the AV people but so far no change. My husband wanted to take s nap out here this morning but couldn’t. I’m starting to acclimate and not be as annoyed. So far I’ve heard Easy Rider (at least the music was great) and now I’ve got The Birds playing -almost scarier without the picture. We won’t book this cabin again. Anyone have an issue on regular cruises since the refurb?

 

 

We have Ian as cabin attendant - excellent so far. The cabin is in good shape, the towels all new looking and not frayed.[emoji2]

 

Blu has been very good so far. For some reason the majority of Flower Power AQ people are eating elsewhere. We get a window table every night and the restaurant seems about a third full. I asked the maitre ‘d where everyone was and she said “if you find them , let me know.” Anyway, we get great service and attentive wine service as well.

 

They haven’t found al Bachio either. It is so nice to go there any time and have a window seat and attentive service. This ship is so quiet during the day. I think all the old hippies are up partying at night and sleeping in. [emoji6]

 

More later.....

 

We have 1138 booked in April. The only complaint I have heard is about the movies up top. I doubt that will be a big issue for us, at least I hope not. Looking forward to that cabin! Thanks for the pics and review so far!

[vtcruising]

:cool:

Great review! Thanks for sharing! We are on the 70’s Cruise this weekend. Really appreciate your insights. We are in concierge class, but opted for the 3 night specialty dining package. Have you by chance heard anything about the specialty restaurants? We have to make our reservations once we board and trying to decide how to use the 3 nights. We have sailed Royal many times, but this is our first time on Celebrity. Looking forward to it. One more question... what time did you start boarding? Driving from Ponce Inlet, FL (about 3.5 hours) so trying to decide on timing. :). Thanks so much, enjoy the rest of your cruise and I look forward to reading more about it!! Cheers!

 

We are going to Tuscan tonight so will let you know - we usually enjoy going there.

 

We have eaten lunch in Sushi on 5 a couple of times and love the place. As on other ships we have been on, it is well-run and never disappoints ! We don't do raw, but the lobster ramen, chicken ginger dumplings and shrimp tempura roll are all excellent. In fact, once we work off the Mexican eggs Benedict (soooooo good), we will be back at Sushi on 5 with chopsticks in hand.

 

We probably won't do Qsine this time - we always enjoy the experience though - go hungry!

 

When Celebrity says arrive at certain times we usually go at 1045 and are onboard by 1100. Star Vista told us the ship would not board until 1130 and it started to board at exactly 1130. We were checked in by 1105 and were guided to a group of AQ seats to wait. It looked like the suites were first and then us, but hard to tell. Anyway, the bubbly was in sight by 1145 or so. :cool:

 

 

When you arrive on Saturday, I will be the one crying by the curb. ;)

[vtcruising]

We have 1138 booked in April. The only complaint I have heard is about the movies up top. I doubt that will be a big issue for us, at least I hope not. Looking forward to that cabin! Thanks for the pics and review so far!

The balcony is amazing. We have a nice mix of sun and shade and most of the space is private. We like going down 13 steps to the bar and OVC. We are getting used to the movie noise, but could do without it.

[vtcruising]

Day 2 - 2/25

 

A very busy , but wonderful day!! Here is the daily:

 

We started the day by having breakfast in Blu. We had Eggs Benedict and fresh - squeezed juice- if you don’t believe it is fresh squeezed here is a picture of the seeds [emoji2].

 

We went up to Revelations to get a good seat for the Wade Lawrence Woodstock presentation. These are not to be missed. He is the head curator at the Woodstock Museum and knows everything about Woodstock ( and has met many of the performers as he is the lucky one to tour returning Woodstock performers around the museum and grounds). He has so many stories to tell and is a very personable man.

 

All his lectures are different and have various slants. This one was about the Beatles at Woodstock. Although the Beatles were not there in person , their songs and influence were there. We heard fascinating tales and saw bootleg videos. He also takes questions and quite a few people in the audience who were there share their memories as well. We will be visiting the museum this summer!! Can’t wait!

 

We had a delicious lunch at Sushi on 5 before heading back for the performer Q&A (another favorite activity). You need to get there early to get a good seat. We bring books and get comfortable seats and a drink. This is not to be missed. This first one was Joe Johnson interviewing Grass Roots (our first date was a Grass Roots concert), the Association, Iron Butterfly and the Cowsills. It is fascinating to hear about their early days, choices made, song meanings, life on the road, etc.

The Grass Roots are above.

 

To be continued....

[George C]

Love all this info, have you gotten picture taken with any performers? or autographs? was thinking of bringing some very old albums of the artist

[vtcruising]

Day 2 continued

 

After the great Q&A, we went to the theatre to our Peter Asher concert, Peter is also our cruise host and is doing a marvelous job. What a talented and interesting person! He is formerly from Peter and Gordon and has been a producer for many years for many famous singers. It was fun to hear his stories and songs. His biggest hit was one that Paul McCartney wrote - Paul dated Peters sister and actually lived with him for 2 years. He had a great story about Paul finishing the song up in about 8 minutes since Peter had an upcoming recording date.

 

 

We weren’t the only one in tears when he sang a Peter and Gordon song with the now deceased Gordon on video behind him. What a beautiful moment!

 

 

Okay, now my husband went to the Canned Heat concert at the pool and I visited the casino after a little gelato. He enjoyed the Canned Heat concert and I won $250 in 3 pulls! Win-win!!

 

 

We had time for a quick nap before our Grass Roots and The Association concert. A wonderful night - so much energy in the room. The Association sang hit after hit - the voices were good but not quite as strong - very enjoyable. The Grass Roots were phenomenal - especially loved Temptation Eyes and Midnight Confessions!

 

 

We went to Blu for another great dinner - excellent service! We had the ribs-very tender. Lava cake for dessert. Life is good!

 

 

 

 

Somehow we still had the energy to go to the Unknown Comic show at 10:15. We were in for a treat!! He was absolutely amazingly funny. We laughed so hard for an hour. I have to say it was the best adult comedy I have ever seen. He took his bag off after a while - what a fun night that was! We will try to go again. He’s retiring soon so may not do it much longer.

 

 

A wonderful day, but time to drag ourselves to bed and rest up for another busy day ...

Edited February 28, 2018 by vtcruising

[Deeliteful]

Loving this review. How do you get to hear about these music charters? Would love to try one before I get too old!

[vtcruising]

Love all this info, have you gotten picture taken with any performers? or autographs? was thinking of bringing some very old albums of the artist

They did allot time after the Q&A Tues for autographs - many brought guitars and albums to be autographed 😃

[vtcruising]

Loving this review. How do you get to hear about these music charters? Would love to try one before I get too old!

You are never too old!! 😃

 

Here is the Flower Power Website:

https://flowerpowercruise.com/

 

They put on a lot of other music cruises that have links on that site ( country, malt shop, soul, rock n romance, etc)

 

They are a great company to deal with - have been happy so far!!

[vtcruising]

Some more pictures:

Baked Brie with pepper jelly - excellent and also recommend lobster salad as appetizer

 

 

Baked Scallop roll and Shrimp Tempura roll from Sushi on 5

 

 

Free pastries at Cafe al Bachio in case you get hungry between meals [emoji6]

[btobey]

Those pastries are leaving me drooling!

[vtcruising]

Day 3 2/26

 

Another wonderfully busy day!!

Started with breakfast in Blu. They have Eggs Benedict, omelettes, made to order eggs, granola parfaits, muesli and many good sides such as mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and asparagus. Excellent service and lovely views of the ocean.

 

Once filled up with yummy food, we headed to the 2nd Woodstock lecture. It was “As Luck Would Have It” - it was about artists who were supposed to be there such as Grand Funk Railroad who were stuck at LaGuardia (and demanded a helicopter but were told in a rather crass telegram to forget it) and those who weren’t invited but sang. He showed an amazing bootleg of Melanie who was there at someone’s suggestion - she had her guitar and sang when there was a hole in the schedule. It was a beautifully poignant song - very pure and simple. We again loved the talk and look forward to more.

 

We then went to a great Q&A with Peter Noone, Micky Dolenz, Felix Cavaliers and Mark Lindsay. Unfortunately it was very popular and not everyone could fit into the room. The peace and love cruise almost had a mutiny.[emoji6] We had good seats because we were there early - they changed to the theatre for today’s to prevent another riot.

 

We loved this session - so many interesting stories. I could have listened to them all day. They all stayed around to do autographs after.

We went to Sushi on 5 for another fantastic meal. Lobster ramen and shrimp tempura rolls again. Had to have our daily gelato after . There was a nasty person there chewing out the gelato scooper - she was demanding her free gelato because she has sailed on Celebrity 5 times. I knew that on charters we don’t get the Captains Club coupons including free gelato. I had made a pact with myself to not get into it with any passenger, but did just stare at her when she tried to get us to agree with her. After she stomped off I apologized to the person who was in tears, for having that happen to her. I told her she was correct and not to let one person bother her (and gave her a nice tip). Why are some people such jerks? Over a $2 scoop of ice cream?

 

To be continued

[vtcruising]

Some of the other things happening on this cruise include tribute bands such as Crosby Stills Nash, Cher, Blues Brothers, Janis Joplin, Beatles, Doors, Hendrix, etc. These are very talented performers and help enhance the experience.

A lesser known artist, Patrick Farinas, is also singing in smaller venues - he is superb and we are enjoying him as well. He’s toured with many bands, I guess.

 

They also have a Beatles expert onboard, Scott Freiman, who gives an interesting perspective on everything Beatles.

 

 

The concert was Felix Cavaliere and the Rascals. Another rousing evening of excellent music and a trip down Memory Lane. They are phenomenal musicians and Felix can still sing (though he doesn’t move so well). Videos of him singing when he was young played in the background- very cool! The whole theatre was singing, clapping, dancing by the end.

After seeing the Blues Brothers tribute - very funny, we saw the Cowsills perform by the pool. Not too many of the family left but 3 are onboard and are excellent - Susan, Paul and Bobby.

 

 

That was enough for one day for this old hippie....,,

[vtcruising]

Day 4. 2/27

 

Relieved to have a port day so less musical activities. We have been to Aruba a few times so stayed on the ship and relaxed.

 

 

We had room service for breakfast. Very relaxing to sit on the balcony with our omelettes, fruit, tea, etc. Here is the menu:

 

Here is the all day dining room service menu:

 

Spent a lot of the day in Cafe al Bacio drinking tea and reading or laying in the sun. Very relaxing.

 

[George C]

How was Tuscan grill thinking of doing that Sunday?

[vtcruising]

Day 4 continued

 

I returned to the casino and my favorite machine was hot. Hit some nice jackpots, but the woman across from me hit a $1900 jackpot. Very exciting (especially for her!).

 

The Hollies were on that evening. Still a very talented group that brought he house down!

 

We headed for Blu and I had an amazing Lamb chop salad:

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the Beatles tribute band.

 

 

Off to bed to rest up for the next day!

[vtcruising]

Day 5. 2/28

 

We were in Curaçao and again didn’t get off the shop since we’ve been here a few times.

 

 

Another gorgeous day of relaxing, reading, sunning, eating and drinking. [emoji41]

 

Started out with Mexican Eggs Benedict at the Ocean View Cafe. They have a poached egg station that will make different types of Eggs Benedict:

 

 

We can just walk down a few steps from our cabin to go to the cafe. This is the view of part of the outside seating from the rail of our cabin:

 

If by chance you are still hungry and need something sweet the treats at the al Bacio are free:

 

We had hamburgers at the Mast Grill. They were good, but we did miss Sushi on 5.

 

Continued

[vtcruising]

Day 5 continued

 

We had the Guess Who concert last night. I know I sound like a broken record, but it was absolutely amazing!!!!

 

The ship was rocking! So much energy and so much fun! When they did American Woman and These Eyes , they must have heard us from the other end of the ship. A great night of music.

 

 

We had reservations at Tuscan Grill last night. We had a bad experience with them last year on the Eclipse (waited 1 1/2 hrs between appetizer and mains), but went with an open mind. The food was good but the poor waiter messed up our order and brought stuff we didn’t order and didn’t have some of what we did order. The maitre’d seemed a real jerk to work for so he was nervous about the mistakes. We reassured him that we were fine with what we had and certainly weren’t starving by any means. He wanted to bring my husband his red snapper to the cabin today - he said name the time and I will bring it. We just couldn’t imagine having a red snapper delivered to the cabin so my husband could eat it by himself. Anyway we refused and I thought he was going to cry. We joked around with him and said it was our secret so he let us go without the snapper delivery. We did get a chuckle out of it and today I asked my DH if he was ready for his snapper. You can’t make this stuff up!![emoji2]

 

The sommelier was wonderful there and went out of her way to please. She recognized us from the Silhouette.

 

The arugula and goat cheese salad was delicious as was the lobster pasta. I liked my Blu filet mignon better than the one at Tuscan. The staff were all great except the maitre’d - had a great time.

 

Topped the night off with a little 20 yr old tawny port. [emoji106]

 

[George C]

I found my 1970 Guess who album "American woman" read story ages ago they were invited to white house by Nixon but was asked not to perform American woman, I guess there the only band on both cruises

[NanaChar]

This sounds like an awesome cruise. I’m jealous!

 

 

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[vtcruising]

I found my 1970 Guess who album "American woman" read story ages ago they were invited to white house by Nixon but was asked not to perform American woman, I guess there the only band on both cruises

Yes they told the story about how they wrote that in protest to Vietnam - it was risky for their career since they were Canadians, they said, but they really felt strongly that they needed to say something. For those who don’t know the story, the American Woman is the Statue of Liberty. Thanks for reminding me about the Nixon story - they told that one in 2016. Cool group!

[Deeliteful]

You are never too old!! 😃

 

Here is the Flower Power Website:

https://flowerpowercruise.com/

 

They put on a lot of other music cruises that have links on that site ( country, malt shop, soul, rock n romance, etc)

 

They are a great company to deal with - have been happy so far!!

Thank you x

[George C]

thanks for info on Tuscan grill, I think we will skip specialty and stay in suite restaurant , so not want to miss any of the entertainment

[Susie B.]

Thank you for the great posts while on the Flower Power Cruise! Since we couldn’t be there it’s been nice to see how enjoyable it has been! [emoji259][emoji254][emoji272]

 

 

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